“House of Cards,” “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Seinfeld,” “Broad City,” “Homeland,” “The Biggest Loser” — while some shows are more respectable than others, my time at U.Va. is charted by these and many more. But I’ve noticed my television addiction has started to take priority over other parts of my life, parts which are more valuable for my social, academic and physical wellness. What would it be like to spend a whole week without any sort of TV?
Most nights I ask myself: how much homework has to get done before I can finally resume my place in the 22nd cycle of “America’s Next Top Model”? I usually view TV as a reward to a long day or a study break for a long night. Too vivid is the memory of fall 2015 finals, going on hour 11 at Clemons, whipping out my computer to break up my take-home with the season finale of “Project Runway” season nine (don’t worry, I was still there for another four hours).
In my living space now, the television, complete with Apple TV and basic cable, is totally communal — especially for “Bachelor” episodes, major political broadcasts or the U.Va. basketball game. Each of my roommates has different tastes, ranging from “Empire” to “Workaholics” to “Friends,” but the TV is almost always on.
Studying becomes difficult no matter what room you’re in, so my week began with avoiding our common area at all costs. On my first night, I went to the library and noticed a much higher level of productivity, probably thanks to the lack of YouTube videos clogging my study time. Throughout the week, my work got done much earlier and I had more free time to work out, cook or read. I started eating my meals with friends and having real conversations. I spent more time out of the apartment with people I wouldn’t have otherwise had the time to hang out with. I even took a spin class, which has no TVs anywhere.
TV, like many things, forms a routine in my life — one which has become so natural I barely notice it’s there. Removing it completely forced me to recognize the dependence I developed. It had become the means for shutting off my brain for as long as I wanted without any real sense of accountability. The loss of television meant a huge gain of extra time — time to be spent with friends, studying or relaxing in other ways. One day, when I otherwise would’ve sifted through Netflix for a few hours, I went on a walk through one of Charlottesville’s trails. On another, I went thrift shopping around town. It amazed me how much of my life I had devoted to TV.
This experience was a positive one for me, not only knowing I could handle a week without television but also knowing it improved my wellbeing. However, implementing this on a daily basis could be difficult because TV is everywhere. All over the University there are screens with news, sports, videos, etc. — a fact I didn’t notice until I had to escape it all. Going forward, I think I’ll try to limit my hours in front of Netflix, but I missed Ben Higgins too much to go cold turkey forever.
Next week I’ll be attempting to go one week without dairy products. Is it even possible? Let’s find out!
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