Living Re-runs

I think everyone remembers being told that too much tv would rot your brain.
Or give you eye cancer.
Or some other variance of the above.

Of course we know (hopefully we do) that tv does not physically have any effect on the brain tissue or eye tissue or any other physical deterioration for that matter. But, there is degredation – And I’m living proof.

I think it started what seems like aeons ago, Perhaps before I could think for myself properly. I remember watching TV was always a treat, an entertaining piece of candy that I could have before bedtime and not have to share with anyone. I remember staying up late to watch certain shows was especially warming, that fuzzy feeling you get when it’s christmas, for me, was TV.

I remember pretending to be sick so I could stay home and watch TV. I assure you, the strains of fifth grade had nothing to do with this; I simply adored the shows during the day, always oriented towards those who would be home during that time, certainly not for children.

I remember slipping out of bed at night to watch the x-files (something I was forbidden to watch at that age)

But it truly hit when I was eleven. I bought my first television for my bedroom, a 13" black and white beauty that gave me 12 channels of glowing entertainment 24/7. I strung a 50′ coax cable through the length of the house just to have cable.
And the rest, as they say, was history.

I can recall plots, catch phrases, and lines from shows I haven’t seen for ten years. I can replay entire episodes from any given after school tv program from the early 90’s onward. My mind if filled with all sorts of useless information. I can’t remember what happened last week, but I can tell you what happened on saved by the bell season 2 episode 4.

SO can it be classified as degredation? Is it, somehow, that my mind works like flash memory, and I’ve crammed it full of Television, so there’s no room left for short term memory?

Course, that’s not really a possibility, as the brain doesn’t function that way. But you never know. 

So it’s been established that I grew up with television. My thoughts, my memories, My conscience, my ethics ALL stem from television. How do I know that my feelings are my own? How do I know that my viewpoints and every single noise in my head isn’t just some rendition of a show I watched ages ago? It’s no cause for panic, but it remains a concern.

Sincerely,

Concerned.