Talking about not having TV is a way to feel superior. http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/01/26/28-not-having-a-t...
Even in the comments! Love it. "Well, I haven't had a TV in..."
A year without TV
61–68 of 68 posts
Re: A year without TV
#62It always intrigues me to read someone's account of how they have given up TV. More often than not, they are just watching some TV show (in this case 24) via some other distribution channel. They are still watching TV just not on TV. Also more often than not, they will degrade some other show as evidence of the disaster that TV is all the time missing the point that what TV programs you watch are a matter of taste an…
Yes, we fall in the group of "alternate distribution channel". We have a TV for movies, no cable. I occasionally watch the last part of football games on it. We do occasionally get TV shows via Netflix, and there's a couple of shows I'll watch online.
We just don't have time to use a full subscription. It's not like we're sitting at home staring at the walls wishing we had cable. So if we paid for it, we'd either not use it (waste of money), or stop doing something we're already doing--which would either be something we like already, or needs to be done. So either way, it just doesn't seem like a good idea.
Re: A year without TV
#63Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's also that many anti-TVers are simply anti-TV-ad-ers, though they don't explicitly state so. Most alternate sources of TV content have fewer ads (at least, of the kind that interject into the content) than TV. Beyond that, about the only thing you can complain about is the timing of what's available / what will fit on your DVR, where you can stream from Hulu or expand your computer's HD space as needed.
Yeah may be true. And I agree it's a problem in the ad heavy US, but not as much other places. Also, just get a PVR, start watching the TV show 10 minutes after it started, and skip the ads if they annoy. There's something you lose if you just go to on demand stuff. TV is an 'event', at a specific time. Kids go to the playground and talk about what they saw on TV last night. I think that's pretty useful socially to h…
This is somewhat true, and it is the reason I started watching Lost. But I just don't think that a kid (or adult) is going to be that socially backward just because they didn't watch a TV show. I mean, sure--you hang out with people who like the same stuff that you do, so you have stuff to talk about normally. Fine. But it's not like you seek out stuff to do just because--not because it sounds interesting--but because you want to be able to talk about it. Sounds like a desperate way to get friends.
Re: A year without TV
#64It's been years for me. Occasionally I find myself watching TV in a hotel or at a friend's house or bar or some such. What amazes me is not how bad TV is, but how good it is. It's enjoyable, stimulating, highly pleasant distraction. There's some really, really good shows. It's easier to zone out with than reading a book or playing a difficult game. Really, TV is pretty good stuff at what it does. Just - my long term…
What's amazed me as my kids are growing up is how easily they learn from TV. Something about the medium just is able to stick stuff into their heads like nothing else. I'm talking about educational stuff at the moment (which is the majority of what they watch), but obviously there's plenty of things to learn from all programming, and not all of the lessons are exactly what you want to be teaching.
Re: A year without TV
#65When I stopped watching TV on a regular basis about a decade ago the biggest thing I noticed was how peaceful and relaxing a quiet room can be. Getting rid of this constant fast paced grind that is linear TV can really be a load off your mind. It's OK to just sit down in a comfy chair and do absolutely nothing other than enjoy your own thoughts. When I visit a friend's house who is a believer in TV as "background noi…
What I've noticed is that programs have gotten more...in-your-face, loud, obnoxious. Kids cartoons now are so frenzied as to be seemingly seizure-inducing. More mainstream fare is more deliberately attention getting. Many many shows are based on public humiliation now, which just completely puzzles me. Obviously it sells very well, but I just don't see the point.
Re: A year without TV
#66Earlier quoted context omitted.
Fair enough. Maybe I was harsh. I just hate the implication that TV is for dumb idiots. I would say if we took the content on the web, and compared it with the content on TV, the web would not come out of the comparison well at all. And yes, if you're interested in politics,news,world issues,etc Question Time is good. There's 100s of other TV shows that are of fantastic quality and well worth watching. QI springs to…
Oh, you lucky so-and-sos who get to watch Only Connect on BBC Four. There is no legal (or even expedient) way for me to watch it here in the USA. Then again, we don't pay for a TV license...
Yeah it's a whole other world. If I was in the US, I probably wouldn't watch TV either. But I'd also quickly go insane.
Re: A year without TV
#67It's been years for me. Occasionally I find myself watching TV in a hotel or at a friend's house or bar or some such. What amazes me is not how bad TV is, but how good it is. It's enjoyable, stimulating, highly pleasant distraction. There's some really, really good shows. It's easier to zone out with than reading a book or playing a difficult game. Really, TV is pretty good stuff at what it does. Just - my long term…
If you like online Risk try http://www.kdice.com ! It is a nearly perfect distillation of the game mechanics of Risk into a game that takes 15 minutes to play. It's also one of the largest public Google Web Toolkit sites. My username is kevin143 on kdice.
Re: A year without TV
#68Earlier quoted context omitted.
People who don't watch TV do tend to mention it at every opportunity. Most of those opportunities are probably situations when the topic of conversation has already turned to television and they are politely excusing their lack of participation. In my experience, the topic rarely comes up. My guess is most people who would care are off watching TV rather than socializing.
I think knowing about popular culture is actually quite valuable. Especially if you're trying to sell to end users as many of us here are. >> "In my experience most people who don't watch much TV are too busy doing other things to bother bragging about it." Like checking reddit, watching youtube vids, laughing at lolcats? ;)
Like:
At work, at the gym, playing tennis, basketball, volleyball, at rehearsal, at a concert, at the opera, at a movie, at the bar, dancing at a club, snowboarding, making dinner, sharing dinner, studying, tutoring, coding, writing, painting, hiking, chatting, fucking. I have active friends.