Poll -- the golden age of television addiction, how bad are you hooked?

[Jingthing]

There is a general consensus that we're in the golden age of television.

A massive glut of historically good shows, coming at all times of the year. 

If you don't get that, then this topic won't make any sense to you.

Accepting that, especially considering the ways expats have to get all the shows they want (not limited to a limited number of network subscriptions, wink wink nod nod say no more), choosing which shows to actual watch can be a problem.

 

Trying to watch everything good is basically impossible.

 

This can cause stress and also many people are addicted and spend much of their life watching these good shows (and still not making a dent in watching everything good).

 

Not only are their good English language videos, there are also good non-English ones that are well subtitled, not to mention films, English language or not.

 

Internet addiction, games addiction, substance addiction, sex addiction, etc. etc. have been widely discussed for many years.

 

It seems to me this is a newer widespread addiction that is become more serious for many and not yet discussed enough as a potential serious problem.

 

Also keeping in mind to watch videos, you are usually sitting down, and sitting down too long is now known to be a major factor in life threatening health problems.

 

Thus the poll.

 

If voting, pick the choice closer to your truth. As any poll here, it is no scientific and only for entertainment and discussion purposes. 

A humorous article related to this problem. I realize there are some people that aren't aware of this situation because they're just not hooked in. They might be better off in life, but they ARE missing an awful lot of extremely good video entertainment!

 

http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/there-are-too-many-shows-1818669264/amp

 

 

Quote

 

There Are Too Many Shows

...

At this rate, even if the world never produced another new show, I could spend the entire rest of all the free time I will have between now and my 90th birthday just catching up on all the Extremely Important Prestige TV Shows that had come and gone by the time I grew more than vaguely aware of their existence within the past three years.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 25, 2017 by Jingthing

[pgrahmm]

Too busy living life....We have 2 big screens - 1 Smart TV... Usually the girls switch one after dinner....

 

Sports are what I'll watch, usually on my phone.....Following a specific team's games....

 

Even in the states the TV was rarely on, (excepting sports).....Actual games/events, not plugged into the ESPN type drivel/analysis/hyperbole.....

 

 

[Jingthing]

I am not in a position to give good advice about this addiction, but there is one thing I'm doing differently in response to over glut.

 

For a new show, I will watch the first episode and sometimes even several. Sometimes multiple years of the series. If it reaches a point where the show is just not getting me hard anymore (sorry, I live in Pattaya) I've managed to have zero guilt to just cut it out COLD TURKEY.  

 

I even remember the first series I did that with. True Blood. I felt a little guilty about stopping after multiple seasons, but now I have no guilt about cutting out such shows. 

 

Back when there was much more limited good content, after "investing" a lot of time in a show, I had the feeling I needed to watch it to completion.

 

But this tactic barely makes a dent. 

Edited September 25, 2017 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

A good example.

Ken Burn's presumably excellent documentary on Vietnam just came out.

Everything he does is "must see" and excellent. 
Well, I've only watched one of his Roosevelts documentary. I want to finish it. 

It's fourteen hours and was released in 2014. So far behind. 

Finish that first or start on Vietnam? Oy! 

http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/films/the-roosevelts

 

[thaibeachlovers]

•  
•  

 

I posted that I watch heavily. I am on my own so it's like a "friend" to me when I'm in the room.

A lot of the time I'll be doing something else at the same time, but I'll stop and watch if something especially interesting comes on.

I was lucky enough to live before tv existed in my country, or only one family in the street owned one, so I actually did have a life as a child. Never got to watch properly till I started working.

I did stop watching any tv for 2 years in the late 70s and a year in the 90s which was great, as I did loads of other stuff, but Alley McBeal did me in. I got addicted watching it other places and bought a tv to watch it. Thin end of the wedge.

 

There is a general consensus that we're in the golden age of television.

A massive glut of historically good shows, coming at all times of the year. 

 

Assuming you are referring only to tv shows and series, and not movies, news or documentaries.

Disagree 100%. 99% of stuff on tv now is garbage. Eg Big Brother or The Batchelor . Back home I don't even bother now, it's so bad. Mainly reality show garbage or sport.

Back in the black and white days they had some brilliant tv shows. Once colour came in it started going downhill.

However, there are some good series occasionally. Loved "Lost" till the crappy ending ruined it, China Beach was excellent, and recently The Black List was a "must see", till the third series lost the plot. IMO, the best series ever made was Twin Peaks, and that is nearly 30 years old. Still watch it on DVD.

Band of Brothers and Good Wife were pretty good. There are others over the last 20 or so years, but not that many.

I don't classify Alley McBeal as "quality tv" but I did enjoy watching it .

I recently watched series 1 to 6 of "Game of Thrones" every day till I finished it ( about a week ). Compulsive viewing, but to be honest, not because it was a "quality" show.

Edited September 25, 2017 by thaibeachlovers

[thaibeachlovers]

32 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

A good example.

Ken Burn's presumably excellent documentary on Vietnam just came out.

Everything he does is "must see" and excellent. 
Well, I've only watched one of his Roosevelts documentary. I want to finish it. 

It's fourteen hours and was released in 2014. So far behind. 

Finish that first or start on Vietnam? Oy! 

http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/films/the-roosevelts

 

I don't think you should include documentaries, sport, news or movies. There are many excellent documentaries all the time, but I said tv now is 99% garbage because I was only referring to fiction shows and series. If it is suppose to include everything that would make the choice impossible to pick, as I never watch sport, and mainly watch movies or news on tv.

[Boon Mee]

Not hooked at all especially since the NFL has effectively committed suicide. 

Have much better things to do with my time than watch a bunch of millionaire football ? players disrespect the flag ? 

[Katipo]

I binge watch 3 or 4 series, such as GOT, per year. Some times it's good to just vege out.

[Jingthing]

Glad to see this thread get a breath of life again.

Please keep on voting and commenting.

[Nurseynutcase]

It is a shame that there was not option as follows

 

I don't own a TV

 

This would have been the box I would tick

[Jingthing]

29 minutes ago, Nurseynutcase said:

It is a shame that there was not option as follows

 

I don't own a TV

 

This would have been the box I would tick

Don't be so silly.

There is an option for you already.

I clearly said pick the choice closest to your truth.

That choice for you is: 

 

I don't watch any television. Good shows or not.

From the OP --

Quote

If voting, pick the choice closer to your truth. As any poll here, it is no scientific and only for entertainment and discussion purposes. 

 

Edited September 27, 2017 by Jingthing

[maximillian]

I never had a TV set in any of my homes since I divorced from my wife in 2000.

Here in Thailand I will never get one as I really dislike the Thai TV crap.

How could I possibly watch anything on a foreign channel but denying my

Thai wife to watch hers ?  Couldn't even bear the sound of Thai movies, soaps or comedies.

Now her daughter wants to move in with us. I told her straight away: No TV here.

They are addicted to their phones anyway.

So now I am with YouTube and some different news channels on my macbook with earphones.

[canuckamuck]

I don't really watch TV, I mainly watch shows I have downloaded on my computer. But most of them are produced by Netflix and such, so I guess they are TV shows. I don't watch any network TV and my TV downstairs is only hooked to an Android box with a hard drive. No cable or TV signal of any kind.

I watch approximately 1 show a day. A movie or part of a series.

[Jingthing]

16 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

I don't really watch TV, I mainly watch shows I have downloaded on my computer. But most of them are produced by Netflix and such, so I guess they are TV shows. I don't watch any network TV and my TV downstairs is only hooked to an Android box with a hard drive. No cable or TV signal of any kind.

I watch approximately 1 show a day. A movie or part of a series.

Oh no.

I guess I wasn't clear enough.

I didn't mean television LITERALLY!!!!!

Obviously NETFLIX series, especially binging on them is totally on topic here.

Egads, did many others NOT get that this is about video entertainment however it is actually delivered? 

Computer, television, mobiles etc. from whatever sources that produce it including youtube (which also has series on there). 

Of course not only BROADCAST shows.

Obviously not all video entertainment that people watch is "Golden Age of Television" level but it all takes time and that time is spent SITTING and not doing much else.

In my case, I recently watched CLAWS, which was big fun but trashy. Nobody is going to call that golden age level.

It ALL counts! 

I guess the only thing that doesn't quite count is what I call "background" television. Like sort of listening to the Daily Show while doing some household chores. 

 

Edited September 27, 2017 by Jingthing

[canuckamuck]

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Oh no.

I guess I wasn't clear enough.

I didn't mean television LITERALLY!!!!!\

Obviously NETFLIX series, especially binging on them is totally on topic here.

Egads, did many others NOT get that this is about video entertainment however it is actually delivered? 

 

Just me over analyzing the term TV

[Jingthing]

Just now, canuckamuck said:

Just me over analyzing the term TV

I don't think you're the only one. 

It's important for this thread to have any meaning that people get that it means all video entertainment.

An "excuse" people might use to overindulge is that there really is more HIGH QUALITY stuff now than in the past. So it's entirely possible to overindulge with HIGH QUALITY stuff though in real life I'm assuming most people don't limit themselves to that. 

[canuckamuck]

The amount of quality TV is amazing and I try to get the best of it. Fortunately we are past the era where you had to decide whether or not you were going to watch a series because it conflicted with another show that played in the same time slot.

The thread here about what shows are you watching has been very helpful in making choices.

[Jonnapat]

4 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Not hooked at all especially since the NFL has effectively committed suicide. 

Have much better things to do with my time than watch a bunch of millionaire football ? players disrespect the flag ? 

Why is it necessary to play the national anthem at every sports game in your country?

[Get Real]

Golden age of television. How far after can a person be?

Today the Facebook addiction is much higher.

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, Get Real said:

Golden age of television. How far after can a person be?

Today the Facebook addiction is much higher.

Depends on the person really. Which reflects this poll. You can vote whether the video entertainment addiction thing is real to you, or not. 

I already addressed in the OP that there are other forms of addiction already widely discussed including internet addiction.

My opinion is that because of the GLUT of high quality video entertainment and easy access to it, this form of addiction is going to become more of an international issue. 

Edited September 27, 2017 by Jingthing

[Get Real]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Depends of the person really. Which reflects this poll. You can vote whether the video entertainment addiction thing is real to you, or not. 

No, it doesn´t depend on the person. Today Facebook addiction worldwide, is the bigger problem than television.

[Jingthing]

5 minutes ago, Get Real said:

No, it doesn´t depend on the person. Today Facebook addiction worldwide, is the bigger problem than television.

It seems we're not communicating here.

I never said the video addiction was the biggest problem in the world, or not.
You're twisting this topic into something it's not.

If you want to discuss FACEBOOK addiction, start your own thread.

If you're not interested in this one, no problem. 

[Get Real]

4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

It seems we're not communicating here.

I never said the video addiction was the biggest problem in the world, or not.
You're twisting this topic into something it's not.

If you want to discuss FACEBOOK addiction, start your own thread.

If you're not interested in this one, no problem. 

Just made a comparision, and mentioned everything on topic. Isn´t that what we do here? I never said you said anything either.
If you start a thread, does not mean that you control the discussion, or have you some kind of priviledge higher than other posters. No one asked you to comment if you don´t like the way the discussion goes.

Edited September 27, 2017 by Get Real

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, Get Real said:

Just made a comparision, and mentioned everything on topic. Isn´t that what we do here? I never siad you siad anything either.
If you start a thread, does not mean that you control the discussion, or have you some kind of priviledge higher than other posters. No one asked you to comment of you don´t like the way the discussion goes.

You seemed to be challenging that this topic has any relevance at all just because there are other forms of addiction that are more serious in the world. Obviously there are, such as alcoholism. It seemed like a hijack attempt. I pushed back. Deal with it. 

Edited September 27, 2017 by Jingthing

[i claudius]

I suppose that i am lucky as the wife does not like tv much although having lived in the UK there are series that she enjoys and those we can watch together she also likes things like "the pickers" and pawn stars and adires a series called shaun the sheep .dont ask!! So while she reads i can watch stuff ive downloaded. Also i have a walking machine so can watch and walk at the same time and get some exercise lol . But to be honest there is just far to many good shows including old series that i like watching again like Morse and Frost etc.

[kokesaat]

One of the best things to happen in the 20 years of living here is the advance of fiber to the jungle.  Once I got fiber, I cut off UBC after paying 18,000 Baht per year for mostly trash TV.  Now I subscribe to netflix (less than $10/month), a VPN (less than $6/month) and I have access to thousands of viewing possibilities.....all at the times that I chose.....along with subtitles for the elderly.....along with outstanding channels like PBS that offers frontline and a host of other documentaries.  

My only challenge these days is to get in my 10,000 steps each day.  As long as I can do that, I'll take all the TV I can get.

[Get Real]

44 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

You seemed to be challenging that this topic has any relevance at all just because there are other forms of addiction that are more serious in the world. Obviously there are, such as alcoholism. It seemed like a hijack attempt. I pushed back. Deal with it. 

Your view and opinion is off course free. As mine is too I persume? I stayed on topic, and I already stated my purpose.

Deal with that you do not like all answers, and stop your child game now.

Edited September 27, 2017 by Get Real

[jak2002003]

I got Netflix and Amazon Prime, plus the Thai TV. Used to have True and Expat TV.

 

Over the years got so bored with the TV and watched less and less.

 

Now only watch it very occasionally... less then 4 hours a week.  Problem with all the TV now is that is mostly American boring movies, remakes of good films make worse, canned laughter 'comedy' and the usual action gunfight car chase hero junk with fantastic special effects and sound, but the same plot.

 

Also the Netflix had some good things... like UK crime dramas, but once you watched them they don't add more.. had the same on for most of the year.  Amazon is even worse.. many films not available in 'my region'.  And the cost to buy the films is more expensive that going to the cinema!  

 

I like documentaries, but again they are limited, and no new ones put on.

 

I think the TV things are good for the children.. with cartoon and kids films, but for me it's very boring.  I tend to listen to music, go out and socialise, cycling, and my hobbies take up time too.... also I read a lot of books!!!  

 

 

[The manic]

Actually it might be considered that it is  the Golden age of cinema that is alive and well via the medium of TV. Ever since Spielberg's Taken was made for TV cinema talent, including writers  and directors and producer and actors, shooting styles, cinematic techniques, cinematic equipment etc has moved to TV. 

[Jingthing]

It used to be higher level actors thought doing "tv" was a step down from film and stage. That's long over!