TV Diet

Anarcho-marketeers at AdBusters recommend not watching television this week. Praiseworthy though their motives may be, the measure's too extreme.
Through TV, I learned a lot about the Great Depression, Jazz and the Civil War, and enjoyed great comedy like Seinfeld and Fry & Laurie. The problem isn't whether you watch; it's what you watch.
My alternative: TV Diet. Simply mark shows you want to see in your TV guide, and watch nothing more. Don't channel-surf. During commercials, press mute and talk to someone or get coffee. You won't waste time, but you won't feel like an anti-social weirdo either.