Journal Entry #3: Why I Stopped Watching Television

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been watching TV. I was just lying in bed watching the cartoon “Cow and Chicken” while drinking my milk. I guess I was three years old back then. I was really entertained with the shows in television, that most of my childhood life was spent staring blankly into the TV Screen. That’s how I came to know about cartoons and anime, which have been a huge part of my life. My parents bought a personal computer when I was eight, and that’s how I was introduced to computer games. Because of this my time spent in front of the television was halved. I have spent most of my free time in front of these two things.

 Somewhere along the way I have encountered the word Idiot Box which is a term used to describe the TV. I have wondered why the television was called the “Idiot Box”. For most of my life I’ve shrugged it off, not really giving any care about what it means. Watching television is fun. Playing games is fun. Why should I ever try to stop doing something that makes me happy?

I was only able to ponder about it deeply when I was in high school. Being introduced to books such as Fahrenheit 451 and 1984, I have become increasingly aware cancer of society that makes up most of the population, the so called “Hoi Polloi” and “Plebeians”, the masses. It’s actually quite simple. Television keeps you entertained and by doing so, makes you satisfied in the status quo. It pleasures you so much that you will lose track of your ambitions and goals in life, because you think you’re already happy. Why should you yearn for more if you’re already happy? That’s the trap of watching too much television. You immerse yourself so much into the pleasure of watching television, that you forget everything else. It numbs the brain because it doesn’t make you think critically. You don’t really use your head to watch television, all the information is already presented to you, you just have to enjoy it. Couch potatoes don’t think, they just passively watch shows as entertainment and not giving a bat’s eye about learning something from it. Unfortunately, so many people are trapped in this type of lifestyle. To a certain extent, even I am still living like this.

Think of the recent trends in television: Aldub, Pastillas Girl, Vice Ganda, and so many other celebrities. What they all have in common is that they encourage random nonsense. They just babble about stupid things most of the time and whole hordes of people find them entertaining. Instead of focusing on the important issues like climate change, fighting diseases such as cancer and HIV, actually researching about the candidates for Election 2016 before deciding who to vote for, and the increasing threat of terrorism and war. If anyone of those people read about this article, I think they’ll say something along the lines of “I’d rather watch shows the make me happy. I don’t like thinking about bad news.” You know what they say: "Ignorance is Bliss." That’s where the problem lies. People want to escape from problems instead of trying to solve them, and some aren't even aware of these these problems. It makes me cringe when I think about how many followers these celebrities have, and it makes me lose my faith in humanity that they willingly submit themselves to them as a fanbase. Television is a distraction that makes you lose sight of what’s really important.

Television numbs the brain, and that’s what the government is hoping to do. The government needs more stupid people, because they are obedient. The more uneducated a person is, the more likely he is to follow the orders of leaders blindly. That’s why so many celebrities get elected, because the ones who voted for them aren’t thinking it through and just votes for “whoever is the most popular” or “the person I’m most familiar with”. The media only shows people what they want the government to show. There’s always a filter of information and there always will be. They will only show you content that favors them and they’ll hide all the information that can be used against them. Media is a tool used to brainwash people and to send subliminal messages. It programs the brain to stop thinking, drains all the important information and replaces it with nonsense, and distracts you to no end with a never-ending limbo of false happiness. It’s like a nightmare that never ends. There’s only one thing you can do to end a nightmare: Wake Up!

I refuse to let myself be fooled by the lure of pleasure and entertainment. That’s why I stopped watching television. I know some television shows are actually educational, but you’ll have to search carefully to find them. Besides, I prefer the content showed on the internet, the true source of freedom of speech and unfiltered information. You have to make sure the content you’re searching is legit though. That’s why you should cross-reference. Whether it’s television or internet content, you have to make sure the information you’re getting is valid. That’s the smart thing to do.

Only intelligent people dare to question and doubt the status quo. That’s why so many intelligent people are thought of as insurgents or rebels, like Dr. Jose Rizal who was encouraging free thought and education of Filipinos back in the Spanish Occupation of the Philippines. Smart people are not satisfied with the status quo. They continuously find ways to improve themselves, they welcome change. A nation can only truly progress if the citizens themselves put their conscious effort to encourage development. That’s why we need we need more intelligent people in the Philippines. The people of the Philippines need to wake up and stop escaping from the problems that we are facing. We need to stop lazing around in front of the television all day and start acting towards our own goals. Fulfillment is more important than temporary happiness!

Journal Entry #2.3: Radio Play for a School Project

A Radio Play I edited as a school project back in my college days. I really liked how it turned out, so I had to share it.

Journal Entry #2.2: My Motto in Life

This is the lock screen wallpaper on my phone, and I’m proud to say that I made this myself with some simple Photoshop. This shows up every time I open my phone, so I’m always reminded of the way I do things. I’m the type of guy that does great things in the sidelines, never bragging about the things I accomplished. I do not crave the spotlight, but the satisfaction from achievements.

Journal Entry #2.1: Foreign Leaders > Own Citizens?

Whew! I just got home from work. A less than 2-hour commute turned into a painstaking 4-hour commute. What a drag that was, seriously. I don't get why the president prioritizes the World Leaders over his own citizens. Sure, they are important, but your people are just as important. Instead of hiding the poverty of the country that these leaders are already aware of even if you conceal them, you should have spent more of your energy to think of a better plan!

Journal Entry #2: Life, School and the Educational System

There are two ways to live life: 1) Live a normal life just like everyone else 2) Strive to live differently and break away from the norm. When you live a normal life, your life can be represented by one straight line: Spend your early childhood with toys (and friends, if you’re lucky enough), Go to school, Find a job, Work hard, play hard, Start a family, Raise a child, Struggle through a mid-life crisis, Retire from your job, and then (finally) die peacefully. Well, not really. Life is not that simple, but if you’re a straight-laced person wanting to live a normal life, that’s the closest simile you can think of.

More often than not, you’ll most likely live a normal life, just like everyone else. Even if you don’t want to, society will force you like it’s a moral obligation. Even if you want to let loose and do something unique, you’ll be shunned and ridiculed by other people. They’ll call you weird, rebellious or even crazy. That’s just the way it goes. People naturally embrace normality and feel uneasy around things they don’t normally encounter. This is very evident in one particular part of our life: When you receive your education.

I believe that school life is like a mini-me representation of life itself. The school is your house, it is where you stay most of the time. The classrooms and other facilities represent the different rooms in your house. Your teachers, if you’re young, are your parents. They tell you what to do and what to learn in order to survive this mundane world. When you get a little older, you teachers may represent your superiors at work. You know they mean well, but sometimes your temper will be tested, if you’re lucky. If you get those overly competitive parents who push their expectations on you every single day, expect to feel a strong amount of pressure resting on your shoulders. The principal is like your grandparent, but they won’t give you cookies or anything. The best thing they can give you is advice and wisdom they learned from life.

Last but not the least, grades. Honestly, this was the only thing I expected would not show up in any other part of my life except school. I was dead wrong. After I graduated college, and got myself a job, I’ve encountered different kinds of terms, such as “metrics”, “performance” or “rating”. All of these words all mean the same thing: it’s a way for your employers to measure your performance. In short, GRADES. In one form or another, grades will always be present in your life. Everywhere, anywhere, grades are ALWAYS there. If you think about it, the expectations of your parents can also be classified as grades, because you have to meet them one way or another. If you live if to their expectations, you pass. If you don’t, you’re considered a failure in their eyes, a disappointment.

School… when I think about that word, a lot of different things pop up in my mind. I don’t really know why, but the first things I remember the most are always the most embarrassing things that I’ve done. There are so many instances of awkwardness, embarrassment and confusion back in my days as a student… Yup, plenty. I’m such a socially awkward child. Oh, you want to hear about them? Nah, that’s a topic for another time… or maybe for my own wellbeing I’ll decide not to share it here. Why? Well, maybe shouting out my most awkward moments in the internet where everyone will know is not such a good idea. Depending on my decision, you might or might not know about them. The second thing I remember is the most memorable part of my life as a student: High School. They were right about high school being the best part of school. It is the perfect time when you’re still young enough to do crazy and immature things, and at the same time learning to mature to prepare yourself to become adults. It was especially fun because of the school I studied in, PAREF Southridge School for Boys. I little shoot-out to my high school classmates. Hope you guys are doing great, PER ARDUA AD ALTA! The third thing I remember are the awesome teachers. In my days as a student, there are those types of teachers that are so good at what they do, that you won’t be able to forget about them. In their own way, they are able to teach the lesson in the most interesting and simple way possible, that you’ll be able to easily understand the topic at hand. They also have those trademarks phrases or poses that make them more memorable. I just know that if there were more teachers like this in the world, the world would be a better place.

When there are good things I remember from my school days, I also notice some problems with school. The good things I remember at school are mostly because of the fun events, great teachers, and awesome classmates. As for the bad things, there are quite a lot. The educational system expects everyone to be all-rounders who has to be good at every subject, teachers have favorites among the students, teachers who don’t want their students to surpass them and are too lazy to share their knowledge and expertise, impossible amounts of workloads pile up by the end of each quarter, and the lax management in enrollment and other events. Don’t get me wrong though, these problems are not present in every school, I’m just basing it on my own experiences and observations.

All in all I’m not really against our educational system. It teaches us a lot of things other than the things you learn inside the classroom. It teaches you the value of time management, perseverance, friendship, teamwork, leadership, initiative and a whole other things. But these values and virtues are not exclusively picked up in school, you can learn them in normal, everyday life. The most famous billionaires in the world, like Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs, were school dropouts. This proves that even without education, people can be still successful. You know what they say, it’s not in the school, it’s in the person. If you truly want to be a successful person, you will be able to find a way.

              Learning does not stop after your education. Learning is a continuous process that helps you grow as a person, so it is something that you must never stop doing. You don’t need to take notes, pass tests and report to class to learn. All you need is to give yourself the effort to learn things you don’t know and do the things you’re not doing yet. Always seek out new experiences and discoveries. And don’t forget to share what you have learned to other people. Share your knowledge to other people so that they can be informed too. Knowledge isn’t something meant only for one man. Pass the torch, start a big flame. The more educated and informed people are out there, the better. 

[Disclaimer: This is not the full article. Additional Content will be added later.]