“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” Groucho Marx
Almost every time I glance at a tv showing something other than sports, I feel mentally dirty and like my brain needs to be cleansed because what passes for entertainment these days is more childish than I and my friends being stupid teenagers. This actually applies to most “news” too: quick vids of people being or doing stupid things (whether intended or not, you decide), soundbites out of context (or worse, the best moments of people in positions of power of authority); idiocy unleashed like a plague.
Very little of what is broadcast is informing; more influencing from a corporation getting us to buy what they are selling or a politician doing the same. Very little educating, more judging and justifying. Very little discussion but a lot of echo chambers and patting each other on the back or pointing fingers as opposed to interactions that inspires or enlightens, rarely are differences rationally discussed and commonality created.
There is more to be learned from almost any book (we can exclude almost anything from a politician of the past three decades or ghost-written sports stars best-selling drivel) than an entire month of television, whether over the airwaves or through a cable. Just go in the other room and curl up with a book and ignore the talking heads and screaming factions that endlessly cycle across the screen.