Anyone else TV-free?

[chickenannie]

I should mention that I USED to watch a lot of TV.

Now that I haven't had TV for 3 years, when I see it again, if I'm at my mom's house, I am struck with how unfunny the jokes are on sitcoms, and how boring and repetitive a lot of the dialogue is, or how many commercials are on. I don't know what changed, but the TV shows just don't hold my attention anymore -- except for movies.

And the news! So many channels have 4-5 things happening simultaneously that I can't process all the information -- maybe it's just me, but the text line running across the bottom of the screen, the 3 or 4 windows of information, the sound of those overly-loud and overly-confident newspersons' voices -- now it comes across as loud, hyper shouting covered up with a lot of glitzy imagery. I'd rather read the newspaper.

 

[newchickwi]

We are almost TV free. We have a rotary antenna that picks up some channels sometimes when the weather is just right! And when everything is High Def in 2009, I suppose ours will be dedicated only to DVD watching (thank you Netflix! The person living-in-the-middle-of-nowhere's best movie friend!).

I am worried, however, about my folks when they come to visit this summer. We get our news from NPR and various sources online, and it freaks them out that we don't have the boob-toob on 24/7...

 

[nccountrygirl]

I have 3 tv's but never watch much, I'm always on here.

 

[chickenannie]

I think people who have the TV on a lot suffer some sort of anxiety when they're in a place where they're not going to be able (gasp) to even HAVE a TV available.

I used to feel that way. And it wasn't like I was always watching good programming. I watched so many reruns and so much junk and commercials and stuff I didn't even really want to watch, it was just there. It's not till you get rid of TV that you realize how unnecessary TV is.

I was not able to control my TV watching when I had one, so I commend all of you who own one but hardly watch it at all.

 

[Stormhorse23]

I watch a movie here and there, but not much...I'd rather be riding

 

[banditgin]

we have tvs but we don't have any service to the tvs. we just watch videos/dvds. Most of the time if the tv is on, its for background noise.

 

[ridgefire]

We have a few TVs. When they are on its mostly background noise. I do look at it once in awhile if I hear something interesting, which sadly lately I don't look up that much.
We it leave it on the history channel or the food channel.

We do have TVs at each station at work. If its really slow I admit I watch it. I guess that's why I'm so indifferent at home if we have TV or not.

 

[naturemom]

We used to be mostly TV-free (no cable, dish, or antenna, just an occasional movie) and I miss it. Now we live with my in-laws, which is wonderful in many ways, but I can't stand how much they have to have the TV on. Besides the fact that it's irritating to me to have to listen to the constant din of the TV, I have to constantly remind them that it is not ok to watch the news (or a great many other things) with my young children around, and if they want to watch something that is not child-appropriate they should do it in their own room. I love it when they go out for the evening and the house is quiet.
On the other hand, there have been a couple of times when my dd was throwing up at night and grandma has taken her downstairs and watched animal planet with her while I slept-can't complain about that!

 

[NS2A]

This is a pretty funny thread actually. Instead of watching TV, people are on the internet. Really, it's just trading one thing for something similiar.

 

[frankenchick]

We gave TV up for Lent in 1991 and never needed it back. There's too much to do to waste time in front of the boob tube!

If I continued to watch TV like I did before that, I might not have learned to
knit
quilt
speak Spanish
raise chickens (!!)
make bread
cross stitch
make cards
make cheese
do massage therapy
follow world events
keep a garden
can food

and probably a lot of other things!