Have You "Quit TV"?

Quit TV? No i am not found of any Amish similar factions.

Originally posted by Archirvion
Quit TV? No i am not found of any Amish similar factions.

Your line could have been straight from some Fox News "reporter", which kind of proves the point of this thread.





[edit on 15-7-2010 by Copernicus]

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic


Congrats friend and welcome to the party! I quit TV back in senior high school and have not looked back. Any programs I truly care to watch I can either find on the internet or purchase DVDs of. It truly does have many of the characteristics of an addiction, at least in some people.

If anyone is skeptical of the effect that TV can have on a person and their psyche, just check out a video of someone watching TV (like trained on their face, not on what they are watching). Or, if you have kids, just watch their faces as they watch a program that they really enjoy. It's hard not to come up with words like trance, enthralled, hypnotized, etc.

EDIT: to add:

Originally posted by Copernicus

Originally posted by Archirvion
Quit TV? No i am not found of any Amish similar factions.

Your line could have been straight from some Fox News "reporter", which kind of proves the point of this thread.

ROFL Copernicus, brilliant, just brilliant.

[edit on 15-7-2010 by dangerouslogic]

I basically quit TV. I watch south park like once in a blue moon but thats about it. I think the past week i totaled maybe 20 minutes of TV. Really nothing at all. I was never a big fan of TV unless there was a show i really liked but now im pretty much over TV period.

Its funny when im in class and people ask me about this new commercial they saw. I have no idea what theyre talking a bout and when i tell them i dont watch TV they look at me funny and kinda act confused. Its very amusing, actually.

Originally posted by demonseed

Its funny when im in class and people ask me about this new commercial they saw. I have no idea what theyre talking a bout and when i tell them i dont watch TV they look at me funny and kinda act confused. Its very amusing, actually.

That is one of the "drawbacks," pop culture references are often lost on you if you do not partake regularly. And since that is all some people talk about, it can make for some awkward conversations.

reply to post by Illusionsaregrander


Yes, but, pop culture and fashion are so very abhorrent and unimaginative. I find it a big plus to know so little of it. In fact, once I find someone poking fun of me for not getting such a reference, I know that it's time to move on and find some other company. In a way, it's a means to pick out interesting people from the superficial.



[edit on 15-7-2010 by unityemissions]

I'm not going to defend tv and I couldn't care less if someone watches it or not, but some of the comments about how all tv watchers are idiots, sheeple, whatever are pretty funny. You're honestly going to judge someone as 'lesser' for watching TV?

People spend their free time how they like. Myself - I spend 8 hours a day at work on the pc and then come home and spend another 2-3 hours minimum on the web doing stuff here and then I still have to fit in my other stuff. I see watching tv shows on an actual tv as a bit of a mental break.

I won't exclude any source for news and I actually think that those who get all their news from the web could perhaps have a bit of a tendency to get that news from the same few sources that align with their values/biases/politics and leave them with a narrower view of the world. Give it another 30-40 years and people will be blaming the internet for the disintegration of society and the stupidity of people, just like they do now with tv. The truth is it's not tv or the internet, it's people. We generally don't like to challenge our beliefs and we gravitate to what we want to hear.

I quit TV for years,but the last couple weeks I started watching it again,and for some reason I feel a lot crappier than usual,not sleeping well,lack of motivation....etc.....

Maybe I'm just getting old....

But I can understand why it's called "The boob tube",or "the idiot box",there is some seriously stooooooopid stuff on TV nowadays.

I liked it in the "My Three Sons" era,but today it is pretty much a joke to watch.

[edit on 15-7-2010 by chiponbothshoulders]

Originally posted by Duzey

I won't exclude any source for news and I actually think that those who get all their news from the web could perhaps have a bit of a tendency to get that news from the same few sources that align with their values/biases/politics and leave them with a narrower view of the world.

I cant speak for anyone else, but thats not why I get my news from the web. I dont mind having my views challenged at all. What I DO mind is having my "news" consist of a few minutes of news, virtually none of it international unless they are propagandizing who we are planning to attack next, and even that white washed so that we dont see casualties, and then a big chunk of the "news" being devoted to celebrities, sports, or other things I dont particularly care about. Yes, I do admit, I dont feel the need to research the sports I am not interested in. Nor do I care what Britney Spears is doing, or who won American Idol. And since I have moved to Tennessee, there is also a new dose of something I dont want mixed in with my "news." A whole lot of religion. Both Hawaii and New Mexico, the two states I have lived in, (Also a territory, but we did not have our own news there) did not mix religion into their news broadcasts. Here, I notice they do report on religious organizations, churches etc., a good deal. Far more than I am used to.

On the internet, I dont skip stories that challenge my views as much as I skip stories I dont consider news at all. Such as sports. Or celebrity stuff. Plus, I can watch or read it when I want, as many times as I want, and with few commercials.

Well TV is a great source of info but I think going without it can be very helpful as well.

I am 90% closer to quitting TV but I love my occasional movies and documentaries about spirituality or other interests.

Who doesn't love AVP or predator movies

Originally posted by Illusionsaregrander
What I DO mind is having my "news" consist of a few minutes of news, virtually none of it international unless they are propagandizing who we are planning to attack next, and even that white washed so that we dont see casualties, and then a big chunk of the "news" being devoted to celebrities, sports, or other things I dont particularly care about.

I'm not in the US. Please don't judge the rest of the world's news programming by yours.

Not so much in a direct response to you but since you mentioned it, there's nothing wrong with knowing what's going on in the world around you and that does include celebrity news and sporting events. I've never thought of ignorance of a topic, no matter how mundane or trivial, as something to take pride in.

Originally posted by Duzey

Not so much in a direct response to you but since you mentioned it, there's nothing wrong with knowing what's going on in the world around you and that does include celebrity news and sporting events. I've never thought of ignorance of a topic, no matter how mundane or trivial, as something to take pride in.

It also includes game theory, philosophy, behavioral science, evolutionary psychology, economics, and other lots of other stuff too. I dont know how you manage to learn about everything in the world, but I cant manage it. Perhaps my brain is just not as quick and absorbent as yours. I have to draw lines and prioritize information. I wish I could manage to learn everything about everything, but I cant.

And seeing as how you arent familiar with our news, maybe you shouldnt be so quick to judge those of us here in the US who do seek our news elsewhere. We are one of the most heavily propagandized nations on Earth, and one of the outside criticisms we often hear is how ignorant we are of whats going on in the world. And then it seems like you want to criticize those who attempt to bypass our propaganda machine to find out. Odd, that.

reply to post by Illusionsaregrander


The majority of Canadians live within 150 miles of the border. We get both. I find Canadian news programming to be superior.

There's nothing wrong with not knowing about a subject and there's loads of things I don't know. All I'm saying is I don't take pride in my lack of knowledge on any of these subjects and look down on those who have a passing knowledge or interest. That seems a bit bass ackwards to me.

reply to post by Duzey



Honestly, I fail to see where I have taken "pride" in my lack of knowledge. It seems to me I said that the news is laden with things I dont particularly care about. I dont see anywhere that I have said those who do are less somehow. Or that my ignorance is something remarkable or glorious. If you do see where I have said that, please feel free to quote it. Perhaps I did and just dont recall it.

I really dont care what other people care about. People specialize differently. I do tend to be annoyed with people who say they care about a particular topic, and hold forth on it, who clearly do not have even the barest basic understanding of it if it is a topic that matters to me. Because if you DO care, it seems to me the bare minimum you should do is make an attempt to understand it, rather than just mindlessly repeat what you have heard. I dont even care if they disagree with me, as long as they have reasoned argument why they do. I am not claiming I am the be all and end all of any subject. (Though there are a couple I have dedicated a significant portion of my time and education to) But if they just dont care about something, they just dont care. So be it.

I dont care about sports. Nor do I hold out any opinions on which teams are better than others, or the mechanics of any particular sport, or really hold forth on it at all beyond saying I dont care for it. I cared about track and Judo when I participated in school, but now I dont and so I dont follow them. I dont judge my friends who DO care about sports, but they cannot expect me to do anything more than smile and nod and say "I hope your team wins." Thats just the best I can do. And likewise, I dont expect them to engage me full force when I am discussing something I like and they dont. I accept their supportive nod and smile and comment and then we both move on to common areas of interest.

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic


Don't know if it's related to your feelings, but Sedona is noted for being a place of "vortexs" which have someind of effect on us humans. Don't know where they are located, but a simple google search of Sedona will show you that...

edit to add that yes I quit T.V. about 2 years ago and now the only time I watch is briefly when I'm waiting on a ride or right before I do something or if I want to see the most recent propagada being spewed out for self-defense reasons...Also, no T.V. leaves me with more time to think lol...

[edit on 16-7-2010 by agentofchaos]

When you say tv what do you actually mean by tv, like there is alot on it especially Sky where there is about 700 + channels, i personally would only watch about 15 channels and that would vary from movies, sports documentarys and some shows.
I dont think that is bad and dont feel the need to ban it from my life its not causing me any harm i just like to watch a football game or a movie or documentary to broaden my understanding of the Earth or learn more about Wars etc. How can anybody say that is bad and should get rid of it altogether?
thats absurd when you think about it really

I have often thought of this but i don't think i could do it, i could drasticly cut it down but to be honest it's not really something i would want to do anyway. I would rather quit the internet first, but again i don't want to do that either.

I quit the TV about 6 months ago and highly recommend it. I get all my local/worldwide news from online sources.

I save about £160 per year and have a lot more time to read up on ATS and play the Flight Sim...!!!

It's a hard life but someone's got to do it..

Interesting thread BH. It certainly made me think about what we watch in our house. Personally, I only spend a couple of hours of surfing either TLC, History Channel, Discovery, DIY, or Seinfeld and Andy Griffith re runs at night. I don't even know what shows are on Network TV any longer because it is all Crap.

My nightly ritual serves as pleasant mental break after a long day and I usually learn something new in the process or simply gain the benefit of long hard belly laugh. Even Andy Griffith can teach a lesson every now and again along with a good laugh from Barney, George, Kramer, Jerry, Newman and Elaine.

I commend those who are able to completely discard broadcast TV altogether. I will always enjoy my little TV fix.

However, when I feel the urge to disconnect I take a trip into the wilds for a week or a quick weekend of backpacking or mountain biking to practice my primitive living skills. Or I simply head up to the lake for a quiet and head clearing couple of days of sailing with my family on our precious Great Lake Erie. No TV. Just music, conversation, reading and probably a couple of beers and a little Rum.

I call it Balance whether on a bike, hiking on slippery rocks, standing on an ever moving boat deck or anchoring in my well worn leather chair with my remote programmed with my favorite channels.

Cheers!



[edit on 16-7-2010 by jibeho]