Life without Television

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This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise, it is nothing but wires and lights in a box.

- Edward R. Morrow

The crusade of television started in 1875 when George. R Carey of Boston had proposed a television system. Now, after one and a quarter century of its origin, Television has conquered almost all the nook and corner of the world. Television became an indispensable part as water or air for majority of the population. A recent study shows that about 87% of the world's households own a television set. The arguments for and against television became an old story.

Now, can you imagine a life without television? I could not even think of that till I reached the doorsill of reality. Most of my teenage memories are strongly intertwined with the popular T V shows of those days. At this moment also I love to, lose myself into the glittering and unreal soap operas, travel to the umknown lands and histories through the scenic descriptions in TV shows, shudder at the real life experiences shown through news programmes and chat eagerly with others about my favorite television shows. In that case why should I imagine a life without television! There are certain essential factors that lead our life other than the mere illusions blended with a little reality.

The first few months of my Post- Graduation days were quite oppressing for my friends and I, not only because of our alienation from familiar surroundings, but also because of the inaccessibility to Television. But it was the mind-opening time to reality. The first inspiration came from books. The wonderful collection of magazines and books opened our imagination to a more glittering world than those shown by soap operas. We were happy to realize that our imagination was also getting superior and humble. The places and histories we visited through the description in the books got engrained into our memory. The television shows based on these books and descriptions failed to show the characters in our imagination. We started to realize the essence of imagination other than the stuffiness in the living rooms.

Then came the local news. The events in the world were a half an hour scene in the television, for us in our early lives. We found ourselves closer to news through newspapers and real life experiences. We could find out time, to visit the Tsunami victims, to help the AIDS patients, to locate the merchant women who struggle with their lives, and to come face to face with the real visage of politicians during the anti-quota protests. We were not mutely gathering information of the outer world from the Television. We were actually living in the news. We were shocked to find out that we have got a lot of time to spend for useful activities for the society. We shuddered to return to a life where we would waste four to five hours of our precious time in front of television.

Even then I am not ready to call television as an 'idiot box'. I feel that it is a cynical coinage put by some insensitive spectator. Many people censure television for everything that is negative from health problems to criminal activities. There are disputes in the families for some particular channels with regard to personal interests. Even though majority of these arguments are justified, it is important to keep in mind that television is benefiting society in so many ways. Little children, old people and most busy professionals are the people who gain the major advantage of television. Little children and old people may have denied access to the wonderful world of reading and activities due to their physical inabilities. Professionals in the busy corporate world get a chance to have a fleeting look at the happenings around them during their short break through television. But this is not the scenario around everyone.

Television is not an essential part of life for many who have time to experience the real life. The real life offers more wonderful things for relaxation and adventure than can be offered through the square box in your living room. A morning or evening walk through the serene nature, an open mind to know the events around you, and a realization about the things that will make you happy in the real life will be more rewarding than the pleasure and knowledge offered to you by the television set. You can leave the television for others in your family who need. It is not necessary that you have to constrain yourself from something that pleases you most. You will find time to meet your loved ones and build your relationships. Nevertheless with the passing of time you will come to understand that life without television is not a mishappening, but something closer to life.