WEBVTT - Second Cup: Watch TV wisely

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning, This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is about how to watch TV wisely. Even

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<v Speaker 1>with the rise of the Internet and social media, people

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<v Speaker 1>still watch a lot of TV. According to the Bureau

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<v Speaker 1>of Labor Statistics American Time Youth Survey, the average American

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<v Speaker 1>logs two point seven seven hours of TV per day

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<v Speaker 1>as a primary activity. That's just under twenty hours a week,

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<v Speaker 1>or the equivalent of a part time job. To be sure,

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<v Speaker 1>this figure includes teenagers and retirees, but even the people

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<v Speaker 1>we might think of as busiest, people who have jobs

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<v Speaker 1>and kids at home, managed to average almost two hours

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<v Speaker 1>per day. I always think of these numbers when I

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<v Speaker 1>hear people talk about the crazy buzziness of modern society.

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<v Speaker 1>It seems at least some of us have time to

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<v Speaker 1>kick up our feet, and honestly, that's fine. I am

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<v Speaker 1>not going to start your morning with a lecture on

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<v Speaker 1>the evils of television or Netflix or any other such service.

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<v Speaker 1>There are tons of amazing shows on these days. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>thrilled to see how many organizations are putting money into

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<v Speaker 1>good writing and great plots Instead. I want to talk

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<v Speaker 1>about how you, as a busy person, can incorporate TV

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<v Speaker 1>wisely into your life. I want to talk about how

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<v Speaker 1>you can enjoy TV it also have time for the

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<v Speaker 1>other amazing things you want to spend your time doing.

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<v Speaker 1>The first step be choosy. The reason TV fills the

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<v Speaker 1>bulk of people's leisure time is that it's so easy.

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<v Speaker 1>You don't need to dress up, you don't need to

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<v Speaker 1>work with other people's schedules. But it doesn't have to

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<v Speaker 1>be automatic. In other words, don't watch TV just because

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<v Speaker 1>it's there. Think about which shows most spark joy. To

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<v Speaker 1>borrow a phrase from Marie Condo, one way to winner

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<v Speaker 1>this down is to imagine that you needed to pay,

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<v Speaker 1>say fifteen dollars an hour to watch TV, or whatever

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<v Speaker 1>number feels doable but noticeable to you, something like buying

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<v Speaker 1>a movie ticket. What would clear that bar? What would

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<v Speaker 1>give you that much pleasure? A favorite team's game against

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<v Speaker 1>a close rival, sure, but maybe not too random teams

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<v Speaker 1>that you don't care about. When you have your list,

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<v Speaker 1>then think through your week. When would you like to

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<v Speaker 1>watch these programs? When would work best with your life.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm old enough to remember when people had no choice

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<v Speaker 1>in these matters, and I had to wait all year

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<v Speaker 1>to watch The Wizard of Oz on TV as a kid,

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<v Speaker 1>but now we do have near total time freedom. Actually

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<v Speaker 1>putting planned TV time on your calendar allows you to

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<v Speaker 1>look forward to it and savor that anticipation. Knowing you've

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<v Speaker 1>got your favorite show saved up for Thursday night can

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<v Speaker 1>help you get through a challenging day at work. Finally,

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<v Speaker 1>why is TV watchers recognize this? Everything about TV is

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<v Speaker 1>designed to keep you watching. That's why there are cliffhangers

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<v Speaker 1>at the end of the show. That's why there are

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<v Speaker 1>seguys into the next show. Once the TV or Netflix

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<v Speaker 1>goes on, it's hard to turn it off. That's why

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<v Speaker 1>you wind up falling asleep on the sofa or yanking

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<v Speaker 1>yourself away long after you should. If there's one thing

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<v Speaker 1>I've learned over the years, it's that people don't magically

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<v Speaker 1>develop more willpower. So here's a better idea. If you

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<v Speaker 1>have any other leisure activity you'd like to do other

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<v Speaker 1>than watch TV, do that first. If you like to

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<v Speaker 1>read after your kids go to bed, read for an

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<v Speaker 1>hour and then turn on the TV. If you like

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<v Speaker 1>to do puzzles or a hobby like woodworking or crafts.

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<v Speaker 1>Do that before reaching for the remote. That way, you'll

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<v Speaker 1>get to do your hobby and watch TV. If you

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<v Speaker 1>watch TV first, you'll probably decide that hauling out your

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<v Speaker 1>paints sounds like a lot of bother. You might also

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<v Speaker 1>choose some nights not to turn on the TV. You

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<v Speaker 1>and your partner could choose one night a week to

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<v Speaker 1>have a drink together or make a special dessert. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>always fascinated by how many couples claim they are too

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<v Speaker 1>tired for a couple time in its various manifestations. If

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<v Speaker 1>you don't turn the TV on some nights, you might

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<v Speaker 1>have hours to spend together. What you do at that

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<v Speaker 1>time is up to you. I'd love to hear the

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<v Speaker 1>rules you make for yourself when it comes to TV

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<v Speaker 1>or Netflix or other services like that. As always, you

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<v Speaker 1>can email me at Before Breakfast Podcast at i heeart

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<v Speaker 1>media dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks

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<v Speaker 1>for listening and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd love to hear from you. You can send me

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<v Speaker 1>your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with

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<v Speaker 1>me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast to Pod.

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<v Speaker 1>That's b E. The number four, then Breakfast p o D.

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<v Speaker 1>You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>podcast at i heeart media dot com that Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much,

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<v Speaker 1>I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is

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<v Speaker 1>a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from

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<v Speaker 1>my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

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