2nd 30 Day Writing Challenge: Day 11 - What If...

Here we are at day 11 - Write something you always think "What if..." about.

Oh goodness. The "what if" game. I play this game way too often - sometimes to very depressing conclusions! When I play the game, I run through a variety of questions. For example, worldwide questions: "What if women ran the world?" "What if there were no wars?" "What if there had been no religion?" Whimsical questions: "What if everyone had superpowers?" "What if aliens have visited Earth and I missed seeing them?" "What if the hokey pokey is really is what it's all about?" Then there are the inevitable personal questions: "What if my parents had been good at parenting?" "What if I hadn't quit performing professionally?" and the one question that haunts me daily: "What if the rapport I had with My Mr. Darcy had resulted in a 'happily ever after' fantasy ending instead of with the opposite reality?" But none of these questions are nearly as important as:

What if television had never been invented?

The invention of television certainly led to advancements in technology leading us to our current style of living - computers, cell phones, etc. Additionally, television provides mass communication and a variety of entertainment to appeal to every watcher. Modern conveniences aside, television has also helped with a bigger issue: Earth's sustainability! 

According to scientists, the current population of the Earth is three times the sustainable level, but it could be so much worse. The invention of the television has acted as a birth control. Over the past 70 years (since the invention of the television), birth rates have been steadily decreasing. "Compared with the 1950s (when the birth rate was 36 per thousand), the birth rate has declined by 16 per thousand" (Wikipedia). Coincidence? I think not. With the invention of television, people had other alternatives at night. Think about what happens 9 months after either natural disasters or human error knocks all the power out. People have nothing better to do in the dark than have sex. Although, how birth control ceases to work on those same nights is a mystery to me! 

In addition to providing us with ample entertainment and technological advances, the television has contributed to the decline in births, which leads to a more sustainable Earth. If you see the chart below, the places in India which have high birth rates, also have lower television ownership. It's an interesting statistic. I propose that we make sure there is a television in every house, wigwam, igloo, beach hut, sod house, cave, and any other dwelling you can list.

Tomorrow's topic: Day 12 - Write about 5 blessings in your life. (Meh!)