Television According to Graff (2010), Less Than

Television According to Graff (2010), less than one percent of Americans live without television. Living without television has become a radical lifestyle choice. Moskowitz (2008) claims that living without a television might be the only lifestyle issue to unite the ultra-liberal and ultra-conservative Americans. Television aversion "is a common ground for the very liberal and the very conservative," both of which are the most likely demographic to do without the boob tube (Moskowitz 2008). However, the Internet is becoming an increasingly viable means of acquiring and viewing content including television shows.

Many families that do without television watch their favorite shows online using Websites like Hulu. What Hulu and other Web-based television content providers offer is greater control over the viewing experience. The user still watches advertisements, but not as much. Elberese & Gupta (2010) point out that Hulu viewers only see one quarter of the number of ads that a traditional television viewer would see because there is less bombardment while watching online. There are definite drawbacks to living without television, though.

Although the non-viewer has more time to do healthy activities, there is also less to talk about with friends, colleagues, and family members who are television addicts. While those who eschew television do not need to watch obnoxious advertisements, non-viewers are also correspondingly out of touch with new products and movies on the market. Furthermore, non-viewers may become more Web-savvy by learning how to stream wanted content online but non-television viewers also do not have access to the same array of shows that are available through the traditional television set.

Overall, though, the benefits of not watching television include a healthier lifestyle, a freer mind, and consumer empowerment. A healthier lifestyle is bound to ensue from abstaining from television, for several key reasons. For one, not watching television frees up a lot of time. Instead of watching television after school, a child will play. Instead of watching television after work, an adult will cook a nice dinner. Without a television, a person is encouraged to use time creatively.

Moreover, sitting on the couch for several hours is simply something that should be done only when very tired or very ill. Television has the ability to "stultify and deaden the mind," (Fleiss & Hodges 2000). Without television, the individual reads more, plays more sports, and generally avoids sitting on the couch for too long. Sitting on the couch watching television is also conducive to eating junk food, which contributes to obesity and a wide range of health problems.

Research shows that households with heavy television viewing habits have lead to the consumption of more red meat, more salty snacks and twice as much caffeine, too ("Kids' TV watching linked to unhealthy eating habits" 2001). Part of the reason why television is linked to unhealthy lifestyle habits is the effect of advertising on the mind. Research shows that food advertisements on television "may be skewing our decisions on what we eat in powerful ways," leading to almost no vegetable consumption (Park 2010).

The foods that are advertised on television are deplorable, including processed and fast foods. Children are highly susceptible to advertisements, and therefore families should be especially wary to what types of advertisements their children are watching. Individuals choosing to abstain from television will naturally watch fewer advertisements and be less susceptible to the wishes of marketers peddling unnecessary wares. Although the Internet and other media also sponsor advertisements, the ones on television are particularly loud and obnoxious.

Therefore, life without television equals having a mind free of car commercials and fast food jingles. Life without television is empowering. For example, people who shun television are more in control of what they buy because they are not watching advertisements as long as people who do watch television. Those who use the Internet regularly will have access on demand content that targets advertisements to their needs. For instance, online services like Hulu show advertisements that are targeted specifically to their user demographic.

Life without television also encourages greater use of the Internet, leading to improved awareness of alternative technologies. There are several drawbacks to life without television, though. For one, it may be difficult to relate to other people. At school or in the workplace, people will be talking about their favorite shows. Anyone who does not watch television will feel left out of the conversation and even ostracized. Graff (2010) admits that people think she is "weird" and even "stupid" because she does not have a television in her household.

Another potential drawback to life without television is being left out of the loop in terms of not knowing about new products, new movies, or new issues related to popular culture. Advertisements can sometimes alert consumers to products they were.