I haven't had a TV for nearly three years now.

[SheilaT]

It was partly a financial decision -- had moved to a new state and didn't want to purchase a TV nor spend the money for cable or satellite hook-up -- and partly based on there being no good place to put one in the small apartment I rented. I decided to view it as an experiment, not a permanent choice. But the longer I go without, the less likely I ever will be to get one again. The main reason? The ads.

When I'm visiting someone and the TV is on, or if I'm in a motel on a trip and I turn on the TV, I find the many advertising interruptions to be incredibly annoying. I can watch most of the shows I want to see over the internet, and there will be a couple of twenty-second ad interruptions. I used to watch Keith Olbermann every night on the MSNBC website, now I watch Rachel Maddow about an hour after the show is aired, again with a total of two minutes of commercial interruption.

Even better, I never saw a single political ad during the recent campaign season. Just imagine.

Perhaps it would be possible to watch Rush or Glenn or other right-wingers over the internet, but I don't bother. Rachel shows me the little I need to see of what they say, just as Keith used to.

I can keep up with everything worth keeping up with, thanks to the wonders of the internet. Some forty years ago I also went without a TV for a number of years. This was before cable even, and one friend in particular used to think I'd be terribly uninformed about events and stuff in general without TV. He was constantly surprised when I actually knew what was going on in the world. I read the Washington Post every day, and I subscribed to Time Magazine. I also read, and still read, voraciously. and after reading an entire book on some topic or another, I tended to know a reasonable amount on the topic.

Today, of course, we have the internet, which enables all of us to stay very on top of all sorts of things. So, I urge you all, to seriously consider turning off your TV permanently.

[tabatha]

1. I got rid of my TV in 2001.

Just think of all of the money I have not spent on that - 10 years x $600 = $6000.

I also found the ads annoying, and sometimes i would get hooked on a movie, and then 2 hours were gone.

[dkf]

2. That is why I have a DVR. I skip all the commercials.

[elocs]

3. Nope, never. I do know some strict Pentecostalists who are self righteous about not having tvs.

To have a tv or not is a personal choice. I have 3 tvs yet I don't tell people that I believe they should have one to make their lives better. I also do not have cable or satellite but get all of my programs free and over the air in high definition. Ads don't bother me and besides the "mute" button is a mighty weapon.

[superduperfarleft]

4. Good thing I always keep this link handy.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/area-man-constantly-mentioning-he-doesnt-own-a-tel,429/

[el_bryanto]

8. +1

I love the line "I'm not an elitist."

Bryant

[demmiblue]

11. Lulz

[Le Taz Hot]

17. ROFL!!

THAT is hysterical. Should be the standard post every time one of these comes up which, lately, seems to be about once a week. That and the one about how we all should run out, right now, and buy brand new hybrid vehicles with the money and jobs we don't have. :eyes:

[FedUpWithIt All]

5. We haven't been hooked up for television for a long time.

We've only had television a couple months here or there, adding up to about a year, over the past decade or so. We do keep a tv and a dvd player for movie nights and kids films but i do not miss the TV. Every time we'd get it installed, it would become harder and harder to get the kids to move and i would feel increasingly depressed so we'd get it turned back off after a couple of months. It has now been nearly 4 years since the last time we shut it off.

We just don't miss it.

[Shagbark Hickory]

6. Not a chance. You're missing out.

The best shows have come out in the last 3 years.

[SheilaT]

9. You'd be surprised at what's available on

Hulu, or on the networks' own websites.

[SheilaT]

10. Thanks for all the replies so far.

My essential point is that by not having TV I miss all the commercials, and I don't have to fast-forward through anything.

[Shagbark Hickory]

13. OK so *YOU ARE* watching TV!

Come on!
Sorry but no credit whatsoever from switching to watching things on a computer vs on a tv set.
Unrec'ing.

Do away with tv for real and I'll +1 you.

[SheilaT]

15. I stand by the no ads aspect of

not watching on regular TV. As I said, during the 2010 election cycle, I didn't see any political ads, other than what might have been shown on Keith Olbermann. I'm also separated from the wall-to-wall coverage of such earthshaking events as the death of Michael Jackson -- it was actually several months after his death that I realized that there had been wall-to-wall coverage, as if his death were something of actual importance.

[Shagbark Hickory]

16. I don't watch commercials. I have a DVR.

And I watch hardly any local network tv anyway so I don't see the politcal ads even if I didn't record the shows or watch them on a delay.
The only network TV I make a point to tune in for is family guy.

In fact the last time I had to sit through a commercial was when I watched a video online. Go figure.

[demmiblue]

7. I love my TV! Right now I am streaming live Al Jazeera English through my Roku player.

Much better than watching it on my computer.

[Codeine]

12. Nope. I rather enjoy television.

With a DVR I only see the good stuff and ads are just a blur. Plus I find the presence of a television keeps my sanctimony levels in check.


P

[TBF]

14. My husband likes tv, as do the kids, but I only watch sports -

and Glee on hulu (internet). I've always enjoyed reading more than tv, probably a product of growing up in the 70's with my dad watching cop shows ...

I'd urge folks to turn theirs off too and see if they miss it.

[Rebubula]

18. So...

...You stand before us, proud and righteous, telling us that we should Turn off the TV.

What if I said that my life is better now that I gave up alcohol (would never do that, but for the sake of debate..) and said you should seriously consider quitting drinking?
Or if I said that going to church had improved my life and you should seriously consider doing the same?


Thank you for your sage advice. I willfully ignore it and UnRec this post. If you were advocating giving money to animal rescue, volunteering for a local Dem Pol or marching in solidarity with Unions - I would applaud. Posting a pedantic 'I am awesome' because I eschew TV post, however, is NOT cool and not welcome by most people.