Is TV the Enemy?

Posted July 02, 2009

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Posted July 2, 2009 by Jackie Morgan MacDougall

I wouldn't call myself a TV junkie. I don't live and breathe according to Jon and Kate's marriage, nor would I recognize a "Real Housewife" if one hit me over the head with her furry slippers or box of Bon Bons.

But I do have a love affair with television -- old and new. I always have. If college entrance exams consisted of TV trivia questions, Harvard and Princeton would've been fighting to have me. I don't believe age-appropriate programming leads to the destruction of youth, dumbs-down our little ones or causes ADD. And like millions of other moms, I'm a sucker for a good primetime show, waiting with anticipation for my Thursday night with Grey's Anatomy or Sunday's Brothers and Sisters episode. In fact, I like the box so darn much that I drove across the country with everything I owned packed in my tiny car just to realize my dream of working in television.

So why did I get rid of it?

Recently, when water damage forced my family out of our home and into a temporary apartment, my husband reluctantly agreed to take the opportunity to try life without it. Come on, it's summer! We should be outside going for walks, playing on the beach, and hanging at the playground or in the pool, not at home staring at the screen. At the very least, it would be a fun little experiment, right?

The first couple of weeks were eye-opening. We played games with the kids, took the dogs on long walks, and had nice dinners. We watched movies together, even introducing them to the classics we watched when we were kids. Interestingly enough, I hadn't realized Peter Pan was such a pompous egomaniac or Willie Wonka could scare the bejeezus out of a kid. Family time was back in full force, filled with quality and quantity.

And my marriage? The lack of TV in the house left my husband and me no choice but to partake in all-night marathon sessions... of Connect Four. Seriously, I had no idea I rule at that game - whooped his butt! And, get this, we started having actual conversations, and not just during commercials or the time it takes to fast-forward through the DVR. Reconnecting with him after a long day -- that's better than any TV show.

I have to admit, not having TV also allowed me to avoid getting sucked into the hours upon hours of Michael Jackson tributes and the latest "breaking" news. When you step away from it, you realize how much of it is saying the same thing over and over again, day in and day out. I could just go online to find anything I needed when I wanted it.

Now, four weeks in... the novelty has worn off. The weather's heating up, making those long walks a bit unbearable... the kids are tired after a day at camp or in the pool... and there are only so many times you can beat someone at Connect Four before it gets old. And frankly, I WANT MY TV BACK!

Living without television has certainly taught us a lesson as a family. We now spend more time together as a family without distractions -- really listening to what each other has to say. It's shown us that we have the ability to entertain ourselves, enjoying the company of those we love. But we've also discovered that TV is not the enemy. It can be the perfect end to a busy day, a place where we're able to veg out a bit and just be. Like a warm blanket or a pair of broken-in jeans, it's familiar and comfy. It's home. Plus, a tool to entertain, inform, and enlighten? How bad can it be?

Everything in moderation.

Jackie Morgan MacDougall, on the never-ending quest for balance, enjoys life in Los Angeles with her husband, Jeff, and their three small kids. For more of Jackie's parenting observations, visit The Silver Whining.

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