Can Your Life Be Richer Without TV?

[houston]

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.

[MissBrattified]

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.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by missourimary

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.

Netflix looks like a good deal at 8$ a month

[ILG]

Originally Posted by NotforSale

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.

Can you watch those online?

[ILG]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

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".)

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

[ILG]

Originally Posted by houston

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.

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

[ILG]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

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 it's 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.

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.

[Sister Alvear]

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

[houston]

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

[ILG]

Originally Posted by Sister Alvear

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

???