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On September 21, 2006, Nielsen Media Research, Inc reported that the total average time a household watched television during the 2005-2006 television years was 8 hours and 14 minutes per day. And the average amount of television watched by an individual viewer increased 3 minutes per day to 4 hours and 35 minutes. American Idol and Deal or No Deal can certainly provide entertainment and the edge of your seat thrill you are looking for, but if the television has become the newest addition to your family, these simple tips can help reduce your TV time.
Read before bed. Reading can give your mind a break by redirecting your thoughts away from your day to day activity. And by giving your mind a rest, you can in turn reduce stress and fatigue. Reading can also increase vocabulary. In an article written by Anne E Cunningham, What Reading Does for the Mind, past research has shown that vocabulary is grown more through reading then through oral language. In analyzing the English language, words were ranked by their frequency of use. “A rare word is defined as one with a rank lower than 10,000; roughly a word that is outside the vocabulary of a fourth to sixth grader.” 68.3 rare words per 1000 occur in newspapers, 65.7 in 1000 occur in popular magazines, and 52.7 rare words per 1000 occur in adult books; as opposed to the 22.7 per 1000 words that occur in popular prime-time adult shows. Don’t “take on” new shows in the fall. Last fall the major networks premiered sixteen new series; this fall they planned to premiere twenty-three. What does this mean for you? More television hours to add to your already busy schedule. Of course you’ll need to tune in to the new season of Survivor or the new season of The Amazing Race, but do you need to tune in to a new show you have no time invested in so far? Probably not. Compile a list of shows you currently watch, leave off the season premiers, and stick to the list. Don’t turn on the TV as soon as you come home. Instead of reaching for the remote, reach for the stereo. If the radio is what not what you’re looking for, relaxation CD’s with sounds of the forest, rivers, and rain are sure to fill the background noise you need. Set designated times each night for viewing. Organize your compiled list of TV shows and schedule a block of time each night for viewing. Use your time without the TV to pick up with an old hobby or involve yourself with a new one. Working two to three hours per day can also lend itself to the degree you’ve wanted to get - with online programs such as Devry, Phoenix, and Capella University, it’s now possible to earn a degree in your spare time at home. And I certainly could not forget using your new found time for writing. Writing can be a form of expression, an outlet for emotion, or simply a way to track daily thoughts through a journal. Record shows for later viewing. Shorten show time by skipping commercials. DVR and TIVO make it possible to record shows for later, and lately more and more sites are offering viewers their missed TV shows on the internet – in full length. So during your scheduled TV time when there are no good shows to watch, queue up your prerecorded shows, and off you go. And if you are truly looking for more time, waking up a half hour or hour earlier can give you the extra time you need. Using this time for walking, jogging, yoga, reading, or writing, can give you a short amount of time each day to focus on you. And fulfilling personal needs can help eliminate the “blahs” by taking the focus off work or a hectic schedule. So the next time you hear a friend say, “There just isn’t enough time in the day,” tell them to try a TV diet! |