Television and aunt Wilhelmine

[Dry Lips]

Concider this hypothetical situation: You're visiting aunt Wilhelmine (or, say your new neighbours next door), and after being treated with scones and hot herbal-tea, aunt Wilhelmine decides she wants to watch the nine o'clock news. Now, if you're like me who don't watch television at all, this poses a formidable dilemma... What do you white-dotters do in a social context when people decides to watch television in your presence? (I'm afraid this hypothetical situation is all too realistic; to be honest I get into sitations like this all the time.)

I'm also interested in learning what you folks do when you encounter the tube in the public sphere... I'm not primarily thinking of television screens in the supermarked or the airport which you hastily pass by, but situations where the presence of television screens is difficult to ignore:
For instance a noisy television in a tiny waiting-room at the hospital, where everyone but you are happy to keep watching... Television in educational settings where watching television is concidered part of the course; television for "devotional" or "inspirational" purposes in the local church, mosque or synagogue... Different kinds of social gatherings
and similar situations where in ignorantly assumes that nobody would protest againts a little eyecandy...

Or am I the only one who find situations like these difficult?

[TerryS]

Hi Dry Lips

"Now, if you're like me who don't watch television
at all, this poses a formidable dilemma..."

Well we really are very much in the minority.

I have to admit, in those circumstances, I usually
just end up watching too (unless it is sports which
I can't even force myself to watch).

Most people I know don't know that I am actually
very anti-TV, but they do know that I am not a
fan of TV, so luckily I don't usually get invited
to watch along very often.

I did read recently that one study found that
teenagers are now spending more time online than
watching TV, so I think that is some progress...

P.S. Do people watch a lot of TV in Norway?
Compared to the rest of the world?

[Dry Lips]

P.S. Do people watch a lot of TV in Norway?
Compared to the rest of the world?

In 2008 80 percent of the population watched television on a normal day. On average, Norwegians watched 2 hours and 22 minutes of television per day in 2008, 10 minutes less than the year before.

Source: http://www.ssb.no/vis/emner/07/02/30/me ... 01-01.html

[Dry Lips]

I have to admit, in those circumstances, I usually
just end up watching too (unless it is sports which I can't even force myself to watch).

When I first ceased watching television, over six years ago, I too used to watch television in social settings, when I thought that the situation demanded it. But after a while I realized that I wasn’t helping anyone that way. When I sat down and held my peace, I was really legitimizing their ignorant use of a medium that I knew wasn’t good for them in the long run.

If aunt Wilhemine was about to devour a piece of cream cake that has been stored in the refrigerator a little too long and has become green and mouldy, you would normally stop her, even if it would be embarrassing. And if she lately has become a little senile, and insists that the cake is all right, because she thinks she made it yesterday, you would normally decline having a piece yourselves.

In a nutshell, this is why I’ve changed strategy in these situations. If I did sit down quietly watching with the others in these kinds of situations, how could I convince others that television has a wide range of negative effects? Evidently I didn’t think television is that bad after all…? But I’m convinced that television is a disruptive force in our individual lives as well as in our society, so that is no longer an alternative, at least not for me.

On the other hand, if I at the present moment, at times consent to watch the tube in company with others, even though I don’t really want to watch at all, I’ve in reality handed over my independence to someone else. A child that doesn’t want to go home from the playground might cry and make a scene, but ultimately has to obey the will of its parents. However, if I as an adult don’t want to engage in an activity such as watching telly, but under social pressure agree to do it nevertheless, I demonstrate a (childlike?) lack of independence; I demonstrate that I regard aunt Wilhelmine as my authority in deciding what to watch, even if I disagree with the entire situation deep inside.

Now, I don’t claim to have all the answers to dilemmas like these; I usually approach different situations in different ways. And yes, it’s difficult being a minority… But I’ve come to the conclusion that the only thing I cannot do, is to sit still and pretend that everything is okay.

Here in Europe, smoking is prohibited in official buildings, and it’s an insult even in private homes to blow smoke in non-smokers faces. However, when in comes to television it is evidently no problem to compel others to partake of lifestyle-choices that definitively ought to be left to everyone to decide for themselves.

[Rose1]

Yes, I worry about those situations too. I was at the gym on Friday riding the stationary bike and there were 8 TV screens just in front of me lined up and I was faced with the dilemma of do I stay and get some exercise as i needed to do and risk being drawn into the box (and with only a few days free and being in early withdrawal from the box it was a concern) but what I did was to close my eyes and instead of looking at the screens I listened to the music (the screens there do not blare the sound of the show out, they are hooked up to earphone jacks and all set at different stations so the people exercising have choices as to what shows to watch so I did not have to listen to a TV show which was good) ... anyways, unlike what I usually do, which is watch one of the screens and occasionally scan the other screens nearby I closed my eyes and listened to the exercise music, which fortunately was not too loud (presumably so as to not interfere with the people listening with their headsets) and I almost IMMEDIATELY had a very, very different sensory experience of being on the bike at the gym- I noticed the feelings in my body and I noticed how my movements sped up to match the beat of the music and, surprisingly to me, I got a MUCH BETTER WORKOUT than I usually do... usually I am watching the clock and cannot wait until my 15 minutes is done... this time I matched my rhythmn to the beat of the music and felt my muscles engaging in the exercise and it was a much better time than I had before when I was scanning the screens in front of my face. Occasinally i would open my eyes and see them but I basically tried to keep my eyes off getting drawn into them. It took some effort but the people who make the TV shows are very skilled at drawing us in and so I need to be aware of their tricks and not allow myself to linger there as that is how they get you hooked. If you don't look at the shows you cannot get pulled into their world. now, my next fear is what if I am visiting someone and they turn on the TV or expect to go to see the latest movie. I am currently thinking "strategies for various situations' such as the one at the gym... I have started a "daily blog" (not posted online, just on my computer/phone and I have a word processor on my phone and a light wireless keyboard that I keep in my purse so that in the event I need to just excuse myself I have an "excuse" which will go something like this; "Gee, that is nice that you want to watch your favourite show and I would not want to interuppt it however I am just going to sit over here in the corner, out of sight of the screen and work on some writing that I have to catch up on. I will be right here is you want to talk and socialize during the commercials and I enjoy your company but for this moment, while you are watching the show I am going to use the time to do some writing. Enjoy your show and we will talk when it is over." Then I would sit in a corner somewhere where I could not SEE the screen (probably would have to tolerate lisetening to it) and then get my phone and my wireless keyboard - or a piece of paper and just sit there and write about this addiction and how grateful I am that I am not being sucked into it as the other person visiting is (and having been that person sunk into the addiction I need to feel compassion for them and gratitude that I have been released from that living nightmare that stole so much of my life from me that I will never get back)

[TerryS]

Hi Rose1

What an inspirational story.

"... gratitude that I have been released from that living nightmare that stole so much of my life from me that I will never get back"

yes, that's exactly how I feel.

Terry

[Rose1]

Thank you Terry.