COULD you imagine giving up television for even a week?
Would you miss seeing cricketing legend Shane Warne stuff his face with maggots or the latest catfight on whatever reality show is on?
Roxanne Bagnell could not tell you one thing about The Bachelor or even Netflix for that matter, as she has now been tuned out of the idiot box for four years, and it turns out she’s a lot smarter for it.
She told 3AW that she was a kid addicted to television, growing up on a diet of Gilligan’s Island, but now she has discovered life beyond fake drama.
“It was like a bad relationship,†she said.
“One day the TV broke and I just thought, ‘you know what? I hate you too’.â€
She said boring reality television was getting out of control and it got to a point where it was becoming mind-numbing.
“I enjoyed watching Aussie dramas and reality TV is no replacement for decent script writing,†she said.
“A plethora of reality TV just came at once for me and I don’t get off on watching other people do stupid things.â€
Since giving up television, Ms Bagnell has lost almost 20kg, discovered a talent for painting and has become more social.
“You don’t lose weight sitting on the couch watching The Biggest Loser, you lose weight by turning off the TV and exercising,†she said.
“You don’t become a good cook by watching MasterChef, you become a good cook by getting in the kitchen and experimenting.â€
Ms Bagnell is single, and she believes people with that relationship status are more prone to binge watching episodes and becoming addicted to television.
“I used to come home and switch on the TV, just to have another voice in the house,†she said.
“Sometimes you don’t even bother to look at the program.
“Looking back at all those years living alone, TV sort of became my little friend.â€
While her friends may be talking about the latest twist in Making a Murderer or having a debate over Stan and Netflix, Ms Bagnell remains “blissfully ignorantâ€.
“I don’t feel I’m missing out,†she said.
“Since I’ve stopped watching TV I’ve viewed the world differently.
“On a clear night now I will go outside and look at the moon and the stars, I wouldn’t have got off the couch to do that before.â€
Ms Bagnell said she devoted half her life to television and says the technology cleanse had been the best thing she had ever done.
“It’s easy to recommend other people to do this and be an authority on the subject because I’ve been through the process but it’s one of those things you need to decide for yourself,†she said.
“I would tell people not to think of it as giving up on television but more about learning new things.
“Devote that spare time to a hobby, maybe you want to learn French or learn how to play the piano.
“You should make a list of things you’d like to do and then try and go at least one night a week without the idiot box. It’s probably the best lifestyle choice you can make.â€
While part of her lifestyle now, Ms Bagnell said the news and the footy made quitting television hard at the start.
She hasn’t been able to give up totally, she’ll still allow herself to go to the pub to watch major sporting events but she said that at least turned watching television into a social activity, rather than an isolated one.