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...

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…