I haven’t watched TV in a long time. Yes, I’m one of the handful of people in the US that don’t own a TV (and don’t yearn for it either). I’m visiting my parents’ house, and yes, they have several TVs.
It really is easy to just turn it on an let it entertain. After not watching for a long (and I mean, long) time, I’m floored by how shallow the content is. Not to sound elitist, but TV content is just bad, plain and simple. Sure, there are a few things on that do inspire some sort of original thought. However, most of it is irrelevant fluff that disappears from my mind the second the phosphours fade from the screen.
MTV doesn’t play music (actually, I’m not even sure how to describe the content anymore), Emeril makes the same jokes, the News is still sensationalistic, Reality TV is as banal as it always has been. The only positive things are a few laughs from tried and true comedies, and some good science on the Discovery channel and Alton Brown’s Good Eats on FoodTV.
But TV is so ubiquitous. Even if you don’t own one, you most likely see one in your local walmart, hotel, and waiting room. For that, there’s the universal off switch.