When I chucked out the telly I got my life back, even though I didn't watch it much.
There are money saving benefits, too:
1. You’ll want less stuff. TV breeds greed. You think you’re immune to adverts and the celebrity lifestyle but they subtly worm their way into your desires and convince you to spend.
2. You’ll free up more time. On average people watch TV for more than 22 hours a week. People waste money when they haven’t got their life well organised, having extra time (the equivalent of two extra 11-hour days a week!) makes that less likely.
3. You’ll do other things. Breaking the TV habit means you cultivate other simple pleasures and hobbies. This dramatically alters your ability to notice and appreciate life’s small gifts.
4. Your kids will learn to amuse themselves. TV makes kids passive and damages their concentration. TV stops boredom but bored kids learn how to keep themselves busy. They read more, know how to use their imagination and get creative.
5. You’ll eat less. TV watchers have a higher BMI, on average, than non-TV watchers. Mindless eating goes hand-in-hand with TV watching. When you’re not watching TV you’ll be more active and snacking less.
6. You’ll have more sex. TV-watching has a tranquilizing effect which is not conducive to arousal. Not sure how that saves you money - but if you’re happier you’re less likely to comfort-spend.
7. You’ll have more conversations. This, and the point above, makes for better relationships, less chance of a costly divorce!
Perhaps this cartoon sums it up nicely:
Perhaps this cartoon sums it up nicely:
We are pretty good in this house, I limit the amount of TV during the week and it is turned off at meal times... now if only I could kick our computer habit!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you've got a sensible approach to the TV problem. And now you've made me feel slightly guilty about how much time I spend on the computer! I justify this because it's usually work, it's interactive not passive and it's difficult to snack while typing.
ReplyDeleteThe day after Boxing Day last year we put our TV on www.freecycle.org. Saying goodbye to the big box in the corner of the room was one of the best moves made in The Wozniak-Kay household.
ReplyDeleteWe changed the whole set up in our lounge. The way the furniture had been arranged seemed to focus around the TV. Now it focuses around the dinner table where we have our meals...and talk...and laugh...and eat delicious food.
Saying au revoir to the TV has bought me more time. Easily an extra day a week. More time for fun. More time for work. More time to be creative.
I still know what's going on in the world. And if I need a soap fix, a moment of nostalgia or Saturday night with Dr Who we hook up the laptop to a projector and watch it large - on the wall. The ultimate in flat screen viewing. With choc ices and popcorn.
I give all the comments made a big thumbs up. Give it a go. Be brave and ban the box.
Thanks Hela - well said. Love your sistersnog website by the way!
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting post!We hardly watch TV in our house so only have small fairly old models (certainly no flat screens or plasmas) and its surprising how many comments this draws. I hate it when a TV dominates a room as it does in most homes now. I think it probably means it dominates their lives too!
ReplyDeleteMy TV is bust and I'm not aiming to repair it too quickly. I can still use the monitor and DVD and I love movies. I'm finding I'm working longer in the evenings, which is a good thing as I'm writing a book.
ReplyDeleteCertainly not feeling I am wasting time which I did frequently feel at the end of the evening. We need to start a 'throw the TV out the window' group.
I agree with every single word of this. We've not had a TV for about two years now, and apart from the occasional snarky letter from TVLA, who simply can't believe that anyone could not have a set (you're either a licence owner or a criminal so far as they're concerned), we enjoy more recreational time (TV watching doesn't re-create anything), more and better sex (see above), we read more, talk more, cook together more....everything is better. We're both big time film buffs and we watch films on an average-sized PC monitor (we don't like going to the cinema with people talking/eating crisps/playing with their mobiles all the time), and we watch the occasional bit of TV via the iPlayers - so we're not 'precious' about it. But getting rid of our TV was one of the best things we've ever done, and I recommend it to anyone.
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