Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

Forget that old hellfire and brimstone preaching about the one eyed devil and read this article. Now, I have to take offense about what she said about not going to the library (since I work in one), but she makes some good points. ;)


http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com...ithout-tv.aspx

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

I haven't ever owned a TV. I don't think it's evil... I think it's boring. When I moved to college, I couldn't have TV in our older dorms. The electrical system wasn't set up to handle computers, microwaves, TVs, or dorm sized fridges. When I graduated, cable was outrageous, I was broke, and no one in town got reception without cable or a monstrous tower of tinfoil and wire extending from their antenna. When I moved to an area where I could have gotten reception, TV just didn't make much sense anymore. My dad talks about TV constantly, and sleeps with his remote. I didn't want my life to revolve around a box the way it did in my teens--I enjoyed the freedom from the TV Guide.

I checked into getting a TV recently. I can only get three stations here without cable. TBN and CBS don't impress me enough to make buying and finding space for a $200+ piece of equipment worthwhile. I did order a month of Netflix for the holidays so I could watch some Christmas movies I haven't seen in 19 years, but will cancel my subscription in January. The local library has DVDs for checkout, and I might check something from Blockbuster or Redbox once in awhile to watch on my computer.

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

I recently started viewing some shows that I enjoy online, and realized quickly what a time waster it is, so no more....

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

We've never gotten a TV since we've been married (24 years ago). When we left the UPC, we never really thought about getting one. Well....we have a TV per se.....we just don't use it for anything except videos. No commercials which is great. Also, internet has everything nowadays you could want. I will never say we will NEVER get a TV, but I don't see getting one anyway.

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

I like to watch videos to relax, so I don't consider relaxing a waste of time, I guess. ;) But I would feel aggravated if I had to sit through commercials I didn't want to see.

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Wow, I really admire all of you who don't have TVs.

I never turn the thing on in the day...unless there's something newsworthy happening and I feel a need to stay informed. However, at night....it's my pacifier, I need help and prayer!

When our power went out recently and my husband hooked up the generator I said the first thing is, hook up the TV (dummy me forgot the cable would be out too), see how much help I need!

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

No doubt it's my tendency to want to stay there for any extended period of time, and also, I get a great idea about something I need to do halfway through a program so either leave off watching or forget what I was going to do lol

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

Haven't had a TV for over 30 years, and don't plan to get one. I do watch video, which is great because I can pick and choose what to watch at the time I want to watch a particular movie or documentary. Also, no commercials which is another time waster.

The big one is "When", for me. A TV requires a person to be bound by their time. Many times my wife and I will turn off a movie half way through the program and watch the rest later.

Another thing I notice about TV is when I visit my parents I see how the News affects their life. My dad seems to be hooked on the repetitious forum of the News, and when we talk politics, religion, or other current events I can tell he is totally using the News as his learning tool. Even my mother notices this, and she tells me that the News will repeat the same story, over and over with an extremely bias opinion.

The only thing I wish I could watch from time to time is a sports game. I do love baseball and basketball, and seeing these games might be fun to watch.

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I went without tv for a few years when I was in the upc, but I have one now. I don't watch during the day, but I watch in the evening. I don't like comercials so I usually watch movies, basketball games or news. I am very selective on what I watch, so I don't consider it a waste of time.

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

We have a pretty nice setup with our DirecTV whole house system, where the two DVR's are networked together and can share content. On top of that we can watch Netflix on any of our sets along with whatever DVD's we happen to have.

But...... the thing is barely on. We record what we want to watch and of course the Netflix is on demand. About the only thing we will watch live is football but even then we like to let it record for 45 minutes to an hour before starting so we can fast forward through as many commercial breaks as possible.

I spend FAR more time at my computer then at the TV (is "TV" even a legitimate word anymore? Sort of like saying "I listen to tapes".)

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

I have too much A.D.D. to watch tv. There's a few things that I like to watch, but I am constantly rewinding and replaying. Praise the Lord for dvr.

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

I have a really hard time sitting down and *just* watching TV. If I have to, I'm usually multi-tasking. Maybe I'm ADD too...I don't know. I do like the background noise, and I often leave it on when I'm cooking or cleaning. I did the same thing with the radio before we had TV.

However.

I DO think it's a time waster for many people.
I DO think its absence is best for children, although not in the sense that it's a *sin* or forbidden fruit, but rather in the sense that there are so many better things to do.

I'm reading a book right now called "Simplicity Parenting", which I love. Based on some of the research and perspectives in the book, I would say that television can not only be a hindrance to a child's proper growth and development, but can actually be damaging to younger children. (Especially over-exposure.)

Here's my test for myself: If I ever feel tempted to brush off a real person in my home in favor of a tv show, then I know *it* has become too important to me. Real life relationships are much more important than anything we watch on tv, and tv should never take priority over those relationships or the needs of those people.

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

Netflix looks like a good deal at 8$ a month

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

Can you watch those online?

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

What's wrong with saying "I listen to tapes"?:gotcha

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

I had to look up DVR, didn't know what it was.:christmoose

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

Yeah, that can go for internet too. But, we all sit in front of our computers so nobody cares that we aren't talking to **each other**. LOL!! It's kind of pathetic, but we all like it!! However, we eat meals together and go places together.

BTW, you are a very cool parent.

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

I watch TV 24 hours a day...ha.....

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My friend and his mother would do most of their conversations through IM... and they were in the same house.

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

???

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

I do think that TV could be a time-sucking addiction for some people.

Something that irritated me when I didn't have one though was being in the dark on pop culture references. lol There were people that I thought were really funny and witty, and once I started watching a little TV I realized that those persons had no original thoughts of their own, they were just repeating popular punch lines! :penguin

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

That's what she said.

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

It can be. I can go to Blockbuster or Redbox and rent a movie for $1, though, or get them free from the library and don't usually watch more than four or five a month. Unless I have Netflix. Then, in order to "get my money's worth" I want to watch one every night. So for me it's not such a good deal. :jolly

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

LOL! What I don't get is my library co-workers who rent Netflix. I guess they can't wait until their hold comes in. :jolly

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That's what SHE said!

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

yes, channellsurfing .net

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We didn't watch any television, movies, dvds..... NONE, including YouTube, Veggie Tales or Andy Griffith.... until a few years ago. We do now.

I haven't noticed any difference, period. Before, we spent time on the internet, reading books, whatever. Now, we watch movies and tv shows together (among other things, of course). We are no more or less productive than we were, spend no more or less time together, are no more nor less richer. ;)


edit to add:

On second thought, come to think of it, I'd say our life is slightly richer because of adding tv shows/movies, etc. We probably do spend a little more time together because of it..... laughing, sharing memories, sharing punch lines. But I certainly didn't find that the life we had before tv was richer than the one we have now.

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

You mean, you don't sit around staring at each other marveling at how much more saved you are than those heathen who brought satan into their homes in the form of the one-eyed devil?

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

Well, we can't now, we're heathens now, too. ;)

Probably did a bit of that before. ;)

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

just joking...

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

Yep. Run and tell that homeboy.

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

you can also watch streaming content through Netflix on demand

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Yes, I know what you mean APQ. Back when we watched *nothing* at all I can't say we spent more time together. We probably spend more time together now because we aren't doing church all the time.

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

Oh!!!! :gotcha

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In fact, yes!!! I did watch the World Series online but the overall experience wasn't as good as TV.

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

This is an interesting topic. For 7 years, I sat under the man-made idea that TV was bad and would send me to hell. HA! Been watching it for 3 years, not to mention the 20 years prior to the 7 of not watching it, and I'm still here watching it with the same shows as I watched before. Nothing that would cause me to stumble, let alone anyone else.

Funny thing is, some friends who go to one of the strictest UPC churches in the world (in the northeast Dallas suburbs), strangely don't watch TV but watch some of the most questionable shows (like Grey's Anatomy, The Bachelorette/Bachelor, etc.) on their computer. Hmm, what's wrong with this picture? Don't believe in TV in the house but watch shows with subliminal, and oftentimes, filthy content.

I agree that it can be time-consuming, just like anything else that can be. So, to me, it's all about balance and perspective. God knows every intention behind everything we do, and everything we watch and listen to...

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

Yep, back in the day when I wasn't allowed any TV, I was totally addicted to books. I can sit and read for 24 hours straight. But when I'm watching a movie or show, I tend to get bored more easily and want to move on to something else. I think it's because with books, so much is interpreted in the mind and I tend to create the details that are the most interesting to me when interpreting books. With movies and shows, someone else has interpreted and presented those details and its not always to my taste so I lose interest faster. So - I have to watch myself because I can get lost in books and neglect my work, but that never happens with TV. lol

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

Never had it and never plan to have it.
I am not totally ignorant of what is on it, though.
Can you tell me of a show that is decent enough to follow?
I am trying not to be judgemental, but all of the shows that I have heard of are not something I would feel comfortable watching.
Most seem to revolve around immorality or joke about immorality.
Of course, as I stated before, I do not have one.

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

I think everyone here respects your right not to have a TV. Unfortunately, there is a lot of immorality on TV, but there are some good shows too. It's all in what you choose to watch (and to some extent what immorality is to you. If a woman in pants and cut hair is immoral, I guess most of it is immoral.)

Re: Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?
 

I didn't watch ANYTHING for 16 years, but, I read some serial killer books that were pretty awful.