Can their be anything more mind-sapping, passivating and demotivating than spending 3 hours or more each day mindlessly staring at a flickering box in the corner of your living room?

Million $ Ideas At last, the contents of Aardvark's "million-dollar ideas" notebook are revealed for all to see! Click To See

At least the Internet offers the ready availability of new knowledge, interactivity, social interaction with others and the development of useful computer skills.

Perhaps part of the reason this country is so financially reliant on its farmers and the tourists who flock here to marvel at how undeveloped we are is because the average Kiwi probably spends nearly half the entire day either sleeping or watching TV.

Let me remind you of what I observed when in Singapore late last year -- at around 10pm each evening the MRT (mass rapid transit) system becomes suddenly filled with people -- most of who are heading home after finishing an evening's study.

Do we see any similar rush of people about the streets in NZ at 10pm each night? Well -- maybe the first wave of people heading home after an evening at the pub perhaps but I don't see big crowds flocking out of our polytech and university halls at those hours.

Readers Say (updated hourly) Interactive TV is here... - Peter From Yesterday... Bruce the Big Brother Advocate... - Rob Have Your Say

These people aren't wasting their evenings reclined in a vegitative state in front of TV -- they're actively using their time to better their own circumstances.

Through the Internet we have a unique opportunity to learn more about the world and even start our own part-time small businesses -- but we appear not to be doing so. The lure of Shortland Street exceeds the lure of more income and a better exercised brain.

How addictive is TV? How much does it depress one's higher brain functions and dull one's awareness of the world around them?

Well I think you'd be surprised at just how many car conversions and burglaries take place while the family is glued to the zombie-box. The mere fact that the ability to think rationally is suppressed long enough that most people don't come to their senses during the ad-breaks also speaks volumes for the danger this appliance represents.

Come on folks -- get off the box and onto the Net. Maybe it's every bit as distracting -- but at least Net users are alert enough to bitch about banner ads and spam. Hey -- they're even waking up to email-borne viruses to the extent that the Naked Wife virus has become a bit of a fizzer.

So if you're a TV addict, stop and think how much better your standard of living would be if you were earning money or improving your level of education or skills instead of wasting your life in front of TV. For many people this would represent a 40% increase in their income -- nothing to be sneezed at right?

If the government wants to promote increased productivity, greater community awareness and lower levels of crime -- maybe they ought to try and wean the general population away from their growing TV addiction!

As always, your feedback is welcomed.

Did you tell someone else about Aardvark today? If not then do it now!