Noise & Distraction: TV Addiction

This past week my brother Mike has been visiting.  He came to celebrate our mother’s 94th birthday.  She was very happy and we had nice family time together. He has been staying with us and I was surprised at how the atmosphere in our home shifted.  Mike likes to watch TV.  It seemed the TV was on from morning until night since he arrived. When I think back, he was even like this as a kid.  He escaped into it, and loved watching it. But, now I think he may have a television addiction.

At this moment he is gone, visiting our Mom.  The house is quiet, almost eerily quiet.  So quiet that I have nearly forgotten how to think.  My brain is still a swirling mush of all the voices, words, and music that have been vibrating through our house this past week.  Silence seems so loud, but amazingly refreshing. It is going to take me a few days to find the rhythm and pace of our normally peaceful and serene life.  The TV in our house is usually turned on in the evening and we only watch recorded shows so as to avoid all commercials and particularly the news.  It is conscious entertainment.

Although I am suffering from over stimulation, my mind couldn’t help but start thinking about what all this is about for my brother, and so many other people addicted to television.  It must be about distraction.  The need to escape from life, thoughts and being present.   A way to pass the time and not have to be alone with yourself.  It serves the same function as any addictive substance - it numbs and takes your mind off what really is going on in your life.  It creates an entirely new direction for your attention and blocks out whatever it is you don’t want to think about.  And, like all addictions it creates a new problem.  The more you watch, the less in touch with your true self you become.  Stress levels rise, although you think you are watching TV to relax.  The noise filling every space, not allowing the nervous system any peace.  The news with all it’s fear based reporting about everything from the weather to crime - “if it bleeds, it leads” mentality can send the stress hormones into crisis. Plus this addiction is driven by consumerism - it’s all about the commercials.  And we all know about commercials, constantly showing you the life you should be living, the car you should be driving the food you should be eating and promising happiness if you follow their lead. This sends you further from your authentic self and creates even more stress and the unconscious desire for “things” to make your life better.  It is a vicious cycle, just like any addiction. All in the name of escape.

Is silence really so bad?  Sitting here, now in the silence, I am starting to feel more calm.  I have taken a few deep breaths and I can even hear the sounds outside the house, nature.  It feels calm, relaxing and more connected.  I can  hear a clock ticking, birds chirping in the yard, the sounds of a car passing down the road in the distance, I even hear a neighbor laughing and talking.  These are the sounds of my life, and it’s nice. I hadn’t realized that I had created such a peaceful life.  I feel blessed and grateful.  It isn’t until what you have is taken away that you truly realize what you do have.  My brother flies home today and our house will return to normal soon. I’ve enjoyed spending time with him, but also see the contrast he has presented for me. I am glad to have this glance into the peace of my life and how important it is to me to keep that going.  I am also glad that I don’t have TV addiction!  Thankfully, that is one addiction I dodged!

Let silence become your normal state.  That is where the peace is!