Cut Out Television

[Amadeus]

This is an interesting article I found on The Simple Dollar about quitting television all together.

[eblight]

A well thought through article. Not watching TV also takes you out of the mind set of the world of negativity that portrays violence as a big part of its programming.

[CoolStuff]

Yeah you explored the reasons good. I barely watch TV. I might watch a movie, or go out to watch one on a social level, but barely watch TV anymore.

[supertom]

yes this is what im doing now, also i remember abraham saying "tv controls your vibrations"

I only watch lost supernatural terminator and stargate

[openeyes]

Since I went off to college a few years ago the only time I've watched much tv is when I visit my parents, as I'm doing for a few months right now since I just graduated in December and am helping take care of things a bit. When I do watch anything here, it's largely programs from the Travel Channel (giving me an idea of places I'd like to visit), Science, Discovery/Discovery Health, and National Geographic, recorded via a DVR so I can skip the commercials and only watch tv when there's nothing else I feel like doing. Netflix has been good for watching various foreign and silent films as well, though I don't make much time for it right now. I don't see all tv as evil, just that there are so many other worthwhile things to do most of the time, even if it's simply taking a nap

[Power]

On the side note, don't replace watching tv and then start something that won't develop yourself, you might as well go back and watch tv.

Like at one point in time when I stop watching tv, I found myself surfing the internet alot more and was wasting my time... come on, admit it, your guilty of youtubing couple of hours

[Toefur]

There are a great many people out there that would do well to follow the wise advice in your article.

I just can't fathom the time people waste just sitting there watching whatever worthless trash happens to be on at the moment.

[JimOfferman]

I too felt that TV was a negative influence in my life, for many of the reasons that the author of the article mentions. I canceled my cable subscription almost a year ago now (kept the TV for playing video games, though) and it's really worked... so the idiot box stays out!

I still watch a few TV shows over the internet, but only the ones that I really enjoy... which is 1 maybe 2 shows a week, instead of a couple every night.

[Rose of Cairo]

I have a bit of a hard time imagining how someone can watch TV.

That's because I grew up without TV and never had one. When I bought my first PC a few years ago, I was given a TV card for my PC. I was very happy to discover TV, since I thought I had missed something great for years. So I began watching a lot of TV on my PC, and was very disappointed.

I really enjoyed watching documentaries about nature and animals. From time to time there were good movies on some channels (but you can see them online, on DVDs or at the cinema too). Most of what I saw was emotionally draining, violent, boring, pointless or just plain stupid. So I threw the TV card away and don't miss anything.

Maybe if I had grown up with TV every day, that would be different? To me it looks more like TV is an addiction than a meaningful hobby.

[Joely]

I haven't even had a TV in my house for four years now. If I see TV at bars or other people's houses, I find it a very weird experience.

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by Rose of Cairo

Maybe if I had grown up with TV every day, that would be different?

Not necessarily. I grew up watching TV every day, but nowadays I don't watch it except on rare occasion for shows like the Apprentice which comes on once a week. Even then, since I don't have cable, I watch it via the internet. Otherwise, I find watching TV a huge waste of time.

[Dave Kaminski]

Turned off my cable last month, sold my last XBox 2 weeks ago. So glad I did it - find myself with free time and using the free time well.

Peace of mind > Shock and Awe on TV.

Granted, all I watched were the History channel, Travel Channel, ESPN and Adult Swim, It was still on as background noise instead of giving myself full focus on whatever task was at hand.

[gettingskinny]

I want a no tv house, but the rest of my family isn't there yet...

[EnduranceNinja]

I have been trying to cut TV time. But I find I use TV more for background noise. I guess I am not yet use to the silence. I do have cable which has music channels and so much of my day I put music on the TV. I have to admit being a rock metal music fan I am enjoying the soothing music of new age. In the middle of the day we have a no tv or music only time whih is very nice. And like many of you we have our shows. I am a huge DVD collector too. I am trying to get away from reality violence you know caught on tape fights robbings, etc. That stuff is unhealthy to watch.

[gettingskinny]

Originally Posted by EnduranceNinja

I have been trying to cut TV time. But I find I use TV more for background noise. I guess I am not yet use to the silence. I do have cable which has music channels and so much of my day I put music on the TV. I have to admit being a rock metal music fan I am enjoying the soothing music of new age. In the middle of the day we have a no tv or music only time whih is very nice. And like many of you we have our shows. I am a huge DVD collector too. I am trying to get away from reality violence you know caught on tape fights robbings, etc. That stuff is unhealthy to watch.

Well, looking at your siggy, I can see you really do like movies. I love movies too. That's my part in not going tv free.

[Marshall]

My parents got rid of our TVs when I was a kid. I don't recall exactly how long we didn't have one. I do remember being glued to the TV whenever I went to a friend's house and was allowed to watch something.

Eventually we got another TV and slowly built up our movie collection. At first, I watched TV whenever I could because it was such a new, cool experience. Gradually, however, the novelty wore off. Now I rarely watch any television or movies, the main exception being when it's for social reasons. Even then I find myself feeling that we're wasting our time.

As television watchers, we tend to run out of time to do things that should be important to us. But in addition to freeing up extra time, dropping the TV habits forces us to think of more imaginative leisure activities.

As I think Steve said, cutting out television is right up there with becoming an early riser.

The TV is great until you realize how much you can actually do instead. For all you who don't want to do it because you really think you love TV, I'd suggest the 30 trail approach. But don't just cut it out; think of something else to do to replace the time spent with the TV. If you don’t consciously gain another good habit, you will probably unconsciously waste the extra time and brain power.

It’s all about opportunity costs.

[thecubemonkey]

Great thread. I wrote about this in my blog during the Hollywood writers strike.

It's amazing how much time TV sucks from your life!!

[jamestl2]

Maybe if I show this article to my family, it will cut down their TV addiction,

Thanks for the link

[Spartan]

To those who have cut out television, what do you do with the free time that's now available to you?

Also, don't people think television is a good learning tool? It teaches us about society, different cultures, ideologies, science, politics, religion, human behaviour, historical/current events etc. It also adds humour to our lives, and connects people from accross the globe by making other cultures accessible. How many cultural gaps have shows like The Simpsons bridged? Without television, America wouldn't be half as prominent in the world as it is. Furthermore television opens our eyes to what is really going on on the world - without television to show us struggling third world countries, do you think there would be the same amount of pressure on businesses to act ethically?

[seeker5]

Also, don't people think television is a good learning tool?

It can be used as a tool, but it's mostly used for mindless "feel what we want you to feel, buy what we want you to buy" type of command.

[gettingskinny]

I do have to say that when my kids watch Super Readers and Word World, they get into learning the reading and afterwards they pretend play with things from those shows in a positive way. It's the only thing they watch that I see this with.

[Joely]

Originally Posted by Spartan

To those who have cut out television, what do you do with the free time that's now available to you?

Also, don't people think television is a good learning tool? It teaches us about society, different cultures, ideologies, science, politics, religion, human behaviour, historical/current events etc. It also adds humour to our lives, and connects people from accross the globe by making other cultures accessible. How many cultural gaps have shows like The Simpsons bridged? Without television, America wouldn't be half as prominent in the world as it is. Furthermore television opens our eyes to what is really going on on the world - without television to show us struggling third world countries, do you think there would be the same amount of pressure on businesses to act ethically?

The story goes that when I first moved here I had no money, so I didn't buy a TV. For a long time I didn't have time for a TV - I was a full time doctoral student, working a full time job with extra hours each day, and I was writing in the evening. That's how I managed to write nine books in two years, and finish my thesis.

When I eventually had money, I just didn't buy one because it didn't seem necessary. I miss programmes like Horizon and Dispatches, but if I want to study a subject, I can always go read books about it in the library. I read newspapers online, which keep me up to date with events whilst remembering that everything they say is intensely biased one way or another.

I wouldn't take a hugely political stance against TV saying it's all bad and we should get rid of it for good. I just find other ways to get all the things that TV provides elsewhere, but without the need to watch endless commercials for things I don't want or need. There are, after all, billions of people living on this planet with no access to a TV. They haven't even seen a TV in their entire lives. For them, a wind-up radio is the equivalent of owning a Lear jet. In the world as a whole, TV ownership is a massive luxury item.

[jonarmis]

16 years ago when my first son was born I turned off the tv, mostly because of the violence that I saw.

Now with two sons older (16 & 9) - I can say it is the best thing I could have done. My family gets to spend lots of quality time - and neither kid has ever begged me for something they saw on tv.

hehe

But I guess it is up to the individual how they make that call!

Best

JA

[openeyes]

Originally Posted by Spartan

Also, don't people think television is a good learning tool?

That's one of the main things I use it for at this point. A couple days ago I watched a dvd on Yellowstone National Park, a place my girlfriend and I are thinking about visiting on a roadtrip, and in a day or two I should be getting another video on Burning Man for the same reason.

Also I go onto Netflix and queue up videos done in spanish, french, and mandarin (mostly spanish right now) to work on/maintain my comprehension of them, as I've studied all three in school. I'm far from fluent in any of them, but plan to get there in at least spanish.

Lately I've noticed my use of tv and internet decreasing as I switch to less electronic/more active pursuits, and much of what time I do spend online ends up being directed towards facilitating what I do offline.

Whenever I find myself reading/watching/consuming anything that doesn't help me be who I choose to be (with the occasional exception allowed), I stop and switch to something else, even when that means doing nothing for a little while.