Ella, I too have considered "experiments" into television abstinence, with a similar lack of resolve best characterized in the classic addict’s statement of "I'll try it tomorrow." From your entry, I would estimate that I am about on your level of TV watching, and I am quite familiar with the frustration that comes when the DVR runs out of fresh episodes and you end up getting sucked in by a series of reality shows, HSN (Sham Wow!), and Food Network until you realize that you’ve spent two hours doing something unproductive and not particularly enjoyable. This leaves me no doubt that television, or rather my choice in watching it, is capable of holding me back from my more fruitful endeavors, but I disagree with Professor Moglen that I should smash my set with a hammer.

Professor Moglen suggested that we use television as an easy escape from the high level of pressure and stress we experience as law students. In this regard, I don’t think this discussion is far removed from the one on WhyIAmReluctantToTalkInClass? and our fear of being wrong. Both in class and at home, we find ourselves making decisions that are not necessarily in alignment with our otherwise better judgment. For example, I hypothesize that if I spent less time watching television and more time studying, I would feel more prepared for class and be more willing to volunteer answers. However, my fear of being wrong, feeling embarrassed, or wasting precious class time discourages my participation, which leads me to say “what’s the point” as I close my books to take in this week’s two hour episode of Biggest Loser. Sadly, I don’t see an end in sight for this causal loop. As a lawyer, being wrong can be career ending, and spending 10-12 hours each day making decisions under this pressure would surely take one to the limits of sanity. Professor Moglen touched on this and went on to suggest that the role of television is often replaced by booze as we age. This is an unappealing proposition, but I am still not sold on an alternative to having something in my life which allows me to “zone-out.” I am either too afraid of what that might mean, to ignorant of what options I could explore, or too stubborn in my preconceptions.

As an alternate viewpoint, I see television as a popular unifying device for society (in concurring with what was said in class by someone whose name I regretfully do not know). I remember reading a quote from Stephen Dubner, one of the co-publishers of the Freakonomics Blog, saying that he would rather read than watch television because it makes economic sense as he reads faster than the average person, but is forced to watch television at a standardized pace. Sure, this makes perfect sense if you commoditize television only as a source of information, but I think the value lies elsewhere. As a law student, I often feel isolated from my family and the friends I had before enrolling. I quickly become self-conscious when I start off on another rant about “this great case I read today in Property.” Television provides me a way to relate with the people I know and people I meet. I propose that an explanation for the success of reality tv, is that viewers feel an intimate connection with the participants by living vicariously through their trials and tribulations and empathizing with the genuine emotions they show in the process. There is value to this human aspect, even if my left-brain fails to recognize it. If this wasn’t true, gaining social clout through water-cooler talk about last night’s game or episode of The Office wouldn’t be so closely connected to workplace success, even in law firms.

So how can we reconcile this situation in which television is an important part of our lives but we suspect if of precluding our achievement of greater things? I think that moderate television watching will be shown to have unique benefits, when prioritized correctly and combined with other endorphin producing activities (namely exercise and interpersonal contact). I just turned 24 years- old, and it’s probably about time that I took a hard look at how I structure my life. If I can utilize non-work related activities, like television, as rewards for getting my work done in a timely and thorough manner, perhaps a radical change will not be necessary. So I am not going cold-turkey on the tube, but rather scaling back my usage to a reasonable amount. I am interested to hear if those of us who have already established a routine incorporating a small amount of TV have found success doing so (recognizing that this might have come at age 12 rather than at 24). If not, I will report back soon, hopefully with good news.

-- JonathanFriedman - 02 Feb 2009