I'm 20 years old and hopefully won't be worrying about this issue for quite a few years. However when interacting with a number of my compatriots I have noticed a striking difference in certain outlooks and personality traits that i have to wonder about. What in a person's upbringing causes individuals to view certain things as they do?
My example is this: When i sit around in front of a t.v. or video game all day I feel unaccomplished and I have a sense of guilt about it. If I do not read, write or workout during the course of a day I feel as though I wasted that day. A good day for me incorporates all of those elements and then some more.
Recently I realized that many of my friends have no problem with all downtime spent watching t.v. or playing a video game. They see it as a viable option to pass the time with. They see no reason why that should not consume every unscheduled hour of their life.
I began to wonder, why do i view that as a poor way to spend time? Why am I compelled to read and write and to work out?
I feel it boils down to the way my dad in particular interacted with me. In his eyes there was always something more productive that could be done. Reading and sports and writing were things that should all be done before playing a game or watching t.v. I'd be sitting in the basement helping yoshi and baby mario work their way across the screen when my dad would call down 'Isn't there anything else you could be doing with your time right now?'
Things that were acceptable? playing sports, lifting weights, reading, writing, doing homework, playing chess or any board game, cards, etc etc.
So now i have this thing where i cannot allow myself to do too much veggeing, not that i do school work (as my grades will reflect) but i read and write and get to the gym and apparently i blog from time to time. I spend time reflecting and thinking. Someone who i used to be quite close with asked me why I'm always trying to change who I am. I was puzzled by this question but then I realized that they were talking about how I'm always doing something they see as unnecessary.
So let me pose this question. Is it important to do these things? or do they hold just as much value as video games and t.v.?
Does a book telling a story have more inherent value than a t.v. show? or a video game?
Your thoughts? Things?
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2 comments:
I completely agree with you. I, myself, barely ever turn on the TV. Whenever it IS on in my room, its because my roommate turned it on. I think I just find books to be so much more compelling. Also, if I don't get to the gym at least a few times a week I feel like a giant waste of energy. It blows my mind how some people would rather sit around and stare at pictures on a screen than actually get out and do something worth their time. I don't know, just my opinion.
I'm on your side in this Theresa (if you couldn't tell from the post!) I Forgot to add in there something that might be a tad bit inflammatory. I think that the cause for people to think that this is okay is whereas my father prompted me to get outside and do things (whether i did at the time is suspect but its affected my thinking now) i think some other parents may simply view the t.v. as an easy way to make their kids be quiet for a time, thus the kids start to see it as something that should be a large portion of their time. No one tells them otherwise
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