The Guide to Spiritual Growth: How to Stop Watching TV

Why Is Watching TV So Unadvisable?

1. TV is a time-waster, consuming one of our most precious resources—time—during endless hours of lounging on the couch. Imagine the productive activities you could be engaging in instead. Isn't it a waste?

2. A long-term study of over 3,200 individuals, with an average age of 25, divided the subjects into two groups: one watched TV for at least 3 hours a day, and the other less. When faced with the same cognitive test, those who watched less TV had better results.

Numerous studies have highlighted the negative impact of excessive TV watching, linking it to violence, obesity, chronic fatigue, attention disorders, and more. But do we really need studies to tell us this? The dull headache and dissatisfaction we feel after prolonged watching should be enough.

3. Furthermore, TV often bombards us with immodesty, violence, desire, bad traits, gossip, and disputes. This influences us and our children negatively, lacking any real values. Isn't it sad?

4. News broadcasts are a leading cause of depression, worries, and sadness. Why must we be informed of every occurrence globally?

5. Watching TV detaches us from reality, making us passive and bored rather than proactive. Over time, our connection to fictional characters overtakes attention to our real issues that need addressing.

6. TV affects our emotions, often overriding logical thinking. A movie can linger in our thoughts for days with no real relevance to our lives. Emotional impulses driven by TV can overshadow years of learning and understanding, targeting momentary desires rather than life's meaningful pursuits.

7. TV addiction is a serious issue illustrating our struggle to set boundaries for ourselves and our children. Uri Yassour, a ynet journalist, poignantly addresses this in an article. Yassour challenges us to consider the media's influence on our consumption habits and self-perceptions.

Are we aware of the constant barrage of advertising manipulating us? How do we feel after hours of television?

8. TV distorts reality, often making fantasy seem real. This leads to self-loathing, ruined relationships, and destructive comparisons to televised ideals. It's both painful and real.

(Photo: shutterstock)

9. TV connects us to the materialistic world, weakening our faith. Instances on the news can challenge long-held beliefs about Hashem's providence, reducing our spiritual strength.

10. Research by Herbert Krugman shows that our brain waves shift to a sleep-like state just 30 seconds into TV watching, a hypnotic effect that disengages focus and awareness. Is this how we want to spend our lives?

Daily, we're overwhelmed by information. What is truth among this flood? Are media portrayals accurate? Can objective reporting truly exist?

So How Do We Quit Watching TV?

1. Remove the TV from your home.

Tsvi Yehezkeli, a Channel 10 analyst, burned his TV even before adopting a religious lifestyle. Watch his explanation:

2. Can't give it up entirely? Convert your TV to a kosher screen. Maintain a clean content view while transitioning.

For more info on the initiative, click here.

3. If you live at home and haven't succeeded in removing the TV, try these tips:

Refuse a TV in your room.

Don't watch any shows.

Decide your future home, post-marriage, will be free of TV.

4. Still struggling to quit TV? Remember, resisting for Hashem's sake holds great value. Decrease your viewing time, stay occupied, and avoid boredom. Search for a local Torah class and attend regularly. If quitting feels overwhelming, visit Hidabroot channel for guidance.

Additional TV and Jewish Content:

Is turning on a TV someone else lit on Shabbat permissible? What about Jewish storytelling for TV? For guidance on detaching children from screens, click here.

Fifteen years ago, I was addicted. Now, my family enjoys life together, free from violence, immodest content, uneducational kids' programming, and offensive ads. Dudu Cohen recommends life without TV.

Rabbi Zamir Cohen explains why Hidabroot uses TV. Click here.

Rabbi Aaron Levi shares how a friend reacted when visiting a TV-free home.