I’m not a fan….

Greys Anatomy, House, One Tree Hill, Supernatural, Smallville, Lost, Desperate Housewives, Entourage, Gossip Girl, Fringe, Heroes, Flash Forward, 24, The Vampire Diaries, Prison Break…..

These are just some of the many TV series' I have NEVER EVER SEEN! I wonder sometimes if I perhaps sound snobbish when I say "I don't watch TV" as if I am some arty, high and mighty person with better things to do so I distance myself from conversations about the up and coming seasons of whatever show or how hot that vampire is etc

I don't know why but it just doesn't interest me. Life is so hectic that I would rather choose to spend an hour OR several hours (for those who download the series and watch them all in one go) of my time more constructively. You can't be very productive watching TV. Being a full-time office worker, mother, wife, cook and "maid" I simply don't have time for TV even if I actually was interested in it all. Thankfully I couldn't give two hoots for all the vampires and superheroes. I'm not totally against it (TV), I have my favorite's…as long as they're short and screened just before I fall sleep I don't mind a bit little bit of TV viewing. TV is really great for trying to fall asleep. I love Animal Planet, Reality Shows, Crime & Investigation (true-life NOT CSI Miami stuff), home décor, food channels, travel channels, music channels and comedy/sitcoms. In other words, I don't watch a lot of fiction and least of all science-fiction and fantasy rubbish!

"TV is a vast wasteland!"

Personally, I think too much TV dulls the mind, is harmful to children and kills family time.

When I was a kid we played outside, when it rained we made-up games and played indoors. My eyes were certainly not glued to the TV. When it came to meal times, our family ate together at the kitchen table. We chatted about our day, about our plans, the bottom-line is WE CHATTED! We did not dish a plate of food and sat on the sofa watching soapies not speaking a word to each other. Weekends were not dedicated to watching sports on TV all day long. We didn't rush through meals because a certain show is coming on at a certain time. There was no dedicated cartoon channel. Holidays and at family gatherings children were found running around on the lawn, kicking ball and having a jolly good time with fresh air in their lungs and a healthy heartrate and sweaty foreheads. Even a couple of scrapes, plasters, bumps, blue marks and a few cries here and there was all part of the fun. Today, children can be found gathering around the TV or computers with a bowl of chips and a soda drink!

I don't like what TV has done to socializing. When I am home, I don't even switch the TV on. I rarely plop myself down on the couch with a remote in my hand. I'd rather pamper myself to be honest, that certainly makes me feel better. I'm always happy to hear when I book a weekend getaway that the place has no TV; it really makes for excellent family bonding time. I really do miss the movie dates I used to have with my husband. I miss going to the cinema, eating popcorn and that watery coke they have on offer but with parenthood, regularly dates (without the little one) are few and far between.

On the topic of little ones, kids and TV is really a combination that requires a lot of deliberation. I can see from my toddler that some children shows have been an advantage to her. A real educator and entertainer it can be. Learning the alphabet, singing along to songs, assisting with speech and pronunciation, learning about colours, animals etc . But it is better for parents to control the use of TV and to teach kids that it's for occasional entertainment, not for constant escapism.

"Television has proved that people will look at anything rather than each other."
~Ann Landers