Television used to be a big part of my life. If I wasn’t at school or at work when I was in high school, I was either playing football or watching television.

Growing up I watched a lot of CMT. I could tell you the name of pretty much any new song and the artist who sang it.

My favorite artist was Alan Jackson, and I’m sure I was not alone in that sentiment.

I could usually be found on the couch watching the magic talking picture box as a kid whenever little league baseball was not in session.

TV was such a big part of my life that it ate up most of my free time.

Then I went off to college, and everything changed forever. Up at UNA there was so much going on and so much work to be done that my television consumption dropped drastically.

I would turn on SportsCenter once or twice a day, and I would watch some shows late at night before bed. That was it.

I went from watching four to six hours of TV a day to less than two.

I discovered that I did not have to have the television on every time I was in my dorm room.

This mentality has moved on to my professional life, but I do watch more TV now than in college. What changed was how many televised sports I see.

I watch so many high school sports that watching a Braves game at home just doesn’t feel like it used to.

I also have this wonderful piece of technology called DVR, which has changed my viewing habits. I don’t even check the guide anymore; I just turn on something I’ve recorded, usually Futurama or Mythbusters.

I think that I am better off with this setup, because I always have something to watch when I want.

Channel surfing, something that used to be as much of a national pastime as baseball or afternoon napping, has all but disappeared for those with a DVR.

My cable box has to fight my Xbox for my attention though, and lately the console has won out.

Perhaps I should not have bought so many video games lately.

Or perhaps I should get rid of my cable. Either way, I never seem to get anything accomplished in my free time at home.

Oh well. I might as well see what’s on the TV.