I finally got rid of my TV

[oldhat]

Yesterday I hauled my TV, a 26-inch, 1998-vintage behemoth, to the recycling center. This was in the nature of a symbolic victory for me, since I’ve given up television in stages. When I moved into my present apartment six years ago, I decided not to sign up for cable and see how that went. I rarely missed it, and I certainly didn’t miss paying for it. (I estimate that during that time I saved at least $3,000 by not having cable.) When broadcast went digital, I declined to get a converter box for my analog set. By that time I was rarely watching broadcast TV anyway because of the incessant and insufferable commercials; I’d mostly gone to online and DVDs.

Nevertheless, I still felt like television was a pernicious, time-wasting influence in my life. It was much too easy, coming home tired after a day at work, to just plunk down in front the TV (or my laptop) and zone out for hours. So at the start of the year I decided to go on a complete video fast—TV shows, DVD movies, streaming online, whatever—for at least one year.

Four months in, it’s going extremely well. In terms of time, it’s like adding an extra day to your week. I haven’t had much temptation to backslide, but I figure getting rid of the television set itself will lessen the chances of slipping back into old habits when the year is up.

[Nella]

Interesting post. I, too, have been trying to start the process of going T.V.-less. I've cut down considerably the amount of time that I watch T.V. and have only the most basic cable. I called the cable company to have the cable disconnected, but it's tied to my internet service. Can you believe that if I cut out the cost of the cable T.V., the cost of my internet connection would then go up to more than it would be if I just kept my current bundled service! Outrageous!

Anyway, when I move to Virginia in June for graduate school I'm not going to have the cable T.V. connected. I figure my grades will be better without the distraction. I'll still needed internet access and I will bring my television and use it for playiing DVDs. I do love old corny movies, and when I do have time to relax, that's one of my favorite pursuits. Especially while I'm sewing I love to have old muscial DVDs playing. Once I'm back to Colorado I expect not to have the cable reinstalled. It has been a process. I don't watch any new programs that come out and I've quit watching the news altogether. I'm not sure I could just go cold turkey, but I'm making slow but sure progress.

[SteveinMN]

Congratulations on your victory, oldhat! I understand what you mean by zoning out -- it is too easy. I prefer to spend my time on my laptop (some video, no movies or TV), but I realize it can be a similar distraction. My wife and I have a couple of shows we watch early in the evening, but they're syndicated so it is possible to view the opening of the show and determine we've seen it a few times now. That's when the TV goes off. Sure could be easier to leave it on, though...

[SteveinMN]

Can you believe that if I cut out the cost of the cable T.V., the cost of my internet connection would then go up to more than it would be if I just kept my current bundled service!
Same here. The basic "you-must-offer-this-minimal-level" cable and cable Internet is cheaper than just cable Internet. At least they don't mandate how much of the cable we have to use! :)

[Florence]

We live out in the country and do not have cable access. We were here 8 years before I decided to try satellite television. It has been a total waste of money. I thought when I retired last May that I would be bored and lonely and tv would be something to do. Well, I haven't been bored, lonely, or in need of television as a distraction at all. As soon as the contract expires, it gets cancelled! I do enjoy Netflix so I don't want to get rid of the set though.

[artist]

Welcome to the land of NO TV.... : ) I can't tell you how freeing it has been for my husband and I to rid ourselves of the set. We've been tv free completely for well over a year now and can't imaging ever wanting to go back.

[fidgiegirl]

We are inadvertently TV free here, too, but it took our move to do it. DH loves to tell the story of "breaking up" with DirecTV - says it was like he wanted to divorce them or something! Anyway, we haven't bothered to hook up our set again, even though we still have it and the converter boxes. But I think we probably will, even though I'm enjoying life without. DH really likes to watch news in the morning. Interesting, because I hate it, and then he leaves for work and leaves the TV going. I grew up with a TV as CONSTANT, I mean CONSTANT background noise and HATE IT.

[Tradd]

I've been TV-free for 8.5 years. I did it in stages, as well. First going without cable, then down to one favorite show, etc. I do occasionally get DVDs from the library that I watch on my computer (I own a handful of DVDs), or I'll watch specific shows on the PBS website, Downton Abbey, American Experience, etc.

I find good radio, such as NPR, fills in the gap nicely.

[creaker]

I have a Roku box and I haven't tired of that yet, so the TV will be around for a bit. I am radioless though - no car (so no car radio), I either stream music off the internet or play my own, and stream NPR.

[lizii]

I haven't watched TV for at least 30 years now, I can use my computer to review old movies, history, etc. all afternoon and evening.

[Tussiemussies]

I had given up Tv for a few years then went back for awhile,I am back now to no Tv. Too many of the shows seem too negative or too contrived. Also in my energy studies Tv itself as an appliance gives off a lot of negative energy. I feel much better without it since I am sensitive to these things.

Congratulations to all here who have given up their TV's

[artist]

I find NPR to be a nice gap filler as well. To be honest I often got annoyed that I would hear a news story on NPR one or two days before it made our local tv news. So I know I'm not missing anything.



I've been TV-free for 8.5 years. I did it in stages, as well. First going without cable, then down to one favorite show, etc. I do occasionally get DVDs from the library that I watch on my computer (I own a handful of DVDs), or I'll watch specific shows on the PBS website, Downton Abbey, American Experience, etc.

I find good radio, such as NPR, fills in the gap nicely.

[Gregg]

Also in my energy studies Tv itself as an appliance gives off a lot of negative energy. I feel much better without it since I am sensitive to these things.

I'm curious what you've learned from your observations Tussiemussies. A long time ago we lived for a short time in a house close to a high tension power line. It was a large line, but at the time it was a 'supplemental transmission line'. In essence the power company only used it when demand was so high that they needed to move more power than the main lines would carry, mostly in air conditioning season. I'm telling you I could feel something when the electricity started moving through those lines. I also noticed that the trees growing close to the lines just seemed to be a little stunted compared to those a mile or two away. That was a very unscientific observation and could have been a case of me just wanting to support my hypothesis, but there's no doubt about my own sensitivity to that energy.

[Tussiemussies]

Hi Gregg, Well I think what you were experiencing with the high tension power line is what they call -- electromagnetic pollution. You can do a search on google and read up on it. The way it was explained to me is that (it does include electrical appliances also) the electricity's rate of the ac current is ossolating at a different rate than our body's natural current. If you are around any appliance or high tension wires for a long length of time your body's current starts to match the current of the electricity of the appliance. They make recommendations such as not sleeping with an electric blanket, keeping your alarm clock at least 6 feet away from your bed and to never live under high tension wires. There is speculation that illnesses can be caused from long-term exposure.

I am really sensitive to these things, I know of someone who is really sensitive to all the wireless energy in the air and they moved to North Vermont, Vermont was recently named the healthiest state in the country.

Anyway for health reasons I meditate for long periods of time daily when I was taking a break I would feel very strong, I would turn on the Tv for a break and after about 10 minutes I would feel weak. This kept going on, so I asked the Organization I am learning the meditation technique and other spiritual therapies from, and they are the ones who told me that a lot of negative energy comes from the Tv.

They are not the ones who told me about electromagnetic pollution,I have been reading about it and hearing about that from different sources-- not spiritual ones.

There may be a lot of great feedback in starting a thread on electromagnetic pollution here on SLF. :)

[Gregg]

Thanks Tussiemussies. I'm reasonably up to speed on EMFs (electromagnetic fields) as they relate to power lines, sub-stations, etc. Of course the utility industry will tell you not to worry. My experience when the lines near our old house were in use sounds similar to your experience with the TV, a general energy drain that would get worse as the lines were in use for longer periods of time and dissipate when they were not. For clarity I will say that these lines were at least 100 yards from the house, we were close, but not living right under them. It's interesting that people have different levels of sensitivity to the various conditions that develop in our society. I've always considered the people who are most sensitive to be the canaries in the coal mine who the rest of us should be paying more attention to! Time to turn off my monitor now...

[bunnys]

Your no TV, no streaming video is is very impressive.

I kind of have a story like that but not quite so much.

Two and a half years ago I took a 2% pay cut. I am a school teacher. I decided to make up for the pay cut by canceling cable. I thought I'd just go get some of those coverter boxes for my 2 old TV's but when I saw they were $40. each, I decided to just wait until Christmas when I'd buy a new TV. Well, 3 months in, I decided to ditch the old TVs and never bought a new TV.

Now, I just stream the news online and occasionally watch some PBS or History channel show online. Most Sundays I also stream Meet the Press. The last network TV show I watched was the first episode of Grimm last fall (I streamed it.) Before that the last show I watched was the first 20 minutes of the first episode of Desperate Housewives. So it wasn't like I was watching a whole lot of TV to begin with.

I am so much happier without TV. Although, I agree, paying for Internet and not getting cable, while not more expensive for me, isn't any cheaper either. However, I don't have a contract like I would if I bundled it.

Sometimes I think I should get a TV and get cable again. But I quickly remember I didn't like it that much anyway so I'm not missing anything.

The thing I've found really weird, is in the past year I have listened to virtually NO MUSIC. And I mean none. I was never one who spent much money on music and I never owned an IPod but now when I turn on the radio, I listen to less than one song and I'm like TURN IT OFF. It's so annoying. I was never a fan of Jazz or Classical. Just a child of the 70's who listened to Rock and Roll music (many genres.) But now I can't stand any music. Weird...

Congrats to all who have given up TV in any capacity.

[frugal-one]

bunnys... I too am not that into music. I only listen to it in the car... otherwise I enjoy the quiet.

[Spartana]

Time to turn off my monitor now...

I don't seem to be too sensitive to electro magnetic stuff (but then I haven't ever lived near powerlines) but I am uber sensitive to computer monitors. Whenever I use a computer - even with a filtering thingie over the screen to cut down glare - my face turns beet red afterwards. It eventually fades and leaves no after effects like a sun or wind burn would. Always happened so I finally looked it up (on-line of course :-)!) and there was a study done in Sweden about it. Apparently us fair haired, fair skinned nordic types react to the ions emitted off the computer screens and turns us into cooked lobsters. kind of crazy but doesn't seem to have long term consequenses (that they know of). But walking around looking like a healing burn victim for a few hours isn't much fun. Doesn't seem to do it on the laptop though - at least not as badly.

I am also semi-TV free. I don't have cable but do have an antenna to get local TV. However, I only turn the TV on about once or twice a week (very addictive to me) - mainly to catch up on news and world events. I also don't have home internet access (use my laptop at the library) so only spend a small amount of time on-line as well. Don't stream videos (and have no idea how too) but do occasionally rent DVDs to watch movies.

[Lainey]

frugal one and bunnys - I'm another one who rarely listens to music outside of my daily commute. I also like the quiet much more, so unless it's Christmas carols or something special, it's quiet in my house.
Can't fathom having an earpiece in and constantly having music/podcast/whatever streaming into my ear canal. Yikes.

[liquid]

I keep my tv mainly for playing games or watching dvds but since I don't have cable, I'm beginning to think if it's necessary to even keep a tv around.

[nocar]

Wow congrats!
I've been TV free now for about a year and can't imagine going back. I was housesitting recently & decided to watch some TV--oh my gosh it all annoyed the crap out of me! Commercials are the worst--and there are soooo many of them! bah!

[Fawn]

Congrats to all above who are TV free and loving it.

I have been TV free for 10 years, raising 3 kids w/o it. I think that there have been huge benefits for me and kiddos. And like above posters, I find that I listen to music less and less. I really enjoy the quiet. My thoughts are more calm and forgiving and I wonder if there isn't something to the "entrainment" theories.