I don't watch or own a TV...am I the only one????

124

Replies

  • mschickiepoo
    mschickiepoo Posts: 91 Member
    Just curious. I obviously have a computer, but besides coming here (usually on slow night shifts) checking email or doing research, rarely have it turned on. There is so much to do that I couldn't imagine finding an hour a day, much less several to sit in front of a screen watching movies/tv shows etc...

    It's all I can do to fit in an hour workout a day! I have a job, kids, a house that always needs tidying/renovating, and a lot of hobbies! I have owned a TV in the past, and watched it more when I was a kid..but since I became an adult with college, work and then a mom and wife..then a single mom...I just don't have time! I can't remember the last time i watched a movie (tried to watch one with the boyfriend a few mo. back, but fell asleep half way through). To be fair, it was late and my sleep schedule was mixed up from nights shifts...but you get the idea. It was NOT engaging enough to keep me awake. Getting ZZZ's was a much more urgent priority.

    Please know that I am NOT judging people who watch or enjoy TV, just can't wrap my brain around how people have time to do so. Do they have servants that cook/clean/child watch for them? Do they just let their house get messy? Do they not have jobs/responsibilities? Maybee they're just better at managing their time? (doubt that, since I'm a nurse and am VERY efficient at multi tasking I feel..but who knows?). I read somewhere that the average american watches 7 hours a day!! HOW?

    I hope I am not alone in this. Sometiems I feel like I am in the VAST minority here.

    Do you watch Netflicks or play computer games?

    No netflix, no computer games. I go to the gym daily? I read when I can, rock climb and salsa dance...lol. So I guess I could be watching TV instead of doing those things.

    Wow. What a crock. I'm pretty active. I don't watch instead of doing things, I watch during downtime. I hate this *kitten*, it's so stupid. OK, you win, you're better than everyone else because you read and don't watch tv. Watch those nose bleeds at those higher elevations.

    Maybe we should compare income? Is that an indicator of education, success, and intelligence? Just sayin'. Sheesh. Give me a break.

    Really??? I never EVER said that it was bad to watch tv. I simply asked if I was the only one tht didn't. the average american watches many hours a day. I was wondering how people can DO that and still do tons of other things. I"m sure you make much more money than I do. I am a nurse, a single mom and live VERY frugally (one of the many reasons I don't have cable or buy tv's to begin with!). I'm sure you're better at many things than I am. I NEVER said that tv watching was an indication of ANYTHING besides TV watching. YOU are the one who made a bunch of conclusions and assumptions about my statements.

    Not everyone took what you said and thought you were running people who watch TV down. I certainly did NOT. You know how it is, you can't make a statement without someone putting a negative sling onto it. Unfortunately, such is life. Surround yourself with positive thoughts, positive people and don't post a blog on any site unless you are prepared for someone to throw some negative twist into it. Keep enjoying your life - cause after all, it is YOURS to enjoy! :flowerforyou:
  • Colleen118
    Colleen118 Posts: 491 Member
    Personally, I wish I had never brought a TV in the house and still remind my husband what a "SPECTACULAR" job he did in bringing in the gaming system behind my back... (that did NOT go over well)

    I do watch, not as much as I used to but there are shows I DVR. I like to have the music channels playing in the background while doing things around the house but I know if there weren't a TV in the house it would have made a huge difference in arguing about completing homework and the sort. My son is Bi-polar and was very hard to handle at times. Having TV made it worse in my opnion but the battle to get rid of it was never won. Now the only reason I even want cable is for the internet so my daughter can do ehr homework at home, not have to rely on going somewhere else to do ti, but I still can't win the battle to rid the house of TVs
  • quixoteQ
    quixoteQ Posts: 484
    BeforeTV.jpg
  • lacurandera1
    lacurandera1 Posts: 8,083 Member
    We HAVE a tv. But until football season it is off. Then, it's only on bc my bf wants to watch football. I don't mind, or miss it.
  • amberlykay1014
    amberlykay1014 Posts: 608 Member
    Usually the only time my fiance and I will turn it on is when we come home from work at 10pm and are too exhausted to do anything else. We'll usually turn on Jon Steward with The Daily Show and have a few laughs before falling asleep.

    We occasionally will rent a movie from Redbox on Sunday evenings.
  • chulie
    chulie Posts: 282
    To the OP...wow...I don't know man, your life sounds like a lot of running around! hahaha...I was tired reading it. Maybe because I only have 1 child, but my life is so chill...We all get up, go to work, come home, have dinner together (me, my husband and daughter), then it's play time, bathtime and bedtime...and she's in bed by 7...so my night is just starting. I work out, hubby goes and plays sports a few nights a week. After I work out, I do some laundry and tidy up...I dunno my house isn't always that messy so it doesnt really take me days to tidy up. My husband helsp me clean and even my daughter gets in on the cleaning...so it's a team effort...so by 8...8:30....everything is done for the day....Hubby and I sit with a coffee, talk about our day and watch our HBO shows....We love T.V time...we only watch shows together so, we talk about whatever's going on...(especially right now watching The Walking Dead....O.M.G) and then it's off to bed and repeat! My only t.v rule is no t.v in the bedroom! hahaha....Weekends are pretty busy and no, there isn't much tv watching...mostly family and friends time. Personally I feel like I have a great balance of it all.....
  • chocl8girl
    chocl8girl Posts: 1,968 Member
    Sheesh, I don't really understand why everyone is getting so defensive. Not everyone likes or wants to do things that other people do. Doesn't mean ANYTHING other than people are different.

    As for me, We have an ancient 19 year old TV that is still going strong, but I kind of just stopped watching TV maybe 3 years ago. I really don't know why. I just stopped turning it on. About a year ago, I noticed that my kids weren't watching it either, but were instead opting to watch Japanese anime series on Netflix through the XBox or on the computer. I cancelled the cable, save $70 a month, and none of us miss it. The kids watch much more than I do, on Netflix or streaming on the computer, but I'll sit and watch a movie with them occasionally, or sometimes watch an episode of Family Guy or Futurama on the computer before going to bed. And I do like Game of Thrones. Other than that it's generally just noise to me, and, FOR ME, I prefer to have my noise come from music rather than the TV.

    I have no idea what new shows are on, and don't care. Doesn't mean I am better than anyone. I don't care what anyone else does with their time, either. Do what you like. I simply am not interested. *shrug*
  • DenyseMarieL
    DenyseMarieL Posts: 673 Member
    We do own a t.v., but I personally might watch two one hour long shows a week. The hubby watches way more than I do.
  • This content has been removed.
  • bunsen_honeydew
    bunsen_honeydew Posts: 230 Member
    I watch TV at the gym!!

    But seriously. I don't own a TV as I can watch shows and movies on the laptop. (And no space for one, really, in our living room).

    Most evenings I sit down with my housemates at dinner and we watch a news show or an episode of whatever show we are going through (currently old seasons of West Wing and Sherlock) - we just stick one of the laptops on the dinner table.
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    I don't!

    Between 50 hours of school a week, 20 hours of work plus trying to find the time and energy to even live let alone workout on top of that!
  • gjulie
    gjulie Posts: 391
    I live with husband and 5 kids who love their TV for football and certain programmes if I was on my own I wouldnt bother with it I find during periods of when I am alone it is never on I would hate to be without my laptop I Love MFP and facebook and just generally looking up information on all different things,if I want to watch a film I like to go to the cinema but as for staring at the TV all day long no thanks,I dont even get newspapers!!!
  • annwyatt69
    annwyatt69 Posts: 727 Member
    My sons (who are all over 20) watch when they have time between college and work. I think through the week I probably watch two or three shows. We record them on DVR, so I can watch them when I have time. Growing up, my sons learned early to find the educational aspect of it and are still more into the History Channel, National Geographic Channel, and programs that broaden their minds. Often, their professors assign videos or programs they need to watch for college, so the t.v. becomes more of an educational tool. I enjoy morning exercise programs and have learned a lot of techniques through watching cooking shows. It doesn't have to be a bad thing.
  • rfsatar
    rfsatar Posts: 599 Member
    I have TVs all over the house.... Like some others I tend to have it on in my office/study as background noise (funnily enough I remember a housemate at Uni making some snide remark that the first thing I do is put the TV on and then potter about).

    I love my films/Bluray/DVD collection and that is my way of unwinding at the end of a day's writing - or watching recorded stuff, just to turn my mind off from thinking about writing/articles/etc.
    I top all that off with a chapter of a book a night ....

    Although - after a week away at a conference and covering a couple of days at a tennis tourny, I am a little intimidated by the amount of stuff recorded to get through!!!

    My guilty pleasure is cookery programmes! OMG it is like food porn... I am sure I put on calories just WATCHING Nigella!
    In fact, as I type, it's Masterchef: The Professionals on in the background!
  • painauxraisin
    painauxraisin Posts: 299 Member
    We own a t.v., and hubby and the kids watch it, but I don't. I have never been into T.V. much. I have a hard time sitting still, and would rather be doing house things that need to be done, spending time outside, or exercising now. Most people don't really understand this. People I work with are always surprised when I have not heard of a particular T.V. show or movie, because it is a big deal to most people. But I don';t feel like I am missing out. I would rather particiapte in my own life than watch fake lives or others on T.V.!



    This is me too !!!
  • sarahslim100
    sarahslim100 Posts: 485 Member
    I grew up without tv. I hardly watch- havent turned on for over 3 months.dont watch dvds either. Lifes too exciting for me to sit still and when i do i prefer to read a book
  • I have a tv, I even have two but I never watch tv, not even news. My kids watch tv and I get what is going on through them.
  • This content has been removed.
  • ObtainingBalance
    ObtainingBalance Posts: 1,446 Member
    I don't have the time, we don't even have cable. We have netflix, I like reading books though....and when I do have free time, I am wasting it on the computer, not watching a movie. LOL.
  • Poorgirls_Diet
    Poorgirls_Diet Posts: 528 Member
    Oh I do have a tv, watch the usual soaps which is about an 1.5hrs in the evening and then espn if UFC is on. But I guess time could be better spent doing other things. This thread has made me rethink my lifestyle
  • ErinBeth7
    ErinBeth7 Posts: 1,625 Member
    I read somewhere that the average american watches 7 hours a day!! HOW?
    I think that is a really high "average." I have one TV, but haven't had cable for a long time. I do however have Hulu where I watch some shows. I enjoy watching TV, but don't spend 7 hours in front of it. Keep in mind that some people have different lifestyles/routines so their time is divided differently and perhaps the time you spend on hobbies is time they spend watching TV. Everyone has different ideas on what's worth their time.
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    Just curious. I obviously have a computer, but besides coming here (usually on slow night shifts) checking email or doing research, rarely have it turned on. There is so much to do that I couldn't imagine finding an hour a day, much less several to sit in front of a screen watching movies/tv shows etc...

    It's all I can do to fit in an hour workout a day! I have a job, kids, a house that always needs tidying/renovating, and a lot of hobbies! I have owned a TV in the past, and watched it more when I was a kid..but since I became an adult with college, work and then a mom and wife..then a single mom...I just don't have time! I can't remember the last time i watched a movie (tried to watch one with the boyfriend a few mo. back, but fell asleep half way through). To be fair, it was late and my sleep schedule was mixed up from nights shifts...but you get the idea. It was NOT engaging enough to keep me awake. Getting ZZZ's was a much more urgent priority.

    Please know that I am NOT judging people who watch or enjoy TV, just can't wrap my brain around how people have time to do so. Do they have servants that cook/clean/child watch for them? Do they just let their house get messy? Do they not have jobs/responsibilities? Maybe they're just better at managing their time? (doubt that, since I'm a nurse and am VERY efficient at multi tasking I feel..but who knows?). I read somewhere that the average american watches 7 hours a day!! HOW?

    I hope I am not alone in this. Sometimes I feel like I am in the VAST minority here.
    My babies, yes babies, watch way too much tv. My husband got them started because he loves it and it puts them to sleep. -_- I, personally, don't like T.V. unless I am watching Netflix to spend time with my husband while we eat dinner. I am addicted to the internet, however, and need to slow down once I am out of school online and complete my weight loss journey.
  • laskares
    laskares Posts: 5 Member
    My husband and I own a TV. However, we only use it once in a while to watch a movie we have rented from the Library. :)
  • Brunner26_2
    Brunner26_2 Posts: 1,152
    You are one of those people, and i mean this in the best way, who is getting more out of life than others who dont realize what they are missing.

    does that make sense?

    More power to you, you sound like a cool person and a great mom. very inspirational!

    I realize what I'm missing, I just choose not to participate :smile:
  • n2thenight24
    n2thenight24 Posts: 1,651 Member
    We have TV's in each kids room, in the kitchen and a 63 inch'er in the living room. Granted, I don't have a ton of time to sit around and watch it, but I do love the background noise it offers so I don't feel so alone when the kids are at school and hubby is at work. Maybe all these TV's are how I got fat :smile:
  • KerrySayers27
    KerrySayers27 Posts: 36 Member
    I live on my own. I do have a tv and I do tend to have it on pretty much continually...but it is the 24 hour news channel and it's just because I don't like silence in the house and I'd rather have that on than the radio. I RARELY watch anything on it. I just like the comforting sound of voices. I don't want to have to run my life by a tv schedule and always know that I have to stop in to watch the latest episode of a soap/drama etc. I don't possess a recorder and wouldn't want to know I had to spend several hours of a day 'catching up' with what I had missed. It does make it difficult when with friends though because all they can talk about is the X Factor or latest soap news etc. I never have a clue what they are going on about! I just prefer to do other things, even though I tend to do these other things with the news going on in the background. Like you, I would never argue that people shouldn't watch tv...it's just not for me.

    xxx
  • bushidowoman
    bushidowoman Posts: 1,599 Member
    I don't. We have a tv, but it's old--no satellite or converter box for receiving channels. We have a DVD player, Wii, and Netflix streaming account for after our chores and schoolwork are done (we homeschool), but I keep all the remotes put away until all work is done. And we have evening activities--martial arts, church activities, visiting with friends, basketball is coming up...not a lot of time for tv here, either.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    Just curious. I obviously have a computer, but besides coming here (usually on slow night shifts) checking email or doing research, rarely have it turned on. There is so much to do that I couldn't imagine finding an hour a day, much less several to sit in front of a screen watching movies/tv shows etc...

    It's all I can do to fit in an hour workout a day! I have a job, kids, a house that always needs tidying/renovating, and a lot of hobbies! I have owned a TV in the past, and watched it more when I was a kid..but since I became an adult with college, work and then a mom and wife..then a single mom...I just don't have time! I can't remember the last time i watched a movie (tried to watch one with the boyfriend a few mo. back, but fell asleep half way through). To be fair, it was late and my sleep schedule was mixed up from nights shifts...but you get the idea. It was NOT engaging enough to keep me awake. Getting ZZZ's was a much more urgent priority.

    Please know that I am NOT judging people who watch or enjoy TV, just can't wrap my brain around how people have time to do so. Do they have servants that cook/clean/child watch for them? Do they just let their house get messy? Do they not have jobs/responsibilities? Maybee they're just better at managing their time? (doubt that, since I'm a nurse and am VERY efficient at multi tasking I feel..but who knows?). I read somewhere that the average american watches 7 hours a day!! HOW?

    I hope I am not alone in this. Sometiems I feel like I am in the VAST minority here.

    Yes we are a minority. I have not had TV is over 20 years. We moved into the mountains and we didn't have power for the first 8 months before the utility company put in a line (we had a generator and propane). We got used to no TV and there still is no cable available, and now they have come out with satellite service but we figure why bother. We do have a big screen TV and a blue ray player in room set aside for it (not the living room) for watching netflix (we still do the old fashioned dvd's, not streaming). We don't watch movies often but it's a fun treat now and then.

    I think it worked out really well for my daughters who are 28 and 30 now. They both love to read and grew up reading books around the wood stove in the winter (sometimes with lanterns!) I've noticed that people their age think reading is boring and I think that is so sad.

    Anyway, I can't imagine having time to watch TV. My days are filled with activity and my life is half over so I realize how precious every minute is, not going to waste it.

    Great for you! This is really good to hear.
  • No, you're not the only one. I have never owned a TV, neither did my parents when I was growing up, so I never watch it. Except sometimes in the gym while I'm on treadmill.
  • n2thenight24
    n2thenight24 Posts: 1,651 Member
    Just curious. I obviously have a computer, but besides coming here (usually on slow night shifts) checking email or doing research, rarely have it turned on. There is so much to do that I couldn't imagine finding an hour a day, much less several to sit in front of a screen watching movies/tv shows etc...

    It's all I can do to fit in an hour workout a day! I have a job, kids, a house that always needs tidying/renovating, and a lot of hobbies! I have owned a TV in the past, and watched it more when I was a kid..but since I became an adult with college, work and then a mom and wife..then a single mom...I just don't have time! I can't remember the last time i watched a movie (tried to watch one with the boyfriend a few mo. back, but fell asleep half way through). To be fair, it was late and my sleep schedule was mixed up from nights shifts...but you get the idea. It was NOT engaging enough to keep me awake. Getting ZZZ's was a much more urgent priority.

    Please know that I am NOT judging people who watch or enjoy TV, just can't wrap my brain around how people have time to do so. Do they have servants that cook/clean/child watch for them? Do they just let their house get messy? Do they not have jobs/responsibilities? Maybee they're just better at managing their time? (doubt that, since I'm a nurse and am VERY efficient at multi tasking I feel..but who knows?). I read somewhere that the average american watches 7 hours a day!! HOW?

    I hope I am not alone in this. Sometiems I feel like I am in the VAST minority here.

    Yes we are a minority. I have not had TV is over 20 years. We moved into the mountains and we didn't have power for the first 8 months before the utility company put in a line (we had a generator and propane). We got used to no TV and there still is no cable available, and now they have come out with satellite service but we figure why bother. We do have a big screen TV and a blue ray player in room set aside for it (not the living room) for watching netflix (we still do the old fashioned dvd's, not streaming). We don't watch movies often but it's a fun treat now and then.

    I think it worked out really well for my daughters who are 28 and 30 now. They both love to read and grew up reading books around the wood stove in the winter (sometimes with lanterns!) I've noticed that people their age think reading is boring and I think that is so sad.

    Anyway, I can't imagine having time to watch TV. My days are filled with activity and my life is half over so I realize how precious every minute is, not going to waste it.

    Great for you! This is really good to hear.

    The reading thing could be a product, we were not allowed to watch TV growing up, my Dad watched the news at night, and I LOVE to read, I'm 27, and like you said, not many people my age read very much. But I have always loved to read, and I do it whenever I get the time.