Many of us go through life trying desperately to make our TVs happy. We work hard, vote right, buy the correct products, then settle down on the couch only to discover that the TV is as sad as it ever was.
Some
days the TV is downright hysterical and we can only get upset at the
people, laws, or corporations who hurt our poor vulnerable little TV.
The TV tells us what we can do to make it feel better and we do it
faithfully, but in a day or a week it will be sad again about
something else.
It
hurts us to see its pain, but we can never seem to get ahead of the
cycle.
Sure,
sometimes the TV is happy when it gets its way but it is such a
soft-hearted little device that some outrage somewhere will catch its
attention and the cycle will repeat itself.
After
experiencing the same behavior over and over again the intelligent
viewer may begin to wonder if there is more going on than meets the
eye. He may wonder if his relationship with the TV is a healthy one.
He may wonder if the TV even wants to be happy. A man can only do
so much and there is a point past which a relationship is no longer
worth engaging in.
What Does Your TV Want?
Not
surprisingly, what your TV says it wants and what it actually wants
are not necessarily the same thing.
By
lying to you, your TV gets you to play one game while it is playing
another. This puts you into a position of weakness.
As
with any relationship, knowing what is really going on shifts power
back to you.
Your
TV wants you to do two things: believe certain ideas, and purchase
certain products. The specific ideas and products vary depending on
what you watch, but the same dynamic is there for everything except
possibly CSPAN and if you watch that I really can't help you.
How Your TV Gets What it Wants
If
the TV said: I want you to believe this and buy that, your guard
would be up. You might say 'no,' or at least behave with reluctance.
Rather,
the TV socially engineers you so you are playing one game while it is
playing another.
How
does your TV socially engineer you?
Flow
Flow
is the psychological state where you are so absorbed by an activity
that you aren't even aware that you are doing it. You are in the
moment and your self-regulation is reduced because you aren't
thinking about thinking about what you are doing.
By
absorbing you into an activity that you do not direct the TV may
easily move you from one emotion or perspective into another. If you
were directing the activity you would be faced with the choice of
multiple options, but as long as the TV's choices seem reasonable in
the moment those transition points flow by without contest.
Emotions
People
in heightened emotional states are more susceptible to suggestion.
This is for at least two reasons: one, emphasis on emotion robs
limited focus from rationality; and two, strong emotion may result in
non-rational investment in one position or another.
Conflict
Most
people love a good conflict. By presenting a ready-made conflict for
the viewers' digestion the TV may define the positions being held,
encouraging viewers to filter themselves into predesigned sides with
predefined loyalties, champions, and cultures.
Present and Absent
It
is far easier for viewers to see what is present than what is absent,
especially with unfamiliar topics. By choosing what is seen the TV
determines which set of interpretations are most likely to occur to
the audience.
Time Requirements
The
TV must fill each channel with 24 hours of programming each day, so
it will journey as far afield as necessary to find the requisite
volume of monsters to slay.
The
TV will expand or contract topics as determined by programming needs
and not by the merits of the topics themselves.
Unlimited Topics
There
is an unlimited number of problems in the world and twice as many
things which may be recast as problems. The same may be said for
victories.
The
TV can keep running the same scam with new topics without fear of
running short on material.
The
TV will never be happy because it doesn't want to...and it doesn't
need to.
How To Take Back Control of Your Relationship
While
the TV has wicked tendencies, it is possible to take back control of
the relationship and move it in a direction that serves benefits you.
Seek
out programming to further your knowledge rather than permitting the
TV to set the agenda.
Disrupt
its feedback cycle by recording shows so advertisements aren't
displayed.
If
everything else fails, go outside when your TV doesn't behave. Have
burgers with your friends and don't turn it on when you return home.
While your TV will never stop struggling for inappropriate mastery in
your relationship, it can't move, turn itself on, or call the police.
...unless
you buy one of those smart TVs that listens to you. Don't do that.
Conclusion
Your
TV will never be happy – and that's the whole point. Don't play
its game.
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