1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: tip is that, if you want to avoid mindless screen time, 4 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:23,599 Speaker 1: make a rule for yourself that you don't turn on 5 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: the TV unless there is a particular show or movie 6 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 1: that you plan to watch. Like another tip this week, 7 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:36,160 Speaker 1: today's tip comes from Adam Grant, a professor at Penn's 8 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: Wharton School. In an interview with former Surgeon General Vvick Murphy, 9 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: Grant said he has a rule for himself that he 10 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 1: doesn't turn on the TV unless he already knows what 11 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: he wants to watch. I like this rule for a 12 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 1: few reasons. It has the obvious effect of reducing mindless 13 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: TV consumption, but a secondary plus is that it's not 14 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 1: that hard to follow. You don't have to exercise strict 15 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: self control by cutting TV from your life. You don't 16 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:10,319 Speaker 1: have to pledge not to watch TV until you've done 17 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:14,840 Speaker 1: something else or observe particular screen time limits. You are 18 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: just deciding to watch something specific before you turn on 19 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: the TV. Practically speaking, this rule isn't all that limiting. 20 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 1: You could decide to watch, say, one episode of Hometown 21 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:31,120 Speaker 1: and then wind up watching hours of it. Streaming services 22 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 1: are quite slick and the way one episode ends and 23 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 1: another begins seamlessly before you even realize the prior episode 24 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:41,960 Speaker 1: was over. But hopefully, rather than watching hours and hours, 25 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 1: this rule will nudge you to consider what TV you 26 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 1: actually want to take in and curate your viewing. The 27 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: TV won't just be playing in the background well you 28 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 1: zone out. Personally, I like to watch live sports, so 29 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: if I know there's a Sixers basketball game in the evening, 30 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: I might decide to watch that as my evening's entertainment. 31 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 1: On weekends in the fall, my family chooses a specific 32 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 1: football game to watch. Usually it's the Eagles in the 33 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 1: NFL and the Texas A and m Aggie's for college football. 34 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: But I tend not to just turn on the TV 35 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: and see what games are on. That makes sports watching 36 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: feel more like a chosen event. For times when there 37 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 1: is no major event airing live, you could make a 38 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 1: paper or digital list of shows and movies you want 39 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: to watch sometime and then consult that list anytime you 40 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 1: would like to watch TV. Before you turn on the TV. 41 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: You might decide you want to watch one episode of 42 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: The Pride and Prejudice mini series, or The Parking Lot 43 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:50,920 Speaker 1: movie or an episode of Madams Secretary. When whatever you 44 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: have planned to watch ends, you turn off the TV 45 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: and then reassess whether you want to watch another particular 46 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:01,919 Speaker 1: show or movie or do something else. I am reminded 47 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: of how My Best of Both Worlds co host Sarah 48 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: Hartunger tracks the media she consumes. For people who like tracking, 49 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 1: it could be helpful to record what they have watched. 50 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:14,959 Speaker 1: Knowing you are going to write down what you watch 51 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: creates accountability that may nudge you toward viewing choices that 52 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:21,360 Speaker 1: you will be proud to record and look back on. 53 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:27,080 Speaker 1: But in any case, generally speaking, time vegging out isn't 54 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: our most enjoyable, meaningful, or memorable time. So if you 55 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: are trying to reduce the time you spend zoning out 56 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: in front of the TV, consider following the rule of 57 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: not turning on the TV unless you plan to watch 58 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: something specific. When we are more intentional about how we 59 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: spend our time, including our screen time, we can use 60 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: our limited hours in ways that are more enjoyable. Leisure 61 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 1: time is too precious to be totally leisurely about leisure 62 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 1: and actively choosing what to watch is one way to 63 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: treat this time with the respect that it deserves. In 64 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's 65 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 1: to making the most of our time. Thanks for listening 66 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 1: to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 67 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 68 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 69 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 70 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.