Ask HN: How to avoid TV addiction? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How to avoid TV addiction?

24 pointsgolanggeek34 comments

Everytime I am home and late in the evening, when I would like to start working (which seems to be the best time to really start working on side projects), I get the urge to switch on the TV and start watching. I do know that my brain is trying to get the easy apple here to avoid the hard work of the side project, by just watching the TV.

And I for sure know that if I can just overcome this urge for 5-10 minutes and open my laptop, I might start working on the side project.

At the end, I’m not able to do that. I end up spending 2 hours in front of the idiot box!!

How to overcome this?

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Just stop. If you need closure on what happens with some of your shows, read short synopses on Wikipedia. Don't pick up any new shows. After a while you will not miss it anymore.

The hardest thing will be that these days, TV viewing is at an all time high, and you will be out of the loop on a cultural touch point, just as if you stopped watching sports. You will also have to deal with people saying "oh, I know, I don't watch TV either, except for [Dexter/The Wire/Breaking Bad/etc]." Just smile and resist their advice. Make peace with the idea that yes, there is good content on TV, but there's also good content in books and in real life, like in your side business. Your life is not less fulfilling if you miss out on some of the good TV shows. You just chose to prioritize other things.

By the way, congratulations on trying to do this - I think this is one of the best things you can do to improve your life.

Remove your TV set.

Unfortunately it's like being alcoholic. You have to understand that you're addicted for ever and the only way to win with the addiction is just remove it completely from your life. And that's what I did and recommend it to everyone addicted. I just unplugged all the cables, unmounted stand and put the TV to the box under my bed. Do it today, don't wait and waste your time. I've done this despite my whole family so now even kids have simply better time. I don't believe there is another way, I'm sorry. You'll be surprised even the same day how much more time you have for yourself. Good luck!

Your body/brain is probably telling you it needs a break.

This. Even if you sell your TV, you will get into another procrastination rabbit hole (browsing, YT). Because if your attention capacity is depleted after an entire day of work then only a proper rest or physical activity may recover it. Also your side-stuff may be too much chore, you should start with some basic task list and do some quick change to get the first dopamine release.

I have a similar problem. I sit on the couch and turn on the TV and just sit there, sometimes not even following the plot. It's crippling, in a weird kinda way.

I try to think about stuff I want to get out of the way that are small, i.e. wash dishes, cook some food, get the mail, pay some bills. I use those as a warm up and to build up momentum to tackle big things.

Some of the most productive people I know do this. They get up on Saturday, make breakfast, take out the trash, get the mail, go to the garage and clean some things up, wrap the hose, put away tool etc. By noon they have gotten so much shit done they can start doing other things, like working on cars, boats or whatever.

Also, if you want to be scared straight TV provides no value to your life. Don't get me wrong it is a great source of entertainment, but that's about it.

If you want to grow pick up a book and read. Written word is much more powerful at developing rational thought and conveying ideas.

tin foil hat alert Ultimately, TV is a propaganda machine, every aspect of which is engineered for marketing consumerism. The same artistic tools that are used to convey the emotion of a scene are used to get you to buy a certain thing/vote a certain way/support a certain movement.Think about the last thing you bought, then think about why you bought it.

Check out this: https://charlesduhigg.com/the-power-of-habit/

A good first step would be to try to identify the cues that trigger you wanting to turn on the TV.

Like some others here have already mentioned, the problem is not the TV, it's that you're exhausted from the work day. Chances are your current job is stressful or high work load (or both), or maybe your commute is a nightmare (e.g. SF Bay Area commutes), and that's draining your energy. I've been through similar phases, and also been through times when I've had a chill job and have energy to work on side projects.

If you really want to work on your side projects, maybe you need a new job that's less stressful, or a different post within the same company, or a different commute.

A thing that helped me was to break my day in half (well, two distinct segments). I go to my day job, then I go exercise (I haven't done this daily like I used to but still 2-3 times a week). I don't wait 2 hours to exercise after work. I go from work to exercise. Either a run at a trail near the office, or the gym near my home (there's about a 30 minute break between when I get home and when the class I attend starts).

After the runs, in particular, I feel both exhausted and refreshed. After about an hour, a shower, and some food I feel capable of focusing again. The TV is still present, and I may turn it on and watch something. But it's not as vexing an addiction as it was prior to developing this routine.

The work of my day is too draining (mentally usually, emotionally sometimes) to be able to transition easily to more work, even if it's work that is more emotionally satisfying. This division gives my mind a clearing period (I've said before in other posts, running for me is meditative, so is the very exhausting conditioning class I attend, once I get into the movement).

Watch The Wire. Everything else seems a bit rubbish afterwards for about a year.

Funny because it's true.

In other words, realize that excessive TV consumption is unhealthy, dull and that there way more interesting hobbies.

Watched it for third time recently. I agree.

I'm also having similar issues. I was recommended Cognitive behavioral therapy. I'm also going to have a doctor's visit.

They always recommend exercise, so I agree with DoreenMichele's advice. I'm overweight and have poor fitness.

One idea to consider is to get and elliptical or rowing machine and only watch TV while using them. It makes the time go by faster and adds a cost to watching TV that is beneficial to you.

Try going to a coffee shop w/ wifi if you have one nearby. See if you're more productive without having a TV in the environment.

Note that you may just be tired after getting home from work, and turning the TV on may just be a cue for your brain to get out of "office mode" and into "home mode". Instead of turning on the TV when you get home, try putting your phone on mute, and meditating for 5 minutes.

Read Infinite Jest, whose author even confessed to it's consumptive (consuming?), ulterior-ness! What I'm trying to say, without actually answering you, is that you're joined by many other ambitious yet perennially TV-tortured people -- that you're not alone in your endeavors towards re-adjustment, and that it's mostly just as onerous and grating for Us to effect in our life these changes and developmental resolutions, as it is for You.

Disconnect your cable from your TV, and connect your laptop. I don't have a cable box anymore. My desktop is perm attached to the TV. This probably brings other issues. But I do spend lots of time on my computer and not watching TV. For me it was the Ads that were a waste of time. TV shows are created for Ads, That's all! Once you realize it, it's all less entertaining.

> TV shows are created for ads, that’s all.

This statement, while having some truth to it, is a little unfair. Many TV shows are still creative endeavours, it just so happens that ads are one of the only workable ways to pay for said creative endeavours in the tv world. You can argue that much (most?) of the internet’s content is created solely for ads too if you want to take this stance.

I only really watch Netflix or BBC (I'm in the UK) so don't see any traditional ads. That's not to say there isn't some suggestion and product placement in there. If I ever watch any shows with ads I normally record them and skip the ads. TV in America seems crazy with so many ads how do you concentrate on the programme?

I sold my tv two and a half years ago. Good decision. It is a time wasting and brain washing machine. I also stopped reading news some time ago.

You can't overcome behavourial addiction without a change in circumstances. Remove your TV, maybe even restructure all of your space to enable a habitual change. If you are really serious about this topic I would recommend the book "Irresistable" by Adam Alter to you, which is all about tech-related behavioural addiction.

Try something like the 5 minute journal to help you become cognizant of your goals and to keep them at the front of your mind. The Pomodoro technique is another method to try if you feel yourself procrastinating.

Sell your TV.

:) I did try to pull the plug off. Somehow my addiction makes me then watch some video over the phone. I mean I know it sounds stupid that I do this. But I’m doing it day-in day-out. Hence asking here!

Ditch the smartphone then, or lock out youtube, and uninstall the video streaming platforms.

Sell your tv.

If you don't want to smoke, why carry a box of cigs?

Studies show that high rates of TV viewing correlate to exhaustion.

I would try improving diet and exercise for at least 4 weeks and see if having more energy helps.

Do you mean that I’m too exhausted before I even start watching TV and then I do watch TV. If so, very interesting. Do you know of some studies which you can point here.

Yes, that's what I mean. No, I don't have any studies at my fingertips. I just recall reading it at some point and it works well as a rule of thumb for me, though I don't even own a TV. Still, if I am playing video games and surfing twitter instead of working, I'm usually too tired to actually work.

Passive consumption of media does not take as much concentration as being productive.

Nice.. Thanks.. I will try better diet and working out..

overcome entertainment,I hate this talk.Let me go to work rather than entertainment reason was never a struggle but who I am.If I just like the TV instead of working, I become that kind of person is good too. Hope my answer will not to cause you trouble

Did you try to ask yourself: “what is the most important right now?”

That would be a good start. Let me try that.

Sell your TV

Start exercising in the evening.

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