I Gave Up TV, Then Qualified for Olympic Marathon Trials and Got My PhD
There’s a scene in “Friends” where Ross’s colleague admits she doesn’t have a television. Incredulous, Joey asks, “You don’t own a TV? What’s all your furniture pointed at?”
Americans are obsessed with television, spending an average of five hours a day pointing ourselves at it even as we complain we’re busier than ever. It rules our lives, whether we admit it or not. A friend of mine claims to not watch much TV, but whenever I visit her — morning, noon or night — it’s on. After my husband admitted we hadn’t watched any while on vacation, a family member was floored: “A whole week without TV?” And when I showed off my new house, visitors were most excited about the cable outlet on the back porch; now I can even point my outdoor furniture at a TV.