TV - would you go without?

[kiwi_OT]

Would anyone here consider giving up television?

Im not married and I dont have children, but I listen to a lot of Moms at work about how much of a nightmare it is getting their kids away from the tv. And Ive been thinking about it for a while and I had a bit of a revelation about it.
Im getting increasingly appauled by the content thats being shown on our tv here in NZ. Majority of it comes from the US (no offense). And its not just about content. How many times do we come home from a hard day at work, grumble at our other half and go straight for the tv remote?
The western world is always moaning about not having enough time in our day. Has anyone ever considered how much we could grow and save time for way better things and activities if we just got rid of them in our homes?

Who here can actually say they can go an entire month without tv? I doubt the numbers.
Im not talking about being isolated from the world and whats going on, theres newspapers and word of mouth, and the radio etc. Im not even saying give up movies, cos movies are a 2 hour time block and when its over its over and you go and do your next thing. But tv is now continuous, and cable is even worse - non stop with only one commercial!!

No wonder New Zealand and the United States lead the world in obesity statistics.

So give me your opinion, would you actually do it? Would a group of us actually consider a trial of doing this?

My opinion is this, Im a student so I only watch 1-3 hours of tv a week anyway, but Im a heavy laptop user (skype, facebook and Word mainly oh and CC ). But what my boyfriend and I have considered (given the right context lol), is that we will start off without a tv at all. We'd still have a 'entertainment' area for a nice stereo and projector system for movies.

Whats peoples thoughts?

Would you do it?

 

[NodMyHeadLikeYeah]

I was horrified when i read the title of this thread!! Just the thought of going without a t.v. is giving me anxiety!! lol I love t.v!
I agree with you, The filth that is on t.v. is getting worse, and your right, its all coming from the u.s.

 

[NewBelieverofChrist]

I think this is a great idea, we should be focused more on God and not on the world. The only TV I watch right now is when my team is playing(Orlando Magic), but other than that, I can't stand listening to the nonsense.

 

[Matthew]

I would definetly give up TV, I almost have without intending too because I flick through the 100+ channels and there is just rubbish, not even 'bad' stuff that is crude or vulgar but just the type of programming that to me has absolutely no value, like two old women cleaning other people's houses if they choose to live in filth, let them.

I use my TV for watching the news sometimes but I get more of that from the internet anyway so I wouldn't miss it at all, other than that it's the occasional football match so that probably adds up to 5-6 hours a month, any TV shows I want to see I generally wait and watch them on DVD just so they aren't blighted by commercial breaks and banner adverts during broadcast.

In truth my TV is only kept so I can watch DVD's, I would simply not allow my children to watch TV at their own discretion like I was able too, there are so many bad messages that as a parent I'd be fighting against it to get the right message across, and I imagine that's hard enough to achieve, most households would be much improved if they at least used their TV a lot less.

 

[nanabean]

I am quite sure I COULD go without tv for a good long while. There are stretches where I DO go without watching tv......and then other times I watch a bit more. I really enjoy The Bonnie Hunt Show every morning and that would probably be one of the hardest things to go without. I also love Dancing with the Stars and that is twice a week for several weeks running twice a year. My hubby and I truly enjoy Wheel of Fortune every weeknight together and even tape it when one or the other of us or both cannot be here to watch it, then watch it together later. Other than these three programs.....I could take it or leave it!!! Sooooooo...... I already don't watch tv during weekends...... and there may be certain times of the year it might be easier to give up tv!! (like.....summer??..I'm thinking reruns anyways.....)

 

[lightbliss]

I could live without television (although its not the bane of my existence), but I need my laptop w. internet.

 

[Maddog]

I would definetly give up TV, I almost have without intending too because I flick through the 100+ channels and there is just rubbish

100 channels? Blummin eck. I tire of the 4 channels that we've got.

In all honesty, I do quite enjoy some television programmes but the BBC has certainly gone down hill over the past decade. They no longer behave as a public service broadcaster should and seem to be too concerned with ratings (which shouldn't be their concern). I also much preferred the 9 o'clock news, as then it wasn't too late to start watching the film afterwards (or one could change over to ITV and watch the news from a different slant). These days broadcasters seem to think we're all insomniacs judging from the time they put films on now.

When I go on holiday or somewhere otherwise without television, I don't miss it at all. Therefore, when I live on my own I'm not going to have a television, partly because I just don't want to give the Beeb any of my money. If I do have a television, it will be an analogue one (by this time the signal will have been switched off). That way I can still play on my Playstation without the telly licence people banging on my door.

 

[mrpower]

Those with self control for themselves, and diligence with what their children watch should have no fear of TV.
Should being the word here. But the problem is.. TV is an input method that unless your constantly paying attention when you watch, heaps of subliminal, and not so subliminal garbage can slip through.
Clearly it's easy to turn it off when it's violence, sex, etc.
But what about dodgey "ethics" portrayed on television that are within western shows?
The constant glorification of material posessions?
Obviously the list of dookie could go on and on..
I suppose I just seen TV as a man I neither know, nor trust, sitting in my living room constantly talking. And whilst I could listen in the hopes of hearing the odd piece of excellence that passes his lips, Id sooner as not have to block out the near constant rubbish or asking him to be quiet whenever he said something i didnt like.
I figure, why not just leave tv all together.
Now, i know this is a big thing for most people. Myself, I dont have a tv connected to cable or free to air TV as I dont like being subjected to whatever and whenever the standardised viewing gods have decreed.
So instead, I simply download anything I want to watch.
Now before I hear the arguement of.. thats illegal.. I would say to you.. anything that is on TV is already being shown free to air so there is no theft involved.
This way instead of just sitting down and "seeing what's on" you can choose what you want to watch for you and your family, when you want to watch it without having to conform to standard timeslots or wonder whether or not garbage will appear on the TV at any given moment.

 

[Matthew]

100 channels? Blummin eck. I tire of the 4 channels that we've got.

I have only had Sky for a few months but believe me it is the biggest waste of money ever.

Most of those channels are just repeats, there is endless repetiton or simply foreign versions of UK shows, for example, we've got More4 which airs Wife Swap USA, so instead of crazy British families you can see the American ones, there is nothing new to watch. it's just dressed up a little differently.

Honestly even having those extra channels I rarely go beyond the basic channels I had before, and like you said the BBC isn't what it used to be or what it should be, like I said the news is about it for me, maybe a documentary but the BBC is sadly lacking in that department these days as well, apparently Strictly Come Dancing is a better use of the license fee.

 

[resurrection33]

I think I would have difficulty getting along without TV.

 

[kiwi_OT]

I figure, why not just leave tv all together.
Now, i know this is a big thing for most people. Myself, I dont have a tv connected to cable or free to air TV as I dont like being subjected to whatever and whenever the standardised viewing gods have decreed.
So instead, I simply download anything I want to watch.
Now before I hear the arguement of.. thats illegal.. I would say to you.. anything that is on TV is already being shown free to air so there is no theft involved.
This way instead of just sitting down and "seeing what's on" you can choose what you want to watch for you and your family, when you want to watch it without having to conform to standard timeslots or wonder whether or not garbage will appear on the TV at any given moment.

Yes! I completely agree with this. My boyfriend is a tech genuis so I know he would set up a really decent projector system. We also have a website called www.tvnz.co.nz which has episodes and movies which we can freely and legally watch online, so what I would do is pick the programmes I want or allow and play them through the computor to projector. The downside to that is the huge internet usage bills I know Id get. Also dvds and box sets are a good idea. I do not believe in total isolation from movies and media, our children will face it eventually and form their own opinion.
The internet today has become incrediably powerful and although a lot of bad stuff comes out of it, if we have the smarts, we can manipulate the sytem to provide for ourselves a certain level of control over what we watch (of course if you have addictions involving the internet, just ignore what I said and avoid it full stop).

Keep the thoughts comming guys!

 

[RubberDuckie]

My family doesn't have tv. (= As a matter of fact, we just watch the stuff we like online, like movies or our tv shows.(which are very few) they have no commercials so you don't see any nasty commercials or garbage advertised. I never liked tv any way...it's a waste of time.

 

[ChristianTeen]

I could and have given up television a few times. I barely watch it now, due to the fact that i'm always so busy. The longest i've intentionally gone without television was six weeks. it provided my family and i with more 'family time' and we did a lot more things together. When we resumed our television-watching, our family things slowly dwindled. We don't watch a ton of television, although the TV goes on right after dinner at six and usually doesn't go off until ten or later.

 

[sportygirl]

Honestly I dont watch my actual TV...I watch movies and I watch THe office online..but thats it. I don't really care about anything else that is on TV, I should probably watch the news considering my future career choice, but I dont even do that.

 

[grace]

Interestingly enough...about two weeks ago I just cancelled my cable. Soooo, for probably a good long while there will be no TV watching in this house. I have always been the sort of mom that has encouraged my kids to play a lot...build puzzles, legos, crafts....so they are not complaining too much. We do have some dvd's and when we to redbox something it will be a real treat and not something they take for granted. Best decision I made in a long time.

 

[christiancollegegirl]

It wouldn't be too hard to go without tv. maybe at first, but it would get easier after a while. I can watch NCIS or CSI Miami online anytime. I would miss JCTV, though.

 

[Narn]

I own a Tv but its not hooked up and it has been like that since I moved here 4 months ago. Somehow I have gotten along and frankly I don't miss it. I will put a DVD in every once in a while.

 

[Wootie]

I think-let's cut off the cable-hook up the dvd/vcr & let them watch what we prefer for them to learn. There are enough christian movies and stuff to occupy their minds. Maybe that would also break them from wanting to become a couch potatoe too.

 

[shanaynay-deleted]

Could I keep my WII?

 

[glenwood74]

I say kill em all. Smash every tube. Put the plasma back into the donors where it belongs. Let's use all the satellites for space exploration in lieu of the endless, mindless trivial garbage. Let's forget the soap operas and create some drama of our own (most of us are really good at that anyways). Let's restore the family dinner, where people in the same house actually conversed about what was happening in their lives. Dare I mention a little family bible study as a post-dinner activity. This is truly the greatest trick the devil ever pulled. To take vast societies of close-quarter living, which should be a haven for community and fellowship, and separate each individual with electronic witchcraft so that we all shrink into our own private little virtual lives and avoid the world of the actual. Maybe Tyler Durden had the right idea.....