Quit Mindless TV: Reclaim Your Free Time
Quitting mindless TV is not the same as enjoying a vintage film or comedy on a rainy afternoon. Some TV can actually be good! But for the most part, most TV today is bilge: nasty politics, shows that encourage bullying, things to traumatise you, or channels to try to sell you rubbish you don’t need.
Even the ads can be annoying or upsetting (fund small charities doing good, rather than just get upset by ads that are using charity funds to pay TV companies thousands of pounds or dollars).
Watching rolling news is not going to help anyone (it will just give you a breakdown). Even programmes that are not nasty tend to be boring (quiz shows fixated on money etc). Mastermind is now so dumb-downed that a recent question was ‘Which animal goes woof-woof?’
How to (legally) cancel your TV licence
In the UK if you don’t watch live TV (or BBC iPlayer), you can legally cancel your TV licence. The powers that be will try everything to make you keep it, but if you don’t need it, don’t have one. Treat yourself to a good little digital radio (around £20) and listen to some good music instead!
Nothing on TV? Alternative ideas!
If you can’t think of anything else to do (bar watching the box), you’re a TV addict! Here are a few alternative ideas to spend your life. Some suggest arranging lounge furniture in an L-shape around a coffee table. You can still see the TV, but this layout encourages good conversation or reading, rather than staring at a box.
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me. What is it that you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? Mary Oliver
- Read a good book
- Take a course to learn something
- Relax in the garden
- Play with pets
- Go for a walk
- Go for a swim
- Visit the cinema
- Visit the pub
- Have a self-massage
- Go for a coffee
- Volunteer
- Go for a run
- Visit an art gallery
- Visit a museum
- Hike a mountain
- Write your CV
- Write a poem
- Go to a music concert
- Go to church
- Ride your bicycle
- Search for a nicer job
- Visit the local park
- Clear the clutter
- Decorate your house
- Fix things that need fixing!
- Organise your paper work
- Catch up on your sleep
- Go for a game of tennis
- Learn to paint watercolours
- Watch the sunrise (or sunset)
- Cook a nice meal
- Visit a nearby town
- Give blood
- Write a letter
- Visit relatives
- Call a friend
- Do a litter clean-up
- Go to church
Talking Pictures TV (and other good channels)
Talking Pictures is a great little channel, that’s free to air. And plays lots of old films from the 40s and 50s. When the world appears to be a much kinder place. The film Brighton Rock by Grahame Greene was made into a film starring the brother of Sir David Attenborough. And more recent series like Maigret.
Not every TV channel pushes drama or negativity. Channels like Together TV focus on stories that help you feel good and spotlight real community spirit. Together TV offers shows about gardening, healthy living, and people turning small ideas into something great. No fighting, no shaming, just honest and interesting stories.
For cooking programs, read about food safety for people & pets. For gardening, read about pet-friendly gardens (avoid facing indoor plants to gardens, to help stop birds flying into windows).
Animal welfare concerns on TV programs
In recent years, there has been great concern over the popularity of TV programs like I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. Where contestants eat live insects (food for other creatures in nature) for ‘entertainment’.
Do you remember that lovely tall rescuer of kangaroos from Alice Springs? He raises joeys who have lost their mothers, feeding them at night in make-shift pouches made from pillowcases. To release them back to the wild.
Their mothers have been not just been killed by road accidents, but often due to hunting. And the ‘kangaroo penis’ that everyone laughs about contestants eating, may well belong to the father of one of the little charges of Brolga and his wife.
Each year, Ofcom receives thousands of complaints about the show. Wildlife camapaigner Chris Packham wrote an open letter to the producers:
Circuses have gone, dancing bears have gone, cock-and-dog fighting are the sad preserve of psychopathic criminals. We have no performing dolphins and no chimpanzees dressed up for tea time. The cruel exploitation of wildlife for gratuitous entertainment, continues to damage the reputation of a ‘nation of animal lovers’.
Although ITV states that it ‘complies with the laws of Australia’s RSPCA’, the UK RSPCA is concerned, and has frequently asked producers to stop harming creatures, in the name of raising the profile of has-been politicians.
RSPCA has also raised concerns about many of the creatures featured in the program, being frequently chased, dropped or living in overcrowded conditions. And gives the message that insects are of no value. In facts insects are vital to ecosystems, and one of the most important species on our planet.
Recently there were huge complaints about another TV program hosted by Ant and Dec, after they take their ‘squeamish’ friend Stephen Mulhern to South Korea. He is asked to touch a live traumatised octopus in a wet market. In the name of ‘fun’. And yet ITV has commissioned more series.
Money could be spent to help animals
ITV often pays huge amounts of money to ‘secure’ contestants for the show (disgraced MP Matt Hancock was paid £350,000). Nigel Farage was paid £1.4 million to appear on the show.
The charity World Animal Protection gives information on how this amount of money could instead be used:
- Put pressure on world leaders to end the global wildlife trade.
- Stop big cats being exploited for trophy hunting (remember Cecil the lion?)
- Power campaigns to end cruel treatment of elephants for tourism
- Maintain and refurbish sanctuaries for bears rescued from the bile industry
- Improve public awareness on why to avoid tourist aquariums.
- Fund work with governments and food producers to end factory farming.
In England, it’s now illegal to hunt foxes or produce fur or foie gras, yet still one of the most popular TV shows involves harming animals for ‘entertainment’.
When panicked contestants are crawling through mazes with insects, spiders and snakes all around them, and having uncontrollable reactions like shaking, flicking hands and moving carelessly, it’s impossible that none of the animals are harmed. Is festive television the forgotten bloodsport? Surge Activism
Other animal welfare TV show concerns
It’s lovely to watch a program on animals, but we have to be careful not to let the media overrun programs, when sometimes the information is not helpful.
For example, although the programs are presented by nice people, experienced dog trainers are concerned over ‘celebrity dog training TV series’ as some use outdated methods like choke chains, which have injury risks, and also would not work for the average person.
Having reality programs with ‘entertaining pets’ may be okay for some creatures. But many are terrified by all the bright lights and screening.
Cooking and baking programs are popular. But are the ingredients being used from free-range animals? Nobody knows, same with cooking shows.
Simon Cowell (not that one) who founded Wildlife Aid, was appalled at TV shows that disturbed wildlife, for entertainment. He only approached creatures to help them often being attacked in the process – he was bitten by hedgehogs, gored by deer and had an owl’s talons embedded in his scalp).
But that was because he was involved in wildlife rescue. He was firm that wild creatures should be left alone, unless they need help.
