This is like asking a purple finch why people die.

‘if i
should tell you anything’
(that eagerly sweet carolling
self answers me)
‘i could not sing’

Try rationing - “once I’ve done an hour of work, I’ll play for an hour.” Try combining, for English - “can I write a critique of such-and-such an activity, or music?” Or try satiation - “I am going to do such-and-such for 36 hours, until I am sick of it and don’t want to go near it again.”

None of these work, by the way.

Um, try being taken up with the glory of God, so that the things of earth grow strangely dim.

Bottom line is, it makes a lot more sense for you to say to people, “look, I know how hard it is to break away from these things. They are made to appeal to us, and they do. ‘But you didn’t come all the way out here to watch TV now did ya?’” And perhaps show them the bit in the Zoo TV DVD where Bono says that.