I read two articles in the news today:
[LIST=1]
[/LIST]
34 hours? Really? How much free time does your average person even have? Isn’t that basically like saying “Average Americans do nothing besides watch Television”?
I rather like to think of this as “Average American could learn to Unicycle in about a week, in just the time they normally use to watch Television” 
See this is what I don’t get.
Sure this could be a spammer, but what is he promoting? That’s why I am led to believe it’s a real person.
Then I ask myself, why in the world is he coming on here, to make his first post saying that instead of watching TV someone could learn to ride a unicycle. Except that’s not his main point. His main point is that Americans spend a lot of time watching TV. Then he just twists it at the end to say that they could use that time to learn to unicycle.
Sorry if this post makes no sense, it’s late and I’m tired.
WHY!?!?!
Hi, I’m Chris. I’m human. I’m not promoting anything. I have been riding a KH24 for about 5 months now. I just ordered a KH29 and Schlumpf hub.
I thought I would wait to post until I had something that might not have been covered before, and try to contribute something new to the conversation within this community. I used my judgement in figuring this topic wouldn’t be out of scope for the “Just Conversation” forum. I’m sorry if that was incorrect.
I thought these two articles ironically fitting when viewed together, as one is kind of pointing out the likely reason for the other. I figured most people here, by nature of the site, generally live an active lifestyle, where obesity isn’t likely a problem for them, and might share my interest in these statistics. After reading these, I was wondering about all the alternative activities one could potentially use that time for - obviously learning to unicycle came to mind. I think many people find unicycling an interesting sport, but view the time investment required to learn as a prohibitive factor. I think it’s ironic that a single weeks television viewing time would likely allow most those people to reach that goal.
Hi, human unicyclist Chris.
Sorry if we misunderstood, but we get those out-of-the-blue, first-time posters once in a while who, let’s just say, have an agenda other than talking about unicycling.
You should have started with “Hi, I’m Chris! I’ve been riding for about five months now…”
Anyway, let’s just start over. Welcome to the forums!
So far, I only clicked the first link. It seems almost impossible that people watch that much TV on average. That’s almost a full-time job. I wonder if that includes having the TV on in the background, which is something I personally can’t stand. I can’t think or converse with that thing jabbering away (I haven’t owned a TV or watched TV in about eight years). If you want to talk to me, shut the damn thing off! Also, since I stopped watching, I’ve found new and creative ways to continue to lead a sedentary lifestyle. For me, it created more time for reading and thinking and for researching things on the Internet. And I’m always battling a weight issue. Do sedentary people gravitate to the TV or does the TV create sedentary people?
Nice topic you got started.
P.S. - Do you really think people could spend 34 hours in one week and learn to ride? Maybe you were a quick learner, but I wasn’t. Older people (like me) take longer to learn. And marathon sessions don’t help. Your brain needs plenty of time between sessions to sort things out are rewire itself. How long did it take you to learn?
Thanks! 
THERE IS SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT OTHER THAN UNICYCLING??? 
What, are those people all like, “look at my dog”? 
Exactly! It’s like, really? REALLY?
I agree that your brain needs time to settle. It’s funny, I always feel like I am better when I start the next session than I was when I finished the last one… like I learned while dreaming about it in my sleep or something. I didn’t really count the hours, but I’m sure I could ride for a decent stretch in a straight line well before 34 cumulative hours though.
I think television is a huge problem in the united states. I do think that in most cases, television does create sedentary people. I mean, just look at the fitness levels of people in the 50’s and 60’s compared to today. Heck, look at that first movie that Johnny Depp starred in with the obese woman who became stuck in her house because of her size. That was considered insane at the time that movie came out. Now I actually see people that big every day.
People aught to limit themselves to like an hour of television a day and use that time doing more productive things (like maybe unicycling). And I do think almost anyone under the age of 30 could learn to ride a unicycle in under 34 hours with the right motivation.
I think age has a big affect on how long it takes to learn, and the motivation to learn. I am 17 and it only took me three days to learn. Probably a total of five or six hours before I could ride on flat ground virtually as long as I wanted. I was also extremely excited and motivated.
I agree that marathon learning sessions do not help. When I learned, I would practice for a half hour, and rest for fifteen minutes, and so on.
We need legislation to tell us to get moving?
Uh, maybe. (typed while sitting on my ass)
Yes and yes. I don’t doubt the 34 hours, though I will assume some of that is in the background. It’s esp. easy to add up those numbers if you have a TV in the bedroom and use it to go to sleep (being asleep doesn’t count).
But while our bodies are turning into mush, like all those people in the movie Wall-E, think of what all that TV watching is doing to our brains! Turning us all into docile consumers, willing to believe nearly anything. Or maybe we already were like that, but TV makes it easier to send the messages?
Sure enough. But the hard part is convincing the average American (or Canadian) that they can learn to ride one. Perhaps a little more difficult is convincing them to be interested. Not everyone needs to ride unicycles (fortunately). Some have to do Extreme Sitting, Rowing, quilting and jumping out of airplanes.
That’s one more of us and one less of them.
Welcome to the forum.
I would miss being special if too many people rode unicycles (though a lot more are required to reach that point).
We convinced ourselves that it’s all about commitment, training and perseverance. But that’s only half the truth. The other half is that we’re special, we’re magical people pushing the boundaries of humanity.
When we’re scorned or ridiculed we know the pathetic reason is that people cannot imagine doing what we’re doing themselves. All the “where’s your other wheel” comments are instinctive attempts to diminish what is too big for them.
We have transcended this stage and learned that we can aspire greatness one step at a time. This is why we ride while they rot in front of their TVs.
there is an easy solution: you want to watch TV? ok just pedal to obtain the necessary electricity!
By having pedal generators in your home you will be able to lurk thru the web, watch TV, listen to music and even have some light bulbs active!!!
I am surprised that some “green buff” did not initiate a start-up just to sell such devices 
edit:
was there then and will tell you that now people are more fit! (IMHO) -but maybe we do not live in the same part of the world-
There are a few gyms around the USA that have electricity generating exercise equipment. Apparently the machines don’t really generate all that much electricity. The average person (or even far more fit and active than average) would have a tough time powering much this way.
I used to watch 20 hours a week of tv then we got the cable turned off so i watch about 5 max no.
Television is the worst drug problem in the country.
I’ve been deprogrammed.
i watch like… 1 minute a week… the weather channel usually 
I just generally don’t watch TV. I have the radio on sometimes but mostly i’m reading my book…waiting for replys on here 
My roommate usually has the TV on from when he wakes up till when he goes to bed so it is definitely possible. I get bored watching TV even if it is a program I like.
I love listening to the radio, talk radio especially, and reading books. I feel like I am more informed and knowledgeable. Sure I can’t tell you who is on American Idol, but I can tell you how we are repeating a lot of the same mistakes made during the great depression. I think America would be a lot better off if more emphasis was placed on knowledge instead of pop culture. Kids today think they can goof off and still get a job because that is how it happens on TV.
My TV has been getting fat since I got my Coker put together.
Yes, apologies, however plus one to what Dave said. Also plus one to what GILD said. I guess their both named Dave, so just plus two to what Dave said and you can divy it up equally. In my defense I don’t think you had an avatar or anything like that when I first saw the post.
But now, it’s good to welcome you to the forums!
I know you’re new here, so you might not know this, and I’m sure there’s many that also don’t know this. I also know you were just poking fun, and I get that, and appreciate it.
However, I feel the need to point out, the guy that started that look at my dog thread, is quite probably the most famous unicyclist in the history of everything.
Kris seems like someone cool to hang with 