Since its introduction, television has increased in popularity to such an extent that
the TV has become the electronic member of the family. The TV can hypnotize us and lure
us into worlds of fantasy and adventure as we escape from our worries and cares. It can
also inform us and bring us up to date on the latest news. The TV can be a teacher, a
friend, and a source of knowledge and information, or it can have a negative effect on
our behavior. No matter what effect television has on a person, it is often possible to
know someone's lifestyle by observing the way he watches TV.
When the television was first introduced, critics claimed that it would be mind numbing,
addictive, and utterly passive. These critics were describing the stereotypical TV
watcher, the Addict. As his name implies, this person's life revolves around watching
television. TV is like a drug to him, and he cannot get enough of it. He epitomizes the
couch potato and the "boob" in boob tube, and can often be described as intellectually
empty, especially while he is watching TV. The Addict lives hand to mouth from the
potato chip bag. He is lazy and will often go for hours without moving from the
television.
If the Addict is not glued in front of the TV, he is most likely to be found paging
through his latest issue of TV guide, carefully selecting the shows which he will watch
that week and marking them off with a highlighter. On an average day the Addict will
come home from work or school, put off all responsibilities, and escape into the world of
TV. In this world, the Addict has no demands or responsibilities. The TV becomes his
only focus of attention, and all of his energy goes into staring at the TV. While
watching one of his favorite shows, the Addict becomes totally oblivious to the world
around him. He will not answer his phone, talk to his family or friends, or do anything
else which may distract from his viewing pleasure. He lives to watch TV.
Just as the Addict emerged with the invention of the TV, the Surfer arose with the
invention of the remote control. When a Surfer sits down to watch television, he first
grabs the remote before anyone else can get to it. He turns on the TV with the remote,
and it does not leave his grasp until he is finished watching. He is constantly changing
the channels and will pause on a particular show only for a moment. The Surfer is a
person who likes to be in control, and the ability to change the channel at any instant
gives him the power for which he hungers. If he walks into a room where people are
already watching TV, he will do his best to take control of the remote, stealing it out
of another person's hand when necessary. While a Surfer is watching TV, others in the
room will often shout phrases such as, "this looks good," "this is my favorite show,"
"leave it here," or "Hey! I was watching that!"; however, the Surfer will ignore all of
these pleas.
In fact, a Surfer will usually be changing the channels so fast that non-Surfers will
not even be able to see what they are missing. To the Surfer, changing the channels on
the TV is an art form. He knows whether what he sees is interesting or dull the second
that he sees it, which allows him to quickly pass over anything he does not want to
watch. He knows all of the best stations on his cable TV and has each channel number
memorized so that he will never be found sitting through a boring commercial. Instead,
this interactive watcher will be constantly changing the channels until he finds the show
of most interest. He will then leave the TV on this channel for a brief period during
which he becomes part of what he is watching, often talking back to the people on the
show. Unlike the passive Addict who sits immobilized in front of the television, the
Surfer is an interactive watcher who loves the power and control which he feels when he
holds the remote in his hand.
TV watchers who are neither Addicts nor Surfers will most likely fall into the category
of Non-Watching watchers. This type of watcher is a person who leads a very busy life
and likes to do many things at once; therefore, he will often have the TV on even if he
is not mesmerized by it. It is even possible for a person to change the channel on the
TV without him noticing. For the Non-Watcher, the TV is just one area of interest among
many others. He involves himself simultaneously in several activities by alternately
reassigning and prioritizing his attention to his many areas of focus.
The Non-Watcher has been around since the introduction of TV, but has not been as widely
recognized as he is in this era of multimedia. In the past, the Non-Watcher was the
housewife who would have the TV on while she was taking care of her children and doing
chores around the house. Although her main focus would not be on the TV for the majority
of her time, this did not mean that she would turn off the TV. Rather, she would go
about her business taking care of her children, cooking, and cleaning, and during the
short periods when she had the opportunity, she would watch the TV to catch something of
interest.
In this modern day of multimedia there is an increasing number of Non-Watching watchers.
We live in a society in which our televisions are always turned on. It is not uncommon
for a television to be turned on though nobody is watching it. Because of this, children
are growing up accustomed to always having the TV on. With the increasing popularity of
new technology such as video games, compact disc players, and computers, children are
becoming even more accustomed to being involved in several activities at the same time.
An average student may come home from school, turn on the TV, put on their favorite CD,
talk on the phone, and do their homework all at the same time. The Non-Watcher's
attention shifts to and from the TV, including it, but not excluding the other
activities.
The Addict, Surfer, and Non-Watcher watch TV in three totally different ways, which
correspond to the lifestyles they lead. The Addict tends to be lazy and mindless, often
sitting for hours at a time in front of the boob tube. The Surfer, who loves to be in
control, enjoys a much more active form of watching television as he talks back to the TV
and quickly changes the channels against the will of those around him. Finally, for the
Non-Watcher, TV is just one of a multiplicity of activities which he enjoys. Although
watching television may seem like nothing more than a common form of recreation, it can
actually be an indication of the lifestyle a person leads.
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