Watching TV...and eating "clean"
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MamaBirdBoss
Posts: 1,516 Member
Not stirring the pot. Had a thought that maybe would help people understand.
A lot of people get interested in this idea of the BEST MOST PERFECT DIET EVER. Let's ignore the details--half the time they're contradictory, anyway. Instead, let's talk about screen time and certain foods.
Like eating immoderately, too much screen time has been linked to a TON of bad things. Sedentary behavior, bad grades, sleep disturbance--even autism (not kidding--it's one of the more credible CAUSATIVE links, actually) and ADHD.
To say, I'm going to eat clean is a lot like saying I'm not going to have any bad screen time.
First, there's the definition of "bad." Which screen time is good? Which is bad?
Okay, so you can argue that some shows on the Discovery Channel--some--might be a bit better for you intellectually than most shows on MTV. And of course you need to do your work on your computer. So video games on your PC aren't as important or "good" as your 9 to 5.
But the fact is...if you sit and watch nothing but David Attenborough documentaries or do nothing but work, you're still going to get the effects of too much screen time. It will still be bad.
And there's no reason to not play a first-person shooter for a couple of hours a couple of times a week or to bond over a sports game or to watch the trashiest reality TV show ever just to unwind if it's not part of a 5-hour daily marathon of TV viewing.
Sure, there are people who watch little to no TV. But there lives are not necessarily better or healthier than people who watch a moderate amount of TV or have other screen time, up to and including "junk" TV. And once you start labeling some screen time as junk and other screen time as good, you are going to have a huge fight on your hands no matter what. The video game players will yell about reflexes and camaraderie. The cinephiles will shout about art. Writers will lecture you sternly about good story-telling. And it will go on and on and on.
Because what actually matters at the end of the day, more than the content of the screens, is that it's done in moderation. That's more important than anything else.
I hope this starts making SOME sense!
A lot of people get interested in this idea of the BEST MOST PERFECT DIET EVER. Let's ignore the details--half the time they're contradictory, anyway. Instead, let's talk about screen time and certain foods.
Like eating immoderately, too much screen time has been linked to a TON of bad things. Sedentary behavior, bad grades, sleep disturbance--even autism (not kidding--it's one of the more credible CAUSATIVE links, actually) and ADHD.
To say, I'm going to eat clean is a lot like saying I'm not going to have any bad screen time.
First, there's the definition of "bad." Which screen time is good? Which is bad?
Okay, so you can argue that some shows on the Discovery Channel--some--might be a bit better for you intellectually than most shows on MTV. And of course you need to do your work on your computer. So video games on your PC aren't as important or "good" as your 9 to 5.
But the fact is...if you sit and watch nothing but David Attenborough documentaries or do nothing but work, you're still going to get the effects of too much screen time. It will still be bad.
And there's no reason to not play a first-person shooter for a couple of hours a couple of times a week or to bond over a sports game or to watch the trashiest reality TV show ever just to unwind if it's not part of a 5-hour daily marathon of TV viewing.
Sure, there are people who watch little to no TV. But there lives are not necessarily better or healthier than people who watch a moderate amount of TV or have other screen time, up to and including "junk" TV. And once you start labeling some screen time as junk and other screen time as good, you are going to have a huge fight on your hands no matter what. The video game players will yell about reflexes and camaraderie. The cinephiles will shout about art. Writers will lecture you sternly about good story-telling. And it will go on and on and on.
Because what actually matters at the end of the day, more than the content of the screens, is that it's done in moderation. That's more important than anything else.
I hope this starts making SOME sense!
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Replies
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My only TV is the PBS evening news and yes, I do think my life is better and healthier by nearly eliminating TV from my life.0
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I need cliffs.0
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arditarose wrote: »I need cliffs.
Me too ...seriously....0 -
I read the whole thing and don't really understand what your point was. Are you comparing food to TV or just talking about TV?
I have no idea what any of those shows or video games are. The last video game I played was Mario Cart...and only because my son loved playing the games and I wanted to play with him. It was the only game I could play. (Toad is so cute!)
Could you sum it up, without an explanation, just making the point?0 -
SherryTeach wrote: »My only TV is the PBS evening news and yes, I do think my life is better and healthier by nearly eliminating TV from my life.
But you DIDN'T actually eliminate it. And TV isn't any better or worse than other types of screen time. NEXT!
By the way, I didn't watch any TV at all for years. And my life isn't/wasn't superior to people who watch more as long as it's part of a daily set of other activities and, again, not excessive.0 -
Are you okay?0
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arditarose wrote: »I need cliffs.
tl;dr: Food is a lot like screen time. You can fight over "good" and "bad" until you're blue in the face and there will be no consensus, but studies show that too much is bad no matter what you're watching and a little is just fine..no matter what you're watching. (Falls apart in that, except for work, screen is largely optional and food is not. But still.
) 0 -
mmk whatever0
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Basically
educational programing, projects that need to be worked on from your computer, and high brow shows = "clean foods"
Reality tv, cheesy action movies, and video games = "junk foods"
spending too much time staring at a screen = overeating
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Oh lordy... Please don't
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The healthiest I've been in the last 15 years was when I had no TV and dial up internet, so, very little time spent on the computer. Very little time sitting in general.0
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kshama2001 wrote: »The healthiest I've been in the last 15 years was when I had no TV and dial up internet, so, very little time spent on the computer. Very little time sitting in general.
When I was at my fattest, I had no tv, no internet, no cell phone reception, and no land line.
I still don't know where this is going though haha.0 -
Your analogy is kind of confusing.0
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This thread has triggered a Netflix binge.
ETA: I'm just as lost and confused as everyone else.0 -
And here I thought it would be better understood. *headdesk* Never mind! Carry on! As you were!0
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arditarose wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »The healthiest I've been in the last 15 years was when I had no TV and dial up internet, so, very little time spent on the computer. Very little time sitting in general.
When I was at my fattest, I had no tv, no internet, no cell phone reception, and no land line.
I still don't know where this is going though haha.
Makes sense. I would have just lain on the floor watching the ceiling fan go round and round and round and round and round...
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I was hoping that it would be less controversial for people to realized that people have differing opinions as to what "good" screen time is.
(When I didn't watch TV, I was pretty slim. But part of the time I was so sick that I mostly slept. LOL. Not related to eating but to not understanding my genetic disorder.)0 -
So, in comparison, are you saying--good screen time is equivalent to good food, and bad screen time is equivalent to bad food?
It's all in the perception. 0 -
Is this a thing in the media? I can't believe they'd be encouraging anyone to watch less TV, ever. Are they?
Who is fighting about "screen time"?0
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