I don't remember a single evening that I have gone home to be greeted by silence or the voice of my near and dear ones. The music of light instruments seems to have disappeared from home. It's been ages since we had dinner in midst of family discussion or light music. I can't think of a single afternoon, devoid of Cartoon Network at home. According to me, TV is an addictive device which keeps the lower classes subdued; a perpetuator of violence and materialism; and a silent destroyer of culture and intellectualism.

Gone are the golden days of listening to M S Subhalakshmi's Suprabhatam. It is now replaced by the Breakfast show by BBC or the Star TV Network. These days one hears of aerobic videos and gymnasiums more than Yoga, meditation, pranayam, and aaratis. Gone are the days of early morning pujas, applying sandalwood tilaks, and having bisi-bisi idli sambhar. The days of dry-cleaning oneself, and packaged cereals (the ones that models on TV eat) are in.

The value of television is in its ability to broadcast news across borders in real time. Although it can be spun in many different directions, the news is still a form of truth, and truth is power. However, too much of power gets to the head. I have come across people who watch these news telecasts every hour in different languages. Now, I call that being over-informed, or rather drowned in power… They are not aware of the riots next block, unless they watch it on the TV.

TV's isn't all that bad but a sign of our laziness. Hug our TV? How about finding time in our busy TV watching schedule to hug a family member? I have bad news for you: the little people behind the glass are not actually in the room with you; you can't communicate with them. Nor can they understand you and your culture, your tensions. Give some time to your near and dear ones. They do understand you, care for you!

TV addiction (along with obesity and seemingly with all addiction) is always rising in our society, because our worlds are portrayed and perceived as increasingly dangerous, whether crime rates actually go up or down. Yes, the TV culture makes people fat, stupid, and lazy; but fat, stupid, lazy people aren't as likely to kill each other over a few acres of land or a few bills of paper, when they could instead listen to Brittney, watch the soaps, cricket matches, and the pelvis-gyrating Govinda over a bag of potato chips, burgers, fries, colas, beer, etc., by truckloads. The health does deteriorate in the process. But, who cares? We are living our life in the new millennium as per our wishes and our liking, pleasing ourselves!!

Yes, TV does keep you hooked onto itself. Ten years back, we saw young girls go to Bharatnatyam classes wearing their colorful 'langas' (long skirts). Now, they are all hoping of becoming he next Aiswarya Rai, Susmita Sen, Lara Dutta, Diya Mirza, etc. The Bharatnatyam is replaced with music videos of Michael Jackson, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, to name a few. Bharatnatyam, was much more than a form of dance. Its been an art of living, expression of one's soul, a discipline of the mind, an effective mode of communication.

"Body metabolism (and calorie-burning) is an average of 14.5 percent lower when watching TV than when simply lying in bed."
Source: Memphis State University

Television provides an escape from reality not unlike that of drugs or alcohol. A person can slip away into the fantasy world offered by television programs and effectively impede the pressures and anxieties of their own lives. This is similar to 'going on a trip' induced by drugs or alcohol. We no more watch our mothers go to the market with other ladies of neighborhood. Personal communications have come to an all time low. These days one goes home to find the lady of the house in a drab, crumpled saree on the couch in front of Star TV. No one greets you with garma-garam bhajiyas and coffee, due to TV eating away quality time on hand.

These days we hardly find children playing with marbles (goli-aata), tops (bugri), etc. These games are meant to keep a person physically active and mentally alert. The mind and the body, gain some exercise.

Unfortunately, in many families the TV is little more than a babysitter. If you sit your child in front of the TV (even a harmless video) while you do your baking or housework, you are in danger of raising a TV addict. Too often the parents see the child passively watching TV. No longer is there any enjoyment, but an acceptance of whatever is shown. My little nephew, hardly aged four, is a seasoned Cartoon Network addict. He pleads for 2 minutes of cartoons at 23:30 hours.

There are also some children particularly prone to TV addiction. They are the ones who switch on first thing in the morning, and despite plenty of other interesting activities available persist in sitting watching, even when there is nothing they actually want to see. They lose interest in anything else, and seem to complain any time the TV is switched off.

Television contains substantial amounts of "irregular driving" - squealing brakes, speeding, screeching tires and property damage. Death and physical injury were infrequent, however, and legal penalties rare. This creates wrong examples for the young minds, and tempts them into aping TV. And, we do have such nuisance in the streets of Bangalore these days, increasing at an alarming pace.

You can set aside time periods for alternative activities, or simply limit time on the TV while finding positive alternatives. On the other hand, you can take up a whole new enterprise that simply forbids the great gobs of TV watching in which you were engaged. I often jokingly present my top ten reasons for dining out -- beginning with "To overcome a virulent" case of TV addiction.

Let us conclude with a resolution to avoid TV addiction within ourselves and the future generations. Bangalore is a beautiful place, just look around…

"We are picking up elements of U.S. pop culture, which in the United States itself are not that highly valued. And we accept it uncritically."
Indian Intellectual

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