No TV anyone?

RosewoodfarmVA · #1 07/03/07, 07:08 AM

The recent posts about TVs have gotten me to thinking about them. We got rid of ours seven years ago now, and haven't missed it a bit.

It seems that a TV is sort of the opposite of what we would consider "homesteading." We have found that not only have our minds been relieved of the constant bombardment of junk, but we have learned to value the peace and quiet of a TVless existence! Now when I go to homes that have one, it just seems so noisy, even when it's cut down low! I would much rather take a walk and look at God's creation, than sit in a chair (its now 8:00 am and I've already unloaded and spread about one ton of manure by hand/pitchfork, and pulled some weeds in the garden, and gave the horse (!?!?!) some hay)!

Another aspect is the amount of time squandered by TV watching! It's amazing how much time it takes to watch just one program. In the time it takes to watch the evening news, you could have fed all the animals, chopped those weeds growing around behind the barn, filled that pothole in the road, etc... We can be so much more productive than we used to be, without the temptation to sit for "a few minutes" and watch. I've met people that say that TV is perfect for at the end of the day when you're tired and want to rest, but I say that's why you have a bed, and when your body tells you it's tired, don't force it to stay up watching a program, but go to sleep!

So, to sum up my point for not having a TV....

It wastes valuable time,
It fills our minds with trash, or atleast nothing of great value,
The constant motion and intense focusing is a drain on our eyes,
The noise is much greater than that found in nature for which our ears were created,
It robs us of profitable family time,
It numbs our minds to the wonders found in nature all around us.

While I must admit that there are good programs on TV occasionally, are they worth your time invested in them? Next time you feel the "draw" toward the TV, why not get a cup of coffee and sit on the porch with your spouse or children and watch the chickens milling around instead? Now that's what you call healthy family life!

What do you say? .....now if I can get myself away from the computer!

cfabe · #2 07/03/07, 07:32 AM

What do I say? I agree with you. When I was in college I'd watch a fair ammount of TV, but since getting married and buying our first house, we've found that we just don't have any time! While we were remodeling our kitchen, the living room was full of cupboards that made it difficult to watch tv, and we didn't even notice until we realized it'd been a month since we had watched anything. I can't imagine watching the tube when I could be doing more productive things.

goatsareus · #3 07/03/07, 07:37 AM

I couldn't agree more, on most counts, well said, including the comment about getting away from the computer!!

Kmac15 · #4 07/03/07, 07:38 AM

we do have a tv now, but we were married almost 2 years before we got one
I like to think that it made that new married feeling last longer, we have now
been married 25 years and still do not watch a lot of tv and do not have one
in the bedroom.....lots better things to do in there than watch tv lol.

katlupe · #5 07/03/07, 08:24 AM

Nope, we don't watch tv nor do we have one anymore. We used to be tv addicts. Even owned one of those big screen tvs. But when we knew we were moving here, it just did not seem to belong, if you know what I mean. It would have looked out of place here. So I gave it to my stepdaughter.

Living off the grid makes you pick and choose what is worth using your power on. We do not have a big fancy system so those energy users are important. Most of the time, we used a smaller tv with our video movies. We had a huge collection of VHS tapes. But it got to where we did it less and less. Then last year, I noticed we did not use it at all and those tapes were taking up valuable space. So I gave them to my brother.

Now, we watch an occasional dvd movie on one of our laptops.

For news we have our computers. Since I have an online business, I am on the computer all day (just leave it to take a break or to do some chores and come back to it). I don't think being on a computer is like watching tv at all. Watching tv you have no intereaction at all. You don't make friends with the people on tv. Most of it is make believe or advertising.

Being online has been so valuable for me outside of my business. I have made many very good friends, which I would not have done otherwise. I live secluded and do not get away often. On one forum I belong to, we do projects together, like making cream cheese. And will do more projects in the fall. Plus, I am a person who just keeps learning all the time and the computer helps you do that. This year too, I wrote a book about my life (My Homesteading Journey) on the computer and that time was well spent.

I don't miss the tv at all. My friend has 2 tvs on all the time at her house. I don't watch, I find it distracting trying to talk to someone who is looking at the tv. They think we want to see it because we don't have one. My father does the same thing, turns it on when we come because he thinks we miss it. We don't. We choose not to have one. We could if we really wanted one.

katlupe

OntarioMan · #6 07/03/07, 08:34 AM

I definately do not agree. If there are "good programs on TV occasionally", then choose to watch those.

The learning channel, the history channel, outdoor channel, science, world news, the arts, etc. etc. I also think that there is some value to fictional "entertainment". Have you ever seen a play, a concert, listened to the radio or read a fictional book? Not much different than the TV, and none are actually "productive" uses of time.

Quality TV programming is out there if you're willing to pay for it.

I would agree that there are lots of folks who spend far too much time in front of the TV, regardless of what they're watching.

MountAiry · #7 07/03/07, 08:43 AM

Would be amazing the amount of time we would have if we didn't have TVs.

Rose, I wanted to ask if you had kids and if so, do they miss the TV?

CacheCraven · #8 07/03/07, 08:46 AM

I blew my TV up a couple of years ago (typical stupid stuff for me, I was watering a plant that sat on the shelf above the TV, water ran in the TV...buzzzzz fizzzzz) Anyhow, the TV croaked & I have not replaced it. Occasionally I miss it (SciFi & Discovery especially), but there's always been things I'd rather be doing, or need to be doing.
Lisa

brewswain · #9 07/03/07, 08:49 AM

I am 56 years, 11 months and 3 days old and I have NEVER owned a TV.

For those who think slowly, Yes it has been on purpose

Bob_W_in_NM · #10 07/03/07, 09:55 AM

I've got THREE television sets "in service" around here and there is just ONE of me. I don't think any of the three has been turned on in a couple of months.
I seldom watch television. (I do spend a lot of time on the net, but most of that has been proven to be a learning experience.)

The only television reception I get is from some rural UHF translators in the area. I suspect that these will go away once television goes "digital".

I actually see some "utility" value in having at least one working television receiver. It is nice to have around in the event of a major news or weather event. To pay a monthly fee for some kind of reception (satellite)? NO way!

Bob

rambler · #11 07/03/07, 10:03 AM

Is it in about 2 years, a lot of folks won't be watching TV. When the new digital standard is out.

Not very standard, & I think those of us in fringe areas will not be able to watch the grabled signal (not snowy, but just a blotchy mess?).

--->Paul

n8tureboy · #12 07/03/07, 10:10 AM

Quote:

It wastes valuable time,
It fills our minds with trash, or atleast nothing of great value,
The constant motion and intense focusing is a drain on our eyes,
The noise is much greater than that found in nature for which our ears were created,
It robs us of profitable family time,
It numbs our minds to the wonders found in nature all around us.

I couldn't agree more.

bachelorb · #13 07/03/07, 10:32 AM

Hmmm, I kinda like the thing. It didn't make me blind when I was a kid because I was sitting too close to it like my parents said. Guess I was a rebel from a young age. Seen alot of good things on it. Man on the moon, the wall come down in Berlin, a professor make a radio out of coconuts (Gilligans Island), and a whole lot of John Wayne westerns.

There's this thing called a switch that goes on and off when there is something I don't like. Kinda like what I use here on this internet which has a whole lot more of bad choices than any tv show I ever watched. Although my mom would probably think "Dark Shadows" would give porn.com a run for its money.

I guess I could turn to books too, but then again I might pick up the wrong one and read it. Who knows when a situation will pop up like ellens fantasy in Jaws and the ol Louie Lamour novels are violent, violent, violent.

Well, could go sit on the porch and rock back and forth. Doing nothing... Now that sounds like a plan. I'll pull the ol straw hat down and just take me a nap....Sure hope I have g-rated dreams.....

next61 · #14 07/03/07, 10:38 AM

Eight years without one and I don't miss it...

Snugglebunny · #15 07/03/07, 10:57 AM

Chalk me up to a disagreer. My hubby is a net admin. If we didn' thave the TV, he'd be on the computer watching his shows instead - and that I can't share with him. at least in the evenings when the kids are in bed we can watch something together and have conversation. I also say that not everything on TV is garbage - Discovery is our favorite channel, with the very occasional Sit com or something thrown in to make us laugh.

I agree that it isn't much different from - say - reading a book, attending a nonsensical play and the like. It can be benefitial adn entertaining, btu you have to use your head and know when to turn the stupid thing off.

patnewmex · #16 07/03/07, 01:14 PM

18 years without one and LOVE EVERY MINUTE I GOT BACK from not watching "boob" tube!!!!!

ozark_jewels · #17 07/03/07, 01:40 PM

We have a TV and VCR. We do not get any TV channels and don't want any. When it fits into our schedule, we sit down and enjoy a good movie. The big difference between watching TV programs and watching movies is that the first you have to work your shedule around to be able to watch it while its on. The second you work into your schedule whenever its handy and desirable. We choose carefully what we watch, even with just movies.

Scrounger · #18 07/03/07, 01:46 PM

We watch a lot of DVD's and VHS movies together. My sister is staying with us for a few months, so we have her Dish, but don't watch it much. I will watch a few football games (college) when it comes time for that, but generally stay away from it.

coalroadcabin · #19 07/03/07, 01:54 PM

TV is like having a rich dessert...........once in a while it's a great treat, you just shouldn't indulge to excess.

farmergirl · #20 07/03/07, 02:06 PM

If it were up to me, we would not have satellite tv, just the tv to use for watching the occassional dvd movie. But, my DH works very hard and deserves what for him is an enjoyable toy (tv), so I live with it.