A number of people consciously choose to make lifestyle changes for a number of reasons (to improve their health, to be less wasteful, to set a better example to others), while others have these changes imposed upon them (by their doctors/employers or the situation they found themselves in). Shortly after arriving at my temporary home in Australia, I realized that I had unknowingly signed up to participate in an experiment where the participant is denied something one is used to have access to. In this case, there is no television at the house I lived in.
When I learned that I would spend a few months without a television, my first reaction was "oh my! What am I going to do?" It was as if the sky had fallen. Before I left for Australia, I spent many hours at night in front of a television, so it was quite a shock to realize that I would have to find something else to spend my time on after work.
On the first night, I entertained myself by watching the DVD's I brought. As I watched, I had already begun dreading that I had to watch the same scenes over and over again. This feeling did not subside after I received access to the Internet, as my web surfing was (and still is) mainly limited to a number of web sites (this may be a sign of my reluctance to try anything new). It didn't help that there is a monthly cap on Internet usage at the place I was staying in. (We would still have access if the cap is exceeded, but the bandwidth would be severely reduced. This makes watching video online nearly impossible.)
The thought of getting a television crossed my mind, but I chose not to get one because I didn't want the hassle of unloading it when I leave. Also, a part of me (that can be referred to as the glutton for punishment) wanted to see what would happen to me after a (relatively) extended period without television. I guess this makes me a willing participant of this experiment (where there is no access to a television at home).
As days became weeks, I became more used to the situation. I spent most of the time between leaving work and getting to sleep on four activities: preparing and having dinner (I am surprised that my cooking has yet to make me sick), reading (the same books over and over), surfing the web (does anyone still use this phrase?), and doing a little work (which I should have done when I was actually at work).
While I shared the house with a number of people, most of my housemates seemed to be more interested in talking online than face-to-face. (I don't blame them, though, since I am someone who is highly hesitant in starting a conversation and the range of conversation topics I am interested in is rather limited, even though, when the need arises, I am able to talk about topics other than those I am interested in.)
When someone is deprived of something for a long time, often the first thing one does after one regains access to it is to consume large amounts of the item one is deprived access to. This reaction did not occur to me when I regained access to a television set (on the flight home) — I did not glue my eyes at an array of television screens, each showing a different program. Of course, television is not food or water, so I doubt someone would lunge towards a television and stare at the flashing screen non-stop after living for a period without one.
So what can be concluded from this experiment? It can be summarized in the following:
With a sample size of one, this experiment is in no way scientific, but it was quite an interesting exercise.
As I typed the last paragraph, I began to wonder what would happen if I have no access to a computer and/or the Internet for a long period of time and how long can I live "normally" without a computer/Internet. After more thought, though, this exercise is better left undone.