I was reading Media Effects Research for a class today, and there was a section about television and how well children do in school depending on their watching habits. And I’ve heard numerous times before how it negatively effects your progress. For some reason, I guess as a senior in college, it finally hit me. All those years in grade school, when I would just sit and watch television instead of studying or reading, I was just hurting myself. 
What if I had all of this untapped potential due to the fact that I wasted my time watching mind-numbing shows? Had I utilized my time to better myself, perhaps I COULD have gone to Harvard. Perhaps I COULD have already written a book. Perhaps I COULD be heading to law school in the fall. But here I am writing about what could have been.
Now I’m not going to blame my parents for letting me watch tv. They probably didn’t know about the research. Hell, I’m pretty sure there wasn’t much research on children, tv, and school when I was growing up. I let myself get caught up in the media. What’s worse, is that it’s still an issue now. Instead of shows, it’s just transcended into the internet and my phone. I’ve jokingly made a comment about it before, but if I spent my time studying instead of playing Candy Crush, Flappy bird, or whatever, I could probably have a 4.0. 
The good news is that I’ve learned from my mistake. I’m going to attempt to limit my time with media that isn’t directly related to my studies. When I grow up, I’m going to do the same for my children. Maybe they’ll live up to their potential. Lord knows I haven’t lived up to mine.
Thoughts of a Poor Soul 