TV- Andrew Hardy

A conversation over television and an implication of it's consumption would be a vast one. There's a huge amount of media that that term encompasses. I don't think it's appropriate to glorify or dismiss it as a whole. That said, it is definitely a consumptive process, which are not a productive as a productive process, and moderation prevents television form interfering with other parts of your life and inhibiting you from being produtive. I don't have cable or Netflix, and I think that helps me moderate much better. I also don't watch any television or movies while doing homework or eating, and I think that separation has been healthy for me because it makes it easier to practice mindfulness or sati (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sati_(Buddhism)) of the present moment. It's also important to me to distinguish between what you're consuming. Reading Clique novels or Hemingway can both be enjoyable for people, but the latter I find to be more beneficial to me because it illustrates quality prose and contains more emotional resonance. As compared to the 19 novels in the Clique series, Hemingway's publications appear to be more honest then money grabbing techniques. Even the less literary authors I read like Tolkien, Pratchett, or Gibson offer fresh perspectives and interesting styles (Or at least I believe so.) I try to apply the same mentality to television consumption. I watch far from high-brow material, but the shows I enjoy Cowboy Bebop, The Wire, Neon Genesis Evangelin, or Twin Peaks are for the most part one or two seasons. They have good writing and cinematography, and provide a fresh perspective on subjects. Sometimes they introduce ideas to me I wouldn't consider. Serializing a story gives you a lot of room to explore storytelling, but I think it's important for that to not become gratuitous, especially for monetary gain. I can't claim watching these is anything more than entertainment, but I find it preferable to sinking hundreds of hours into Skins or Lost.