In Search of a 12-Step Program

My name is Tara and I'm a TV Addict.

I have been an admitted addict since 2003. In spring of 2003, I spent an entire day of finals week watching Animal Planet. That was also the year I basically cut off the world when The West Wing came on--putting the show before school, friends, and church. I began to suspect I had a problem when I would spend two hours watching an Infomercial for a food dehydrator, or watch a Spanish soap opera without understanding a word of it. I finally had to admit, "I have a problem" and begin to deal with it.

I feel I've been relatively successful. When I go to restaurants like TGIFridays or Applebees, where TV's are mounted on the wall, I try to seat myself facing away from the television. Its not that TV is terrible, but I become a terrible dinner companion if my attention is taken in any way by the television. I'm also very aware of which shows I allow myself to "follow." Currently, I only watch Grey's Anatomy pretty regularly and I've found that as my Thursday's get busier I often have to watch it online later in the week*. This is a step forward. In the past, I forced my world to stop for TV...and that's just not right.

But recently...I've been slipping. Its not that I'm cutting the world off, or missing appointments or anything. Its just that I'm letting myself get sucked into one new show after another. This to me is another indicator of TV Addiction--I can get sucked into a series like that [insert cheesy snapping of the finger like a Lawyer advertising his services on TV]! In recent days, I have watched, and connected with, no less than four new shows. My problem is that I'll flip on the TV, or link to hulu.com, and get sucked in--"I want to know what happens next! Is he really the bad guy?! OH MY GOSH DID THAT REALLY JUST HAPPEN!?"...and I don't even know the names of all the characters.

This is what I've learned in the past four days:

• Buffy had her heart broken by Angel...and Angel is now pure evil.
• House's favorite soap star was getting poisoned with the "tonic" part of a gin and tonic.
• Xander is mooning after Buffy, and completely missing the fact that Willow is mooning after him (ah, high school...)
• Wilson's girlfriend/wife(?) died because House misdiagnosed her illness. (At least I think that's what happened...I know she's dead. For sure.)
  
• Some nerdy, anime-loving, Japanese man has taken the leap and called the beautiful girl from the subway. What will she say?!
• The CSI: Miami team is being blackmailed/targeted by a member of their own team! And he's the attractive one, too!

The overwhelming feeling I get looking over this list is WTF?! WHO CARES?! And that's exactly the problem. There's no reason to watch this much TV. There are many many many better things I could be doing with my time. I could be sleeping, cooking, cleaning, reading, writing letters, or spending time with friends or family--among other things. I don't think an hour or so with the television (or hulu!) is bad. But when I can ramble off numerous random factoids about four shows I know little about anyway?

My name is Tara and I'm a TV Addict.

*I will not buy TiVo as that could only exacerbate the problem. And P to the S? "Exacerbate" is a fantastic word.