TVless Experiment Halftime Report

Review of objective: observe differences resulting from experiment conducted in latter half of July and month of August..

• Free time. Expected result: as experiment ensued gain a noticeable abundance of free time. Actual result: time "hole" left by absense of tv has been filled in with daily responsibilities, not necessarily with hobbies. Does not seem like "free time".
• Sociability. Expected result: to be in frequent contact with friends who have been on the list of friends who should be contacted more often. Actual result: have slowly begun to pick up the phone more often. Surprised to learn that friends are not sitting idly by wondering why I have not called.
• Mental fitess. Expected result: after a week of uneasy withdrawal notice a growing improvement in ability to concentrate, specifically reading after dinner. Actual result: finished two novels since experiment began.
• Physical fitness. Expected result: steady increase in physical activity on weekends. Actual result: done some sporadic hiking and physical labor (moving), hard to say if it is a result of experiment.
• Passivity. Expected to experience a steady decrease in passivity and notice more control over life. Actual result: for the most part, am experiencing more control over use of time. Increased awareness of areas which are not satisfactory. Now have less control over only one area of life: arranging time or places to watch any programs, which usually proves unsuccessful but ultimately inconsequential.

Conclusions so far: am ready to end experiment and get a tivo. The desire to end experiment is strongest at 6:30- 7:30 PM on weekdays right after work. Now realize commercials are the bane of reasonable tv use, their interruptions jagged motion trigger some sort of involuntary Pavlov "orienting response" which influences prolonged hipnotic viewing. At times feel cut off from the world and am surprised at how little that matters and how quickly it passes. Finally, am thankful to have missed out on weekly viewings of Paradise Hotel.

11:46:48 PM    comment []