On Taking a Stand That is Meaningless

I don't have a TV, I don't think I will ever have one again. Maybe that's sounds very naive or just stupid, maybe it is. Over time I have moved away from watching TV and have come to the conclusion that I really don't need it. For the past year or two I did watch TV, but the only things I watched were Lost, Newshour with Jim Lehrer on PBS. and lots of DVDs from Netflix. Currently I do not own a TV and am not planning on buying one.

Now here is the problem, I can waste time and oxygen watching things on my computer. I can watch South Park, Lost, The Office and millions of things sitting on my ass, and pause them to grab a drink. By freeing myself from the chains of TV I have merely been ensnared in the tentacles of the Internet. I am on a computer a lot, all day at work and then home to my trusty, tiny and awesome netbook. The Internet has become my exclusive medium for information and my primary method of communication.

I cannot live without the Internet (oh my god, I'm using it right this second!) much like at one point in my life, I could not live without TV. I need it and if I don't have it I am frantic and agonized over what I am missing and who is waiting for a reply to their email (my mom). Without the Internet I am like a meth addict who drank gallons of Red Bull, I'm intense and will burn down your house if I get the chance. This is not healthy of course, but hey, at least I'm not watching television right?

I don't need a TV, that is why I don't have one and probably never will. Taking a stand against television is like taking a stand against punching babies, it's easy and means nothing. To be clear, I am against TV and punching babies. That baby better not be blocking my Internet though, I have been know to change my mind.

To read a post that discusses this subject and inspired this particular one please visit this really excellent blog here. That post really encapsulates what I am saying here in a much pithier and amusing fashion.