Better Media

I have never owned a TV since moving out of my mum's place. When I tell people this, I get a mixture of reactions. Some are approving and among them I may find the fellow TV-less types. Some think I just say I don't have a TV to be 'trendy'. Some realise I can't possibly be trendy if I haven't seen the latest great comedy or drama series. Some people can't fathom what life would be like without a TV and thus find it exceptionally difficult to talk to me, since I haven't got a single response to their comments about what was on last night. TV is a hot topic and so by not having one, in some senses I am outcast from mainstream conversation.

What a shame.

I hate the prevalence of fear-mongering and the destruction of self-esteem that is the result of the majority of our media. I believe that the media has a responsibility to inform accurately, without bias and at present we've got it all wrong. Largely, what I read or see tells me that everyone's a shitbag, the world's absolutely fucked and that I look nothing like I should do, in fact, I'm rather ugly. Which you can imagine, is very depressing.

I'm sorry but my thighs aren't silky smooth, a nice brown colour or bald. My boobs aren't pert and disproportionately large compared to my really tight six-pack and complete lack of body fat. My hair isn't naturally light blonde, my face isn't symmetrical and yes, I have wrinkles at 25. I'd rather not be told that what I'm not, is what I'm supposed to be.

And I don't want to live my life vicariously through the characters of EastEnders or Coronation Street. I want to live my own life, have my own experiences and judge life by those experiences rather than by someone else's. Why would I want to spend my free time in front of a screen, within the same four walls, spending my life transfixed by the pretend experiences of an actor rather than enjoying my own? Yes, I could watch X Factor and pretend that if they can be a pop star, so could I. Or I could just advertise for some local musicians or singers and try and set up my own little pop group. Maybe practise down at my local studio for a tenner an evening and eventually play a few gigs in my local pubs. I might not get a £1 million record contract, but then I also wouldn't have to lick Simon Cowell's arse, or become the image I so readily berate for it's effect on the self-esteem of young people today.

It is utterly wrong that we live in an age where we continue to murder and exploit each other. The Western world rapes other countries of their natural resources without paying fair trade prices; it claims to be fighting for human rights through murder and war and is the biggest cause of the irresponsible environmental destruction that will ultimately destroy all of us. We need to manage ourselves and our resources better.

Constantly being bombarded by information about what a bad world we live in is not conducive to a rich and fulfilled life. And a rich, fulfilled life is one that contributes in a positive way to the society of which it is a part. 

It is not because I think that what goes on in places other than my back yard is unimportant. It's terribly important. But I personally can not change government policy or come up with an alternative economic system to replace capitalism. And so, I simply try to do my best within my back yard and, for my own sanity, I've switched off the shitbox. Because for the most part, I find it depressing. And it would be depressing for me to look back on the last year of my life and realise that I spent the majority of my free time doing nothing but watching television.

“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Buddhist prayer.

I just think it is important to be careful about what you listen to and how you spend your time. We are constantly bombarded by information, advertising and media that reduces our self-esteem to keep us spending and glued to the telly. I would rather be socialising or doing something creative.

I think that the internet is one of our best media sources since it allows you to pick and choose what you watch. There's a plethora of educational information, available from qualified experts in their field. One of the best websites I have found recently is http://www.ted.com/. I want to tell you why.


 TED is a hub for humanity's best ideas. It features short video talks by educated people from all over the world; astronomers, biologists, psychologists, ecologists, satirists and many other fabulous 'ists' who have something positive to say about the world.

I'll tell you about some talks I watched recently. The first was by Jill Tarter, Director of SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) and described how she wished for more people to become engaged in the work SETI undertakes. She reminds us of how very small our planet is in the context of the whole universe and how finding life somewhere else within it may help to unite us as earthlings. Human beings are, at present, divided. Into tribes, countries, religions and more. She reminds us that we all share one home, which we should take care of.

The second talk I watched was by marine biologist, Sylvia Earle. She urges us to take a good look at the devastation we are causing to the ecosystems of the ocean and how heavily we rely upon them to survive. Without water, there is no life and we aren't taking any steps to ensure it's conservation. It's a message not necessarily about altruism; we should protect the oceans for our own good. She asks why we're not doing so and describes the true cost of our current fishing habits.

The third talk was by the mighty Eve Ensler, author of 'The Vagina Monologues' and a campaigner for women's rights all over the globe. It was about the current stifling of our 'inner girl'; that part of us (both men and women) that is emotional, has feeling, intuition, compassion, empathy, love. It took my mind off of glass ceilings, of rapes and mutilations, of second class rights and social pressures about appearance or behaviour and reminded me of what's good about being a girl.

I want to tell you about one of the most important talks I've ever watched on TED and that was one by Sir Ken Robinson. In his speech, he talks about the need to revolutionise our education system completely. That, at present, our education system stifles the creativity and talent of our children and in doing so, hampers social progress for all of us. To me, there is nothing more important than ensuring that our children, our future generations, are well informed. Not primed for labour, but actually educated. http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/sir_ken_robinson_bring_on_the_revolution.html

These are just examples, but every TED talk I have watched has inspired me, has drawn attention to the bigger picture, has given me hope for the human future. This is the kind of media I want to watch and I hope that everyone can be inspired by TED too. Humanity stands to influence it's own future dramatically; TED gives me hope that we might go in the right direction.

What would you rather watch?