Why you should throw out your TV

[dor]

» “The Secret” and TV: How Watching TV May Help Manifest Violence, Poverty, and General Negativity · Cultivate Greatness | Personal Development | Self-Help & Success Blog | Motivation Blog | Inspiration Blog | Business Blog | Self Help B
Standard TV Diet - Murder, Violence, and Suffering

The News - War, Disaster, and Suffering

Talk shows - Gossip and Slander

Sports - Winners vs. Losers

Commercials - Lack, Need, and Imperfection


The Solution - No TV


I have seen children raised without TV and with and the difference is remarkable (sure there are other factors but there was something a little disturbing about hearing a four year old wanting a particular brand of shoe).

I got rid of my TV years ago - just watch DVDs and use the internet - I don't miss it in the least.

[The David]

I dunno...I was raised on very little TV, and I'm pretty screwed up.

[John Wesley]

I totally agree.

TV is a waste of life. One of my longterm resolutions is to never buy one. Now if only I could avoid my roomate's enormous plasma in the living room.

[dor]

Originally Posted by The David

I dunno...I was raised on very little TV, and I'm pretty screwed up.

....well just imagine if you grew up with more

seriously its not a panacea like anything else but I do think the over all effect is negative.

[SmellyOrc]

I only watch some cool series on tv, like Heroes and Veronica Mars, and thats it. Nothing else. But the fact there's only bullshit soaps and whatnot on tv might be a contributing factor to that....

[Keith]

TV is not completely worthless ; it has some really beneficial informative content. But most of us are too close to it to watch it on our own terms rather than being interrupt-driven by ads and 'must-watch' shows.

IMO, If you're in the habit of watching a lot of TV it's worth just stopping for a month or two, then reviewing it with the benefit of distance. I've often found that just missing ONE episode of a show is enough to realise I'm not really that interested in it.

[cultivategreatness]

Yes, TV is horrendous.

Part of my frustration with this, is that my wife watches ridiculous amount of television.

Maybe I should have named this article, Shoot your TV, but not your Wife? ROFL

[Sirius]

honestly... do it!
it is the best thing you will ever do!!

you have all the time in the world to do all the things you wanted to do!!
i chucked mine out two years ago and have never looked back
i was watching celebrity big brother (crappy reality tv program in UK)
i suddenly wondered what i was doing with my life
and so, i just picked up the TV and walked out the house with it to my bin room! it hasn't and never will return

i have smoked pot, drank and taken all sorts of other drugs

but nothing, i repeat nothing is more worthless than that TV set for ruining your life
and turning your brain into goo....

[Tasaio]

I agree with everyone -- just get rid of your TV!

I was raised on television. I couldn't go by without getting the latest episode of Coronation Street or Xena.

But then I realized how frustrated I was, since I wanted to watch entire storylines at once. Getting snippets of a story in 30-minute segments was maddening for me.

So I stopped watching TV, and started watching DVDs.

For example, I took this week off as my own holiday (I'm working at home), and decided to watch the Babylon 5 series.

So far, it's very good. I highly recommend getting the DVDs (or rent them from Netflix).

The key here is that I couldn't have followed the show if I watched it according to my TV's scheduling -- I need to watch the episodes in order, and all at once, to fully understand it.

There are several benefits of watching DVDs versus TV:

- You're in control; you can watch as little or as much as you want

- Since you can watch the episodes all at once, you don't waste time wondering what's going to happen "next week"; this was something I was very guilty of as a child, since the story was so important to me, I'd often daydream endlessly about how things would turn out

- Since you watch the episodes just once, and in order, you feel that you've "finished" a show, and have no desire to watch reruns

- You can stop anytime you want for a break; you don't have to wait for a commercial

- You don't have to wait *through* a commercial either; all that horrible advertising doesn't exist

- You can save images from the DVD onto your computer (great for wallpapers!)

- Perhaps most importantly, you can choose when and why you watch something; you don't have to let the TV station decide for you

This last point is key, because you're no longer goverened by what's currently "popular". For instance, I understand 24 and Battlestar Galactica are excellent shows. I have never seen an episode of either, and I don't intend to right now -- I'm going to wait until the series finish.

[Elenny]

There's a lot of educational stuff on TV also. It's not all junk. I think it all boils down to discipline. Now I record my "must see" shows on DVR. That way I don't have to wait for commercials, and that saves a lot of time in the long run.

If you watch 10 hours of TV per week, by putting everything on a DVR (or TiVo), you can watch those 10 hours of programming in less than 7. That's 3 extra hours to work on your business or on yourself.

Of course, the other option is to throw yout TV away -- but I find that watching even 30 minutes of TV also relaxes and refreshes me after working long hours, so it has its benefits. At least for some people.

[dor]

well I can't watch TV without cable - and paying for cable means i have to pay for crap like MTV, lifetime, VH1 and so on. I refuse. Perhaps if FIOS and other high speed delivery systems make a pay as you go option -say only subscribe to discovery and history channel and pbs, I would do it. But its easy even for smart people, to get caught up in the mindless crap on TV, though come to think about it there's also lots of mindless crap on the interenet and even on 'productive sites' like this one its easy to get caught up in ultimtimately pointless arguements....

[The David]

Come to think of it, I did watch a fair amount of TV. However, it was regulated very strictly, and did not consume large portions of my time, but many times, someone else was watching it, so it was in the atmosphere a lot.

[Angela]

Originally Posted by dor

even on 'productive sites' like this one its easy to get caught up in ultimtimately pointless arguements....

No, it's not. Ha! just kidding, Dor. When I decided to pull the plug on tv (after sex and the city was cancelled, what was left for me, really?) my cable remained in the wall for Internet connection. But the tv juice continues to pour in, unbidden, even though I'm not paying for it anymore. so...maybe....there is something worth watching..... and it will find it's way to me at some point. I'll tell you what:

I am now intending and manifesting valuable content to present itself to me
via my ghost tv, something I am grateful for (or something better).

Will keep you posted.

[da1prophet]

Originally Posted by dor

well I can't watch TV without cable - and paying for cable means i have to pay for crap like MTV, lifetime, VH1 and so on. I refuse. Perhaps if FIOS and other high speed delivery systems make a pay as you go option -say only subscribe to discovery and history channel and pbs, I would do it. But its easy even for smart people, to get caught up in the mindless crap on TV, though come to think about it there's also lots of mindless crap on the interenet and even on 'productive sites' like this one its easy to get caught up in ultimtimately pointless arguements....

True, but you don't have to *watch* crap like Lifetime and MTV.....

And as far as why you can't "pay as you go" for the cable channels you like, you have the cable industry to thank for that. They've been fighting the drive for "ala carte" cable tooth and nail. They claim that it would hurt smaller, niche oriented cable networks but in reality they're wanting to keep everyone's monthly cable bill as high as possible. Ala carte cable would be a boon for the consumers, in addition to letting people pay for only the networks they want they'd all have to compete with each other qualitatively. That means better programming....

Personally, I think people get too worked up about television in general. Obviously its a real waste of time to just veg in front of the TV watching inane programming. I watch very little TV relative to most people, but particularly with TiVo or a similar DVR service it allows me to watch the programs I enjoy (of which there are two or three) on my schedule. I like to watch the boxing and MMA PPV events, and since I never have time to go out to the movies I enjoy catching them on our cable company's "In Demand" service. I'm a huge film buff, and this way I can see all of the worthwhile movies on my schedule--I may be 3 months behind, but I still see everything worth seeing...

I *could* live without my TV, but its like a lot of other things in life--I could live without most of them, but why should I? The important thing is to remember that you need to control your television watching, in which case it can provide information and entertainment.

[Andrew Brunelle]

It all depends on what you are watching and at what time of day/night. If you stay up late at night watching those manipulative infomercials who know that only people who watch them are insomniacs who are so tired, they'll believe anything and sell you knives that can cut your shoes up or a blender that will supposedly solve all your problems...

I have been in that situation where I have seen these infomercials and thought to myself, "I can't believe how long I've lived without [this product]. I really need it now." But I wait until the next day to "sleep on it." The next day I wake up and think what a ridiculous idea it was to even consider buying freezer bags that are air-tight so there is no freezer burn. I don't even use my freezer.

I am not TV-free, but i did try it for awhile, and then went on to only watching one show a week--South Park, when it was all-new. I'm still not sure if I can go without TV completely, but I am sure I can cut down on my TV viewing habits considerably as there are many other valuable things I could be doing, such as building up my website. So TV is not something I want to rule my life...just something to use once in awhile for worthwhile entertainment.

[dor]

Originally Posted by da1prophet

True, but you don't have to *watch* crap like Lifetime and MTV.....
.

ahh but as the rest of your post indicated, i have to pay for it. and i refuse. there is already enough things i am forced to pay which i do not support.

[renie408]

Nah. I like TV. I even like CRAP on TV. Hell, I am even raising my kids to watch TV. One of them is at the head of his class, is going to a ten day leadership conference in DC this summer for uber students, is in all the smart kid clubs and in Who's Who, etc. The other one homeshools, is 11 years old and is chewing through geometry, algebra, American History and every other subject at a rate that has us working at a level at least one grade ahead of where she 'should' be and, in some cases, two grades levels ahead.

Hey, if they didn't watch TV, do you think they might glow in the dark or something??

People, a TV is a thing that spits out information and prepackaged entertainment. Your brain does not have to dissolve if it is exposed to TV. If you choose not to watch it, fine. But PLEASE don't assume any superiority from that decision.

[Angela]

Originally Posted by Angela

I am now intending and manifesting valuable content to present itself to me
via my ghost tv, something I am grateful for (or something better).

Will keep you posted.

It worked! When I got home from class last night, I turned on the tv intending to invoke the above manifestation and Poof! I catch the last 15 minutes of Kung Fu (guest star: the very young Don Johnson in brown Indian make-up!)

Master Po says to Kwai Chang Caine:

'As the softest clay in time becomes the hardest brick - a fragile leaf, a diamond. As a stream of fiery ore freezes into unbending iron. So, too, may a man ascend to himself.... By slowly forging the Ch'i within yourself, the bond between the finite and the infinite, the inner essence of your spirit and the limitless power of the universe.... You will have found your strength and the source of your survival. You will be free.'"

Interestingly, my instructor last night introduced the subject of "The Secret" and nearly everyone in the class expressed enthusiastic regard for it! The instructor happens to work at the Agape Center, founded by Dr. Michael Beckwith of "The Secret" Hmmmm......

[trekr5]

I don't have a telly and don't watch it

Thank god for the internet and google

[John Hill]

I wrote about my experience with tv as a kid on my blog in an article called "no more tv", the link is below.

John

[Mayo]

Seriously, TV today is going to the shed... for serious people (^_^).

If you need news to make money... you have specialized 24/7/366 pre-paid services, on-line versions of newspapers, on-line tv news and channels (with enough trash if not even more... (^_^)=)

For example, what i need to watch is documentaries, science news ... and lots of comedy programs... (^_^)

If you want to make it in this world you should concentrate more on acting than being the spectator of that act...

[Neblasian]

Watching too much tv in the past is one of the main reason I'm on this site . lol

[marko_tomas13]

I think that the TV is just a waste of life. I limit intake to about 5 hours per week which consists of an episode of Prison Break, House and one hockey game I want to see that week.

Other than that I try to avoid it completely. Video games seem to fall into this bracket as well for me but for others they seem to be stress relief.

[LifeFirst]

24> Prison Break


24 is the only thing I ever watch on the TV. And sometimes