Assignment #5: Liz Graves

Having grown up out in the country my whole life, I've never had neighbors to talk to or go out with, so books and T.V. have always been my favorite pass times. Television allows me to experience the life of someone more interesting than I for a couple of hours. I get to escape into someone else's problems, that are almost always resolved by the end of a 42-minute episode. Unlike in my own life, I can also control the mood of the show I'm watching. If I'm sad and want a good cry I can watch any Grey's Anatomy season finale; if I'm excited I can turn on the Walking Dead and be on the end of my seat the whole time; if I've had a long day and just want to relax, I can watch Downton Abbey, and pretend my biggest problem is whether or not I remembered to invite the Duke to dinner. That, I think, is why I have grown to love T.V. so much; it's an escape from reality.

There are times, though, when I don't watch T.V. Sure, I have experienced the achey, burning eyes that come from binge-watching Scandal for six hours, but I always regret it. I try not to watch T.V. if I haven't been outside in a while, or I haven't exercised in a couple of days. The worst feeling in the world is watching a lot of television and realizing on top of all the time you've wasted,  you feel like a lazy slug. There are also times when I just don't feel like suffering through loud, repetitive commercials, or when I'm so irritated that I actually realize how bad the acting is on most shows these days. Truthfully, as much as what I watch depends on my mood, my mood depends on what I watch. Reality T.V., for example, always aggravates me. America's Next Top Model is never who I wanted it to be, Cupcake Wars stresses me out more than finals, and the people are so rude on Bridezilla I'm now afraid to get married.

I, like millions of other people, am often sucked in by the adventure and glamorous life-styles depicted on T.V., and though I do appreciate the escape that T.V. offers,  I think it's also important I make an honest effort to get up and do something productive.