• Welcome to BookAndReader!

    We LOVE books and hope you'll join us in sharing your favorites and experiences along with your love of reading with our community. Registering for our site is free and easy, just CLICK HERE!

    Already a member and forgot your password? Click here.

Turn Off Your TV & Read Week!

audreybee

audreybee

New Member
This is just an idea, so if it doesn't fly, my little newbie feelings won't be hurt. ;)

I would like to share a challenge with anyone who wants to join me. I have been watching WAY too much television lately, and it's cutting into my reading time. I feel like I can see my I.Q. points floating out of my head. So... My personal goal is to read for 2 hours each night, Monday through Friday, April 4th-8th.

Anyone with me? What's your personal reading goal? If you'd like to join up, please post and share your television-purging epiphanies with us!
 
I'm with you. I don't watch much TV, but I'll still set a reading minimum. I will read an average of 3 hours/day.
 
I think that is a great idea. Because I have a week off from school and work few hours this week, I will set my goal for a minimum of four hours per day.
 
I don't watch much television either. Just law & Order. I read most nights and during the weekends.

Good idea though!

I read an article that said Aussie teens spend an average of 13 hours PER WEEK in front of the TV. Whew... that's a lot of TV!
 
Barely atch much TV, maybe an hour a day max. I will try to read for 2 hours a day. Usually manage at least 1 hour a day :)
 
Oh my goodness, I watch soooo much TV it's not even funny! And now that I have Tivo it's even worse because I don't have to miss anything!!! But I'm up for it, I'm going to try and read at least 2 hours a day/night...hopefully more because the book I'm reading right now is great!!!
 
The Elementary school both my kids have gone to have a TV turn off week every year. Most of the kids seem to do it. I know mine turns into a raving psycho if she walks into any room that has a tv on during this time period.

They get some kind of treat if they bring in a paper signed by a parent that they made it a week without tv.

This was tough on me 'cause it usually ended up happening during ice-hockey play-offs every year, but I guess this year that won't be an issue. :mad:
 
TV doesn't really interfere with my reading, I do spend way too much time online though... but I'm not cutting back on that anytime soon. :p I'll read whenever theres a break in a show or when I'm on the computer if a page is loading I'll take a few minutes to read a bit more of my book. Or I'll just stop in the middle of something (like writing a post on a forum) to read a few pages... or chapters. :rolleyes:
 
For me whether I spend time watching TV or reading is a spurious distinction because what I watch for an hour or two a day is always some NOVA or Scientific American program or a movie that I think has a lot of merit. Basically I hate commercials and hate crap TV, so I don't watch commercial TV at all.

And what is the meritorious distinction between that and, say, reading the books I've just finished, one by Martin Cruz Smith and one by Michel Faber?

In addition, I spend all day researching and writing and reading literature. I just don't see how reading a Stephen King book would be better for anyone than watching a show about walrus mating.

It depends where your tastes lie, I guess.

For me, the narrative substance of a great detective movie or something visually magnicent like Amelie far outweigh the 'educational' benefit of reading best-selling novels. Give me Gene Hackman over Dan Brown any day.

And I read a lot.
 
tartan_skirt said:
TV doesn't really interfere with my reading, I do spend way too much time online though... but I'm not cutting back on that anytime soon. :p I'll read whenever theres a break in a show or when I'm on the computer if a page is loading I'll take a few minutes to read a bit more of my book. Or I'll just stop in the middle of something (like writing a post on a forum) to read a few pages... or chapters. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Hee! I'm the same way.
 
jaycee said:
I read at least 2 hours a day anyways usually more. And no way am I missing my tv shows. :D
Click to expand...

Exactly, jaycee. :) To quote Mr Morrissey, "I can have both." :D
 
Unfortunately, with my busy schedule I'm lucky if I can set aside an hour for reading every day. I do my best and I've been very good about it lately. But I definitely have no time for watching TV! :eek: My only weakness is turning on Morrissey's Manchester concert while I drift off to sleep. Have you seen it Halo? It's amazing! :D
 
I have found out that I turn on the tv just to have it as background noise. I actually feel something missing at times, if the tv is not on. Not really to happy about that so I have decided to remove the tv completely. Guess that'll mean more reading time. :)
 
That you sometimes come across reality shows. But generally I just feel it takes up to much of my time, time I should probably spend elsewhere.
 
Martin said:
Can someone explain to me what exactly is so wrong about television?

Cheers
Click to expand...


My thoughts exactly. What is the educational/qualitative difference between spending two hours watching a really good movie and spending two hours reading any of the following: Stephen King, Agatha Christie, Dan Brown, Terry Pratchett, Nicholas Sparks, . . . .

I truly don't believe that reading mediocre thrillers and romances is any more intellectually stimulating than watching sports or a decent movie or a well made TV show.
 
novella said:
I truly don't believe that reading mediocre thrillers and romances is any more intellectually stimulating than watching sports or a decent movie or a well made TV show.
Click to expand...
I agree, but there just seems to be very few decent programs on tv, and when I rent a movie I see it on my computer anyway. I don't feel any need to pay to watch a million different home decoration programs, or people getting facelifts.
 
hay82 said:
I agree, but there just seems to be very few decent programs on tv, and when I rent a movie I see it on my computer anyway. I don't feel any need to pay to watch a million different home decoration programs, or people getting facelifts.
Click to expand...


Yeah, reality TV is wasting your own time watching other people waste their time.

But you can find quality in everything from The Simpson's scripts to Thin Man Movies to reruns of Mary Tyler Moore and Perry Mason (secret crush on Raymond Burr revealed :eek: ). There is just a lot of talent in some of those productions.

But absolutely none of it goes into reality TV.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top