How much is your TV really costing you? I'm not asking what you paid for that flat screen, HD TV hanging up on your wall. I'm asking how much more productively could you be spending your time if it weren't for the daily routine of watching TV. What is the opportunity cost of watching lots of TV?
Adults in America watch around 5 hours of TV per day on average. That's 1825 hours per year. In a decade it will be 18,250 hours spent watching a TV screen. Over a 30 year working career, that's 54,750 hours. There are 8,760 hours in a year, so this means that when combined, the average American is on pace to spending 6.25 years of their adult lives watching the TV. Is it really worth it?
I'm not here to broadly bash all TV watchers, I'm one myself and I wrote before about my top five favorite business/finance shows. The point is, however, these numbers show that people have developed a constant routine of dedicating hours per day to watching TV. While people have settled into this routine nicely, as some point that decided to take steps to achieving the goal of watching TV. Even though we all think channel surfing is basically a mindless activity, the fact of the matter is that the person sitting on the couch and flipping through channels is showing that they do indeed have a plan, and are fulfilling their highest ranked preference at the time. So the question I'm posing is this, can this effort and planning be used for something more productive, but also satisfying?
I can think of one thing right off the bat, and that is of course to blog for Steemit and get paid for it. What a fine idea! There's many other things of course. I can't help but suggest any kind of entrepreneurial endeavor. This doesn't mean that you have to go the route of getting a loan from the bank and then opening up some brick and mortar store like a bakery for example. It is easier than ever to monetize your hobbies! Just start easing into it and you will likely find that getting paid from something you enjoy is more fulfilling that watching TV programs which pay you nothing and actually costs you in terms of opportunity cost.
I know of a billionaire speculator named Rick Rule who says that he doesn't even own a TV. Coincidentally, he loves his job. He skips to work. Aside from work, he says that his favorite hobbies are reading and hiking. Do you think there is any correlation between his lack of TV watching and his great financial success?
I haven't owned a tv for most of my adult life... I think I had one for a couple years after high school, and, there was usually one around in places I lived, but it was just used for the occasional movie. I don't understand how people can just turn a TV on and leave it going from one thing to the next, with all the commercials, and yakking newscasters... it's horrifying. 6.25 years? Fuck that. Combine that with time spent in the car and it starts to get really depressing.
So that's 4.33 years of driving as well. Anyway, we're talking about a good decade right there alone... then there's surfing the web, and so on... yeesh. No thanks.
Appreciate the post @thefinanceguy. You tried to be somewhat even handed, but the animated gif says it all. ;) Watch your movies here and there, and let yourself get sucked in to the occasional next big 'Game of Thrones' or whatever, but think of it as dessert, not a lifestyle. They call it TV 'programming' for a reason.
Thanks for the comment and the info on driving hours. At least driving accomplishes something more than mere entertainment, and the best way to hack that driving time is to listen to good audio books and learn while you drive. Feed the brain some good information while driving to turn it into a rather productive act. You know, that topic just might be my next blog post, so thanks for helping spawn it, @lovejoy!
This is one of those things. I do think that T.V is a waste of time, but so are most activities. It depends on the intent of the user if something is worth it.
TV? I rarely watch it. Wait. Scratch that. As I write this on my tv, I must inform you all, that I do not watch tv. I'm not sure how to respond to this without sounding like a hypocrite. ...yeah, just trying to be funny.
I don't subscribe to a service. Haven't for years. I'll still enjoy watching something from time to time though. Sporting events for instance. What really kills it for me though...the commercials. I think anyone who rarely watches tv, similar to my habits can agree. Once those commercials start rolling, and you're not used to that constant bombardment...everything seems to get a lot less interesting.
Television shows are written and produced to cater to advertisers needs. It's not a coincidence. Every time the show gets good, they cut to commercial. I need to be immersed in my entertainment.
I hardly ever watch TV, or even movies. I listen to audio books when I'm in the car. They stimulate the mind and the imagination much more than TV or movies do.
I'd rather spend time in the gym than watch TV.