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Table of contents

1. Preface

2. Main Article

3. OMFS World

4. Stuff

Preface

What is up with my weekends?

🥱 Last week, I shared how tired I am and how I don't do sports.

After publishing that newsletter, I made a plan to go for a run and get some rest 🏃🏼 💤. Seem like a solid idea, right?

I knew that Thursday would be tough. After operating for 17 hours, going home didn't make sense. We had several complex cases in-house, and I preferred to stay nearby. So I slept at the hospital.

Friday afternoon marked my (relative) freedom, and the warm weather sparked my optimism.

Saturday started great.

But then I was called to the hospital 😷.

🥱 I hardly slept.

🔢 Then I burned most of my Sunday filing my tax report. I had already used up a day for the US tax report, but now I had to deal with the Israeli one.

Long story short, I started the new week even more exhausted than I was on Friday.

I don't like this trend.

Do you know what's funny?

The same week, I tried to unwind by watching TV before heading to bed 📺. I hadn't done that in at least a year.

And what did it feel like?

A total waste of time! No benefit at all!

Why is that?

"Television: A medium.
So-called because it is neither rare nor well done."
— Ernie Kovacs

So today I would like to discuss the habit of watching TV.

Over the years, I experienced both ends of the spectrum.

From a couch potato all the way to complete abstinence. And this is what I learned.

Enjoy #38!

Main Article

Storytime!

At 12, we only had two television channels - an upgrade from our single channel until I was 9.

Computers were quite limited, and the internet was nonexistent.

📚 As a child, I read two books every week and spent my afternoons playing outside ⚽.

Then, cable TV arrived.

Suddenly, I had dozens of channels at my fingertips.

I could watch TV shows I'd never had the opportunity to see before, and my afternoons rapidly became filled with television time.

By the age of 13, I watched around five hours of television every day.

🥔 At 13, I was a couch potato.

However, there was one significant upside to this habit: I learned English.

Before cable, English shows featured Hebrew subtitles. But the cable channels from abroad didn't have any subtitles.

At first, I barely understood these shows 🤔, but over time, my comprehension improved. Eventually, I understood everything 👨‍🏫.

Fast forward to 2023

We now have the internet 🌐, smartphones 🤳 , tablets 📱, YouTube 📺, Netflix 🎬, and countless other online video platforms.

This starkly contrasts the one or two TV channels I had as a kid.

My habits have changed significantly since childhood. If we exclude tutorial videos, my "leisure TV” time is limited.

And do you know how much time I spend watching TV alone?

ZERO.

Big round 0.

I'm not saying watching TV to pass the time is inherently wrong. I would love to sit and watch a movie, Formula 1, or the NBA playoffs.

But I don't have the time.

That brings us to today's main article.

🤔 Is television bad for you?

🤺 Some people view television as a mind-numbing waste of time, while others see its potential to teach new things. It can be a double-edged sword.

As someone who once watched five hours of TV daily, and now doesn't even have a television at home ("WHAT?! You're crazy!”), I've experienced both sides of the spectrum.

So let's see how I implement what I learned.

I call it the good, the bad, and the ugly.

👍 The good

🔵 Watch TV together

If you and your spouse enjoy watching your favorite show together, that's great!

🔵 Watch TV to unwind

Television can offer a mental escape from daily stress. But remember: unwinding should take 30 minutes, not a 6-hour binge of an entire mini-series 😀.

🔵 Watch TV to learn something new

Choose your content! YouTube is a perfect example. I learned so much from other people through informative videos.

⛔ The bad

🔴 Watching TV separately

When every family member watches TV in separate rooms, that's probably not a good thing.

Easy fix: Order take-out and watch a movie together instead.

🔴 Watching TV instead of sports

If TV replaces healthy activities like sports, it can be harmful.

Easy fix: Go for a walk and take your TV show with you.

👺 The ugly (TV & children)

With children, our choices shape their minds and development.

👦🏻 TV hinders creativity and imagination

A child who spends hours watching cartoons might be less likely to create their own stories or engage in imaginative play.

👦🏻 TV limits social interactions

A child may miss opportunities to play with friends and develop social skills.

"Television has changed the American child from an irresistible force to an immovable object."
— Laurence J. Peter

So when it comes to our children, my dear wife and I have clear and strict boundaries:

📱They don't have smartphones.

🌐 No social media.

👀 Everything they watch is visible to us. No alone-time with a screen.

🌄 Most of their screen time is on the early weekend mornings.

📝 We authorize the shows they watch.

🇺🇸 Everything must be in English. This way, there's always some educational value.

📺 We don't have a television set at home. Everything is watched on a 10-13 inch screen, with a predefined time limit.

I know. That sounds harsh.

But we believe in protecting our children's minds.

Take-home messages:

1. Make TV social! Watch it together with someone. Same screen, same room.

2. Make TV educational! Learn something new to enhance your or your children's lives.

3. Otherwise, turn it off!

OMFS World

⌛ If you're someone who always feels short on time, check out my time management secrets in my guide to time management.

In this guide, I'm sharing the strategies and techniques that helped me balance my roles as a full-time medical student 🧑‍🎓, surgeon 😷, and scientist 🔬, all while preparing for the USMLE 📝 and establishing my private practice 🧑‍⚕️.

All at the same time 😉.

Stuff

💡Gear I use

📷 Canon EOS RP is my go-to camera as a surgeon.

This camera setup delivers outstanding results when paired with the Canon Macro 100mm 2.8L lens, adapter, and Canon's ring flash.

Previously, I used Canon 5D mark iii, so the Canon RP is a downgrade in dynamic range.

However, given that it is mirrorless and has a rotating touchscreen, it allows me to take pictures in the operating room quickly and reliably (positioning the camera in the OR is incredibly challenging). In addition, The macro L lens and ring flash produce excellent results.

As a general rule, I recommend prioritizing investment in a high-quality lens and flash, as they significantly impact the overall results more than the camera body itself.

If you like to read more, take a look at my guide to clinical photography, which offers additional insights and advice.

Epilogue

That's it for this issue.

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Have a great weekend!

Shay