Learning Challenge: Giving up TV?
I have to say, the title of this article is definitely eye-catching. Who doesn't want to read about how giving up TV could make them a potential Olympian? If you're as curious as me, you can read "I gave up TV, then qualified for Olympic marathon trials and got my PhD" on the Washington Post, too.
What is at least one thing that the article CONFIRMED for you that you knew already?
I knew that spending a lot of time watching TV wasn't good. I mean my parents always kicked me and my sisters outside during the summer in order to keep us from watching TV all day, so I assumed they had a good reason. This article explains some of the more scientific reasons why it's a good idea to limit how much TV you watch, including the fact that people who watch more TV are unhappier and TV also restructures your brain and negatively affects your cognitive abilities.
What is at least one NEW thing that you learned that you did not know before?
One thing that surprised me in the article was that Americans spend an average of five hours a day watching TV. When you say it like that, it sounds like a ridiculously long period of time. But when I thought about my own television viewing habits, I realized that I wasn't too far off this average. Usually when I get home on weekdays after work and school, I watch 1-2 hours of TV before going to sleep. But on weekends, I definitely could be watching as much as 5 hours of TV, especially if there's an OU game or football game on.
What is the one thing you are now CURIOUS to explore and what are you going to do in order to act on that curiosity?
Although I don't know that I'm ready to give up TV altogether, I do want to try giving up TV for maybe half the day of the week and force myself to find other things to do that are probably healthier and more enjoyable. I think it would be interesting to see if there are any noticeable effects on my happiness and sleep quality.
What is at least one thing that the article CONFIRMED for you that you knew already?
I knew that spending a lot of time watching TV wasn't good. I mean my parents always kicked me and my sisters outside during the summer in order to keep us from watching TV all day, so I assumed they had a good reason. This article explains some of the more scientific reasons why it's a good idea to limit how much TV you watch, including the fact that people who watch more TV are unhappier and TV also restructures your brain and negatively affects your cognitive abilities.
What is at least one NEW thing that you learned that you did not know before?
One thing that surprised me in the article was that Americans spend an average of five hours a day watching TV. When you say it like that, it sounds like a ridiculously long period of time. But when I thought about my own television viewing habits, I realized that I wasn't too far off this average. Usually when I get home on weekdays after work and school, I watch 1-2 hours of TV before going to sleep. But on weekends, I definitely could be watching as much as 5 hours of TV, especially if there's an OU game or football game on.
What is the one thing you are now CURIOUS to explore and what are you going to do in order to act on that curiosity?
Although I don't know that I'm ready to give up TV altogether, I do want to try giving up TV for maybe half the day of the week and force myself to find other things to do that are probably healthier and more enjoyable. I think it would be interesting to see if there are any noticeable effects on my happiness and sleep quality.
Goodbye for now, Netflix. I'll find another way to chill.
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Hi Alyx,
ReplyDeleteThe article you wrote about is quite catchy. I knew I was wasting a lot of time watching Netflix, but I did not realize that some people could get enough time back in their life to qualify as an Olympian. This really puts into perspective what I could be accomplishing with my life if I were to prioritize what is important to me.