TV.... Im gonna stop watching it.

I am giving up television. Aside from the news and discovery channel type programs it is all worthless. I realised that i can get the news on the internet. The biggest reasons that i am giving up tv are.

1. That commercial with the "flash mob guy" I am so sick of seeing that commercial it seems everytime that i turn on the tv that commercial is on. For like six months on every channel at everytime of the day. It is driving me crazy. I cant stand it anymore if i am forced to see that commercial again i will completely lose it. Hey phone company "I got it" please destroy that commercial. Im to the point that when it comes on Im looking at the "supporting actors' and what they are wearing and what they are doing. I aslo noticed that these commercials are being played in movie theaters. Im paying for that?!?!?
2. I sit here watching as other people live their lives. Sitting on my ass. I lead a full life i am busy from morning to night. Yet i always find time to turn on the tv. I watch tv to see what other people are doin and 99.5 percent of what i am watching is scripted.. Why am i not out doing the things that i am watching other people do? Oh wait i have to work and take care of the kids...and watch tv.

The thing is when i watch it im also on the internet doing research or studying for my advancement exam. Lately i look up once in a while and there it is the.... crap. Shows like Jersey shore, basketball wives and the ilk are useless. I could care less what club they are going to or what they are wearing. Why are people idolizing these idiots. There are valid programs but you HAVE TO SIT THRU COMMERCIALS. So i pay for cable. I pay for it. Yet I still see commercial after commercial. What the hell am i paying the cable comapanies for ? Wasnt there a time (remember WHT) that there were no commercials. Now every twenty minutes i see that jersey shore guy selling fatburners and talking about keeping it real.
I own a 4 bedroom house I have a tv in the livingroom, One in my bedroom, One in each of the kids rooms (3) one in the kitchen and one in the garage. Last week the ol lady almost talked me into putting one in the bathroom! My lady is deploying (we are dual military) real soon the kids are going to grandmas (im deploying shortly thereafter) and ill be in this house with all these tvs for a few months. I will not make everyone else stop watching when the gang is all back. But the minute everyone is gone i am giving up the tv. Im not giving up movies (even though i am still watching other people live the script) it seems different to me i dont know why i feel that way. I just know that i cant take another freakin commercial. I believe that I can find complete fullfilment on the internet. Now if i could stop watching porn. I would be set.
TV is evil. and with the internet we dont need it anymore. Funny though the internet is pushing ads at us too. It will probably get worst. Im tired of paying for the priviledge of having soemone try to sell me stuff. Its the same as if they came to my door. Hey maybe we can have a no freakin tv day here on ATS......Just a thought lets all give it up on 8.3.11 oh wait that day came and went already.

youre actually still watching tv? i havent touched it since the internet. everything is clearly moderated.

wake up

Sorry you've been suffering through TV for this long, but I'm glad to hear you'll be turning it off. It's been about 10 years since I've owned a TV. Every once in a while I'll see some for a few minutes, and it makes me a little ill each time. Swear it gets stranger every time I see it. The commercials are bad enough. But the programming is the worst part. It's exactly that...Programming. TV is a heavily scripted, edited version of what we're supposed to be experiencing. It exists to get ratings, to get people to watch ads, and tell you what to think. Give it up.

Oh man, if anyone feels your pain it's me, in my 4 bdrm house.

The kids are like 8-10 and they still watch the 4yr old cartoon stuff, why???
What is with TV the past few years, it seems like digital retardation of some kind.

Star & flag if you agree!!

Right on; Some shows can be found free on the net(not talking of torrents), others pay for with access to numerous options. If that's what you still may be interested in. If not there's plenty of places online that can point you to what you entertain or educate yourself with. Really why waste your time with all of the commercials and BS... Especially if your a computer user-I guess minus the few out there who don't use/or know how to use computers/the interwebz!

reply to post by semperkill

I stopped watching TV years ago and don't regret it. The few series and documentaries I watch these days I download from internet and watch on my pc.

Ideally if i can get the history channel and discovery without commercials i would be satisfied. I know that i am programmed to buy certain things I want to not be influenced at all. I want to make choices naturally. I guess advertising has its purpose. i would just like to go in a store and see something that i never heard of. I want things to be new again. When i was a kid i played in Prospect Park all the time there was a tv in the house but i remember not wanting to be in the house. I dont want to be a child again (well maybe) but I want to see things for myself for the first time again. I want to "hear" about things before I see them. IThe more i think of this the more free I feel. Television has become a burden. It is sitting there staring at me blankly telling me somehow to turn it off. I refuse to. I am not going into the bedroom because she is in there watching tv (falls asleep to it). I think that i have had a breakthrough by my choice. Are we addicted to television as a society? We know that our brans can be affected (look at epileptics)I am convinced that there are subliminal messages (not easily discernable) that compels us to sit there once it is on. I say this because what is on is complete and utter garbage. yet we still watch it

I'm delighted that you have realized what broadcast television really is.

I gave it up in 1997 and I have no regrets whatsoever. If something interesting pops up that I feel I need to see, I watch on YouTube, etc.

When your family is away, don't forget to UNPLUG the TVs. You'll find that you will be less tempted to watch them when they are unplugged! Yes, I believe that TVs send out a signal to make you want to watch it. For those of you out there who don't believe me, just try it! Unplug your TV for a week and see how much less you feel like watching!

Hey thats good. when I stopped watchind tv I was out of the loop for a lot and news now comes from radio and your mind is more open, because you can imagine and you get more different news, even not from the web all the time.

reply to post by juleol

Without commercials? because that is what is driving me crazy I do not want to see another commercial. Print ads are just fine i can deal with that. The radio ads are sort of ok although its the ad same over and over and over again. I recently switched to satellite radio and straight downloads. Wow I just got an idea and as is always the case when you get a bright idea it somehow gets out and put to use. I predict in the near future that music albums will have commercials slipped in between the tracks.

I stopped watching TV a long time ago. All I watched was FOX News for a long time. Then I started noticing that fair and balanced was all in the eyes of the beholder. I started figuring out how much I paid a month to hear stupid people say stupid things to gullible people. So I decided to get rid if the whole mess. I actually know what's going on in the world because I research and find out. Then I weigh it and decide what the truth really is based on more than one source. AND, I save a lot of money too.

reply to post by antoinemarionette


Good point. I have woken up and the first thing i do is turn on the tv then smoke a cig. I am also convinced that the government,secret societies etc are watching me through the camera that is in front of me right now. i know im going off of my own post but this is relevant The little eye at the top of your computer screen. Is there a way that it can be controlled remotely. Im not aa web/computer expert so i pose the question can i be watched without my knowledge through the camera on my laptop?

I have a television, but it's probably been two years since I last had it on. Last time I was at my mom's, I swear I sat through 20 minutes of commercials before I saw any of the actual program.
I am, however, an internet hound. I have a dozen RSS feeds that update every 10 minutes and I use HULU for entertainment.

I don't know who did what to so-and-so on House or Supernatural - I actually had to look up what shows are on to make this post. I've found, though, that I'm better informed about current events and new technologies than most people.

reply to post by JibbyJedi


Thats what im saying. At least back in the day tv taught family values and some of it was decent. Even commercials were ok and they didnt run them the way they do now ove and over again. I completely agree with you. My home is TV intensive. I need to change this. Also the cable bill is like 300 dolars. I just realised we have everything. Some might say that at least sports a valid t watch but really you are only watching grown ass men play games. I dont watch sports because i have never been into it. I have been to yankee stadium and that was a great experience. But since i joined the service i grew the opinion that watching sports is a complete waste of time for me. I do consider myself a tacticul athlete but that is because of preparation for my unique sport...Hunting so called terrorists

reply to post by slsphd


I must say that is one of the things that happened to me when i joined ATS. I actually joined because of the whole 8.3.11 thing and it got me to researching and reading and awakening ideas and thoughts that i would never have followed up on. I can honestly say that my opinions about EVERYTHING have changed because now I research everything that I see. I want to hear the different opinions from all sides. I am truly awakening. It really is amazing. I have found a new way to live and others have noticed it. On a daily basis i watch less and less of it and look into things more and more.

As we all know there are many kinds of addictions in this world...and.....TV watching is one of them. I love old movies.....from the 1930's. 40's and 50's.....I go into my local library website...log into my account.....and put movies on reserve....they notify me when then arrive ...and then I go pick them up ...check them out...and... they are free!

Again...I believe for many TV is an addiction.....maybe someone should start (TVA) Television Anonymous....a support group for TV addicts.

Welcome to the ranks of t.v. free. You will find that life is more enjoyable and meaningful when you aren't bombarded with people telling you your life isn't good enough so you need to buy more stuff.

reply to post by N3k9Ni


Yeah, I love not knowing what people are talking about when they refer to characters in TV shows. I love not knowing and having never watched the shows themselves. It makes me feel clean.

What strikes me most is how they refer to the actor's characters as if they are real people. Or how they get fascinated with other people's meltdowns, like what happened with Charlie Sheen. When you've been away from TV a long time, it is very apparent how brainwashed people are... and they are completely oblivious to it!

Good for you, I don't think you will regret it.
Me and my family moved to a new house a few years ago and realized that there was no reception for TV-signals. I took it as a hint and have never looked back since. We still have our TV but it is used for watching DVDs and documentaries. I love the fact that I don't have to arrange my life around TV-shows as some of my friends does. If I want to watch something, I will just obtain it on the internet.
And another fantastic bonus is that you get more time. Try an evening without TV and you will realize that time lasts longer and you get more things done.
I have however noticed that people tend to think that I am somewhat eccentric since I don't watch TV anymore. I always take that as a compliment and move on
Good luck!

About 6 hours before I turned 40 (1 month today) my computers AC Adaptor broke, blacking out my house until I figured it out.

I was going to make a thread about this (& how crap Sony is) but I never did. Oh the pain, my god, no PC, no ATS, not 'real' news. What an agonising 2 weeks !

It was so painful, watching the news etc, my god, no wonder my non-ATS mates seem so un-educated. What a load of rubbish they spew out.

I have to admit that I cant go a day without some form of humour, ie Simpsons, Futurama, & man am I happy they are having a Family Guy/US Dad marathon type thing this week, I couldnt do without that in my day, but the rest, I may as well unplug the thing.

Until I lost my PC, the net, I had no idea how dull life was. Unless its something special or one of the above shows, I rarely turn my TV on, maybe the morning news to see if theres anything 'big' they are covering in the first few minutes. Any big story worth watching will be on in the 1st few, after that its time to save money on my power bill.

For me, a man who used to have his TV on about 16 hours a day, well I'm down to less than half an hour of 'general viewing', if its not one of the above 'daily humour relief' shows mentoned prior.

I guess all I can say in summary about TV these days is, its saving me money on my power bill.