One hour here, two hours there, even fifteen minutes, it all adds up, and quickly too. Television is toxic to our self- esteem. In fact, 90% of television programs are a depressant. That leaves only 10% as a stimulant. With such a high percentage of negativity fueling the majority of this country television must play into the fact that anti- depressant consumption is doubling by the year. So, if you are wondering why you have low self-esteem, think about your television habits.

Look how long the tobacco industry used television to convince us smoking was "Cool." If that doesn't hit you, now we know that fluoride is a toxic substance that manufacturers couldn't figure where to dump, so the advertisers convinced the public, and the majority of the dentist community, how great it was for our teeth, especially our children. Now, the truth is really out, including cancer in children in academic portions.

When is enough, just that, enough? Is the public that gullible? Advertisers say yes, and we keep supporting it because we keep buying and doing the behavior.

In order for advertising to work, advertisers must create a problem or target a problem. If the problem isn't big enough, they blow it up with misleading information to push the problem up in our perception. Then they promote a solution with a limited perception. These internal messages tell us we need to be dissatisfied with our lives, what we own, and especially our self-worth with their answer. No matter where you are on the social scale, commercials purposely make us feel that we haven't arrived yet.

If you love your two-year car, they tell you how great it is to buy a new one, and, of course, your self-esteem will rise just because you drive it. The next time you drive your car this message plays even if you don't think it's playing in your mind. In addition, with all the car ads on television, how can you miss one even if you mute or leave the room during the commercials, you still get the tail end of one?

Advertiser even play people by giving expensive cars to celebratees, create hype about them having the car, which in turn creates the "keep up with the Jones" effect. Then, the fans of those celebratees have just "got to have" that car in order for them to respect themselves in the morning. The individual's emotional roller coaster begins in shopping for the car, through the buying process, and the first few months with the new car. Afterwards they must sit down, watch 30 or 40 car television "gotta have" messages just after writing a their car payment check for that new car and immediately get depressed because they have $10 left in the account and they now want the other new car. Then talk show programs tell them they can't manage their money and all it takes is simple common sense. They get down on themselves, grab another anti-depressant, and watch another car ad.

Its a-no-wonder depression is doubling year in children in America. The message we're bombarded with is whatever we own isn't good enough. Moreover, we allow the television to be our babysitter while we are off doing something else. Would you hire an individual to stand in front of your children and yell at them every 10 to 15 minutes for 3 to 6 minutes on what to buy? No, television is doing it for you already. Parents, what-are-ya-thinking? Or aren't you?

Even though we're intelligent enough to know that our life is good, that most television programs and all commercials are negative, the majority of the people still sit there and soak it all in.

It's scary to think how as a society we've allowed this to have such a profound effect on us. Television advertisers take the most basic human needs, social stimulation and community, mix it with perception fallacies, like "we're not good enough" without whatever it is, and push it out. Why is it so easy to influence us on how we need to fit into the social mode?

Some people say if you don't like it, just turn the thing off or do without it. Or we need to be smart enough and just watch the "good" stuff. Yet, even when we do that, there are still the commercials.

Television is influential enough for humans to change their values and the values of all the generations that follow. Take a close look at someone who is financially well off and ask them how much television do they watch. The major respond, "they don't have time," some even say they don't even one a television set. Why? Because of its negative influence.

Television can and does bar our own success. This author tossed hers out five years and prosperity has doubled because of it. Her self-esteem is up 1000% and her weight down 35%.

Be smart in your life -- turn of the darn tube off -- maybe then you can stop taking so many aspirins or depressants. Don't believe me, prove me wrong, try it for 30 days, and write and tell me that turning it off didn't improve your life.

Television is an addictive habit and all addiction includes a withdrawal stage. The same effect when you are getting off carbs, caffeine, or sugar. Even those are in the body and the television in your mind, your body will still react. Hence, be gentle with yourself. When this writer weaned off television, she paced in front of it every night just like opening the refrigerator to see what's available when you're not hungry. Television isn't your babysitter, the majority of the time it's a drug. Children will go through a similar withdrawal stage as well.

The only way to reduce the withdrawal stage is to substitute it with something you like to do more than watch television. Make a list of these activities. It will help you when you are pacing in front of that bare spot.

Read a book, have a conversation, play with the kids, write a book, there's so much more to life. Start a business, write a book, volunteer, clean out the garage. Oops, the last one can't ever be better than watching television but, honestly, you will sure please your wife if you do it.

Take a stand, change by taking new action, and make better choices this month with your time. Eliminate television. Sit in front of a fireplace looking at the family album laughing at everyone's baby pictures. Do this and your self-esteem, and the people you share more experiences with, is guaranteed to soar.

A life coach supports individuals in finding what is affecting their lives and making changes in order that the prognosis is more happiness and prosperity. Catherine Franz is the coach you want to hire to give you just that support. Find abundance at: http://www.abundancecenter.com