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Adam Curry had the reference to Zen TV Experiment and I encourage you to read his story. I remember when I was dreadfully sick, scared, anxious, and depressed. I went to a teacher who said, "Turn off the TV and newspapers for one month, and see how you feel."
Today, I am angry and confused. I still crave the TV drug. We're watching selected DVD movies from Netflix; in my sanest moments I know it is only slightly different. At least the volume of consumption is controlled (at least until I upgrade to the 8 DVD's out at a time plan <wink>).
I want to live a life that feels real, alive, meaningful. I'll be 40 on September 17th of this year. And while I lust after a wide screen HDTV, I am not sure why. It is nothing compared to how I feel taking a walk with my wife, or spending two hours helping a friend physically heal through massage therapy and heartfelt talk.
Perhaps it is that during much of my life, TV has been there when I was alone, scared, or sick. When I was sick as a child, I watched TV all day long since Mom was usually at work (when I was older). When I had broken up with a girlfriend, or just plain didn't have one because I was a pimply runt, TV provided distraction.
Can TV as a technology be helpful or used in balance? I don't know yet. I do know that watching selected movies as a family and talking about them before and afterwards changes the dynamic. It feels less like entertainment--and thus there is some resistance on all our parts. Yet, it also feel more like a shared experience.
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