72 Hour Essay

            As part of our class we had to abstain from television for 72 hours. Coincidentally enough, this was the same 72 hours that my boyfriend, and roommate, was out of town. So not only was I all alone at home, but I also had no mediated companionship. Normally, I don't have a lot of time for television. But I do occasionally kill time with Star Trek or Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. I will use the following three questions about my experience: 1. How difficult it was to avoid watching TV? 2. How TV watching affects my social life? 3. What activities I replaced TV watching with?

            I would describe the process as difficult, as I currently don't consume television that often. The most noticeable difference between TV watching time and non-TV watching time was the boredom, and I would even say--loneliness. Normally, I have things to occupy my time: homework, work, and social activities. However this particular couple of days, I either didn't have any of those things to do or didn't feel motivated to do them. So there I was; home alone in my dark apartment and bored. I was tempted a few times to turn on the TV, but I resisted every time I felt the urge. In the past when I have encounter this feeling of being alone, I could turn on the TV and feel comforted by familiar characters. Not this time, though. That was probably the most difficult part of being TV-less.

            I wouldn't say that TV watching had a profound impact on my social life. The majority of people that I associate with on a regular basis do not talk about TV with me because they know that all I watch is Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and old episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. So I wouldn't say that my social life significantly changed as a result of me not watching TV.

            I replaced television with sleeping, a lot. I also spent significantly more time on social networking sites and the internet to get my entertainment then I normally do. I did have some trouble filling my time, though. I did a lot of laundry, too. Nothing nearly as fun and entertaining as watching TV.