Do we spend too much time watching TV?
Let’s see what is being offered:

 - Politicians pretend they know everything and that they are in charge, yet they are not, it is the market that really governs all countries
 - News always concentrate on negative events or what famous people are doing
 - Soap operas series in which people have no manners or humanity, getting on each other's nerves
 - Too many movies filled with crime, violence or madness – everything we don’t want to happen to us
 - Commercials in which we are all happy customers
 - Unbelievable boring quiz shows ...

All my life I’ve had a TV in my home, but in recent years I have realised that shows are becoming dumber and dumber and are just awful to watch. Hence I decided to get rid of the TV from my home altogether. Now I live in peace. I inform myself by reading a newspaper in the morning, or by going to the Internet. I watch DVD movies on my computer when I miss moving images.

Imagine if millions would say:
“We refuse to watch TV because there is too much negative news, and too many shows that make people stupid and diminish our humanity!” 
Thus we would force the TV programme makers to come to their senses and start portraying human goodness and nobility 90% of the programme time. This would help viewers to perceive the world in a sense which Shakespeare implied:

"What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason!
how infinite in faculties! in form and moving how express and admirable!
in action how like an angel!
in apprehension how like a god!
the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals!"

A positive perception of the world would like a chain reaction transform the world into a better place. For the world, today, is a manifestation of human beliefs and powers, used wisely or unwisely. Instead of imitating negativity we would start emulating positive trends. It is a psychological law that we are who we imitate. If a man is brought up by monkeys he will behave like a monkey – nobody can become human on his own. 

If television programming were so transformed, I could buy a TV again and say: "welcome to the real world!" For how can negative news be more real than positive? Most of us live for positive things and do positive things, yet TV prefers to direct its gaze upon the minority who wreck the world. Do TV and other media present reality objectively? How can angry thoughts and actions of minority be more real than good thoughts and actions of majority? It seems that the media is hungry for sensations and meaningless extremes.

By the way here in UK everyone who has a TV in his home has to pay the TV licence. It is like a tax. Can you imagine giving hard earned money to TV companies to make that awful programme, instead using the same money for something better?

Update 11 April 2007:
The TV company sent somebody to investigate my claim that I had no TV in my household. They did not find me at home, so they left a letter which starts with the phrase:
"We said we'd call."
And on the next page says "_This is why we'll call again...."
The letter is obviously designed to scare those who cheat and try to evade paying for the TV licence (which is not me), so it finishes with bold letters in red: "Get a licence before you get another knock on your door." The letter is authoritative, bullying and without a shred of politeness - quite unnerving.
Does this remind you of the big brother? I hope that the holy TV inquisition will not torture me to confess where I hide a TV device and not excommunicate me for not watching the TV brainwashing. A message to you dear reader: be a good, nice and obedient citizen (i.e. consumer) - watch the TV. Surely you don't want to be a threat to society by thinking with your own head... do you?