TV Fasting August

[Originally published in Woodbury Bulletin on 8/1/2007]

Lately I heard people talking on the radio about TV fasting. They challenge Americans to have a TV free month in August.

I wholeheartedly embrace this idea. I don’t think it’s hard to do, at least not for me. In fact, I haven’t watched TV for almost 10 years.

When I was growing up, there was no TV. Like other families, my family only had a radio. It provided news and entertainment for everyone. I don’t remember when my parents bought their first small back and white TV, probably after I left for college in 1981.

During my college years I lived in a dormitory on campus. There was no TV in the dorm. I was busy studying anyway.

After graduation I spent a year at the Chinese Central Television. I was behind the scene and could see how TV programs were produced. But I still didn’t watch much TV.

I started to watch TV regularly while studying in Germany and living with a German family. I watched news every evening. My German got better.

After I came to the US in 1991, I stayed home for a few months. There was nothing for me to do except watching TV and learning English. I spent lots of time watching TV talk shows hosted by Jenny Jones, Joan Rivers, Phil Donahue, Maury Povich, Oprah, etc.

Even though there was a lot of trash talk, and sometimes I fell asleep during the day while watching TV, they were very helpful for me to learn English. They all became my English teachers.

After my English improved, I went to work part time and eventually went to college full time and then work full time. I still watched a little bit of TV in the evenings. Usually I only watched programs I liked, such as Unsolved Mysteries, 20/20, Dateline, 60 Minutes, etc.

When my son was born 9 years ago, I got busy and gave up TV. I am not sure whether I stopped watching TV gradually or abruptly. I don’t miss TV at all. Now I feel more or less irritated when the TV is on, especially at meal time.

Instead of watching TV, I like to read and listen to radio talk shows. I think I get more out of reading and listening to radio than watching TV.

My kids don’t watch much TV either. Sometimes they watch a children’s program on tape or DVD. They certainly want to watch more TV, but I don’t let them. Now my son is more into playing computer games or game boy games. And he is at an age that’s harder to control, because he wants to do things all his friends do or everyone in school does.

I know it’s tempting for parents to use TV as a baby-sitter. It’s much easier for parents to let kids do what they want than to discipline them to do the things we want them to do.

Especially now during the three month long summer break, many kids are home all day. They are bored and spend more time on TV and games. Letting them watch TV and playing games is certainly easy on us parents. Kids get what they want. They are busy, quiet and happy. They will leave parents alone. But we know that’s not good for them to watch too much TV.

As parents, we need to be able to say “No” to their requests. Don’t fret when our kids say: “I am bored!”

Kids don’t have to be entertained by someone or something all the times. They need to learn and do things on their own. Boredom often leads to creativity.

When my son tells me: “Mom, I am bored! What should I do? Can I play my game?” I don’t feel bad about it or feel guilty of my not doing a good job as a mother.

I might say to him: “Oh, good you are bored. Now you can read a book or practice piano.” He doesn’t like my suggestion, but he doesn’t always get what he wants.

What are the benefits of not watching TV?

It minimizes the negative effects of TV on our physical and mental health, family time, and children's academic success.

Instead of living a couch potato lifestyle, we can live healthier lives by being more physically active. We have more time to exercise and play outside.

We can create our own experiences instead of living through the lives and experiences of someone else. The best memories come from life's experiences. We can only build memories with experiences, our own experiences.

Families can spend more time doing activities together.

Keeping the TV off can make meal time a great opportunity for family conversation.

There will be time to listen to music and radio.

Children are not exposed to programs that are inappropriate or unhealthy at a young age. They can spend more time reading, thinking, doing homework, creating or cultivating a hobby.

I hope you will consider and accept this TV fasting challenge in August. Turn off TV and turn on life.

Life is too short to spend it by watching others living their lives. And after a month of the experiment, you might not want to go back to TV again.