Watching cartoons is favorite time pass for my 8 year’s old little brother. He can watch cartoons on TV for a whole day. When he gets chance to watch cartoon network he forgets hunger, thirst, homework and sometimes even mum and dad. Serials on Sony and Star plus are favorite programmes of my sister. She can sometimes forget taking her daily meals but can’t forget watching 'Kasauti' (a teleserial on Starplus). In his spare time my dad loves watching CNN. My mum tunes Nepal Television whenever she gets remote control in her hand, and music channels are my choices, whenever I sit in front of television set.

In this way every individual in my home has different taste of TV channels but the television set is only one. So to watch a favorite programme of his/her choice my family members have to pass through many hurdles. Watching a TV channel of one’s choice in my home is more difficult than getting a ticket in a houseful cinema hall.

To watch my favorite music channel first I have to get remote control in my hand from my little brother. I do this by scolding him and sending him to study. Then I have to fight with my sister for the same remote control. The one who wins could tune the programme of his/her choice. It’s usually me who wins. No sooner I start watching my favorite channel then dad comes and scolds me “you fool! Always lingering on television, go to your study room". He scolds me in the same way as I did to my little brother. After getting remote control in his hand, dad tunes CNN. And then enters my mum. Scuffle grows between my mum and dad, mum insisting for watching Nepal television and dad for CNN. No sooner the dispute settles between my mum and dad then enters the little brother crying, "Mum today I studied a lot, can I watch cartoon for few minutes please". Mum handovers the remote control to little brother and enters kitchen. As soon as the little brother tunes cartoon then enters my sister saying "Oh! It’s already 8:45 pm, its time for “Kasauti". She grabs the remote control from the brother and tunes Star plus. No sooner she starts watching her favorite serial then dad again grabs remote control from her hand saying "Oh! It’s time for news report on CNN".  The cycle continues….

This happens everyday in my home, the remote circulates from one hand to other so fast that neither my brother can watch a complete show nor my sister, neither can I enjoy a complete song nor can my dad watch news till the end. This problem has created havoc in my home. I searched a lot for solution.

Finally I found solution to my problem. There was only one option remaining i.e. avoiding watching TV. I did same saying “good riddance to bad rubbish”. I made my other family members also do the same. My sister gave up watching the never ending and moral less Hindi serials. She was made to give priority to our own Nepali programs. My brother was contented even without watching cartoons. These days all my family members sit together and watch only those shows which are easily digestible, give some moral lessons and are very helpful for students like me, my brother and sister. These days I don’t watch TV even if I am alone in my home and there is no one to combat with me for remote . These days, in my spare time, I do something which could be really beneficial to me instead of lingering on those filthy TV shows.  

Article By,
Sanjeev Raj Neupane, Pokhara
sanjeevmeister@gmail.com