What is the point of no TV but watching movies?

[heart4pooh]

I have a client who has never owned a tv, computer or cell phone!! She says that when technology comes to a screaching halt she and her husband will be just fine To each their own I guess. She's a very nice person and volunteers a lot and takes fun classes to keep her busy. She reads a lot and gets her news from the newspaper. She goes to the gym everyday, gardens when the weather is nice and visits historical sites and museums for fun.

 

[wenrob]

First, let me say we do have TV reception AND we pay Comcast a pretty penny for the privilege.

But, I can kinda see why people don't have TV reception and then rent movies. It's much easier to limit TV time when only movies are being watched. Not too many children are going to watch the same movie over and over and over yet again on the same day. With different programming available, on 200 channels, there's always something new to watch; even if you aren't really interested.

Most kids will watch the same movie over and over especially the toddler/preschool set.

I have an Uncle and DH has a cousin who both paint TV to be evil, will never own one it's a brain sapper etc. Yet when each of them have stayed in my home you couldn't peel them away from the TV. My Uncle has actually stood next to the TV with his ear to the speaker while the rest of the family was having a conversation. DH's cousin would not take the hint that we'd like to go to bed (we gave her our room and were sleeping in the living room) and stayed up until 3am watching TV. This was after making a comment about how my kids were being raised because the TV was on.

I've got no problem with people who don't want a TV in their home, personal choice and all that but don't judge me then show yourself to be a huge hypocrite!

 

[golfgal]

In many cases I know it is a religious thing.We had neighbors once that demanded we kept our curtains closed so there kids could not get a glimp of our tv and the sins that were displayed there.

Did you laugh in their face .

I have a client who has never owned a tv, computer or cell phone!! She says that when technology comes to a screaching halt she and her husband will be just fine To each their own I guess. She's a very nice person and volunteers a lot and takes fun classes to keep her busy. She reads a lot and gets her news from the newspaper. She goes to the gym everyday, gardens when the weather is nice and visits historical sites and museums for fun.

What, does she assume we will go back to neanderthal times? How does she get to all these great volunteer opportunities, riding her dinosaur? .

I could live without tv quite easily, the rest of the family, not so much. I would NOT want to live without internet though. Advances in technology is what helps make a civilized society and I am always mystified by those that shun technology. Feel free to move in with the Amish or some tribal culture in Africa if technology is so evil, me, I prefer running water and electricity thanks.

 

[Disneyadore]

Did you laugh in their face .

Our neighbors never last longer than a few hours and thank god these hated us so much they left instantly.
I really felled sorry for the kids. Growing up in a "cage" built by there own parents must be very hard.

 

[golfgal]

First, let me say we do have TV reception AND we pay Comcast a pretty penny for the privilege.

But, I can kinda see why people don't have TV reception and then rent movies. It's much easier to limit TV time when only movies are being watched. Not too many children are going to watch the same movie over and over and over yet again on the same day. With different programming available, on 200 channels, there's always something new to watch; even if you aren't really interested.

You must not have kids....

 

[Planogirl]

They would really wonder about me. I have the TV on almost constantly even though I rarely watch it. I like the background noise.

I see nothing wrong with TV as long as people do other things too. There is a lot of garbage of course but there is also great programming. But to each their own.

 

[browneyes106]

Did you laugh in their face .



What, does she assume we will go back to neanderthal times? How does she get to all these great volunteer opportunities, riding her dinosaur? .

I could live without tv quite easily, the rest of the family, not so much. I would NOT want to live without internet though. Advances in technology is what helps make a civilized society and I am always mystified by those that shun technology. Feel free to move in with the Amish or some tribal culture in Africa if technology is so evil, me, I prefer running water and electricity thanks.

I agree with that. Technology can be bad in many ways like kids/teens always texting, people with Internet addictions and other similar problems. But technology brings a lot of good to the world. Cell phones can bring some security to people while driving on trips or if you got stuck in bad situation somewhere. I can't really imagining not having a cell phone at all today. My aunt just got a tracfone for emergencies only. She isn't big on technology but her kids convinced her to get the tracfone to use while she travels.

I couldn't live without the Internet or computer either. Sometimes the Internet will provide more information on news stories newspapers do. The Internet sometimes makes it easier to keep in touch with people.

I don't think TV is necessarily bad. Many TV shows if they are written and acted well can be viewed as high forms of art. There are certain reality shows that I can't stand at all. But I just avoid the shows I don't like.

 

[NewDCLGuy]

We are in that camp. But it has nothing to do with children. We like the fact that we are never just watching TV, flipping through channels, etc. We only watch what we've planned out and are really interested in. Makes for much less TV watching, and much better. The only thing we miss are live sports, but that's what bars are for.

It's not for everyone, but I highly recommend trying if you get the opportunity. If you are thinking of switching from cable to satellite for instance, take a break in-between. See if you really miss it.

 

[tzolkin]

We got rid of our satellite service last summer, but we do watch some TV/movies through Netflix and hulu. (We don't get any local channels either.) The cost was a big factor for us, but we honestly just didn't watch tv that much. And usually anything I actually did want to watch I could never sit down at that time. (A lot of shows start at 8:00. My kids get ready for bed then, so I would always miss at least the first 15 mins.) Or when I wanted to watch TV, there was nothing on that interested me.

It's just so much nicer to sit down when I'm ready and just choose something that I want to watch.

It works for the kids too. We only turn the TV on to watch something specific, rather than just sitting in front of the TV flipping through the channels.

I have the TV on almost constantly even though I rarely watch it. I like the background noise.

I'm the opposite, which is why I prefer not to have the option of leaving the TV on.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

To each their own, I see no big deal with this.

Agree. I have all the movie channels and Netflix. My kids hardly watch TV.

Now my youngest will watch some of my shows with me at times but for the most part if we had no TV she would not even care.

 

[LilyWDW]

In many cases I know it is a religious thing.We had neighbors once that demanded we kept our curtains closed so there kids could not get a glimp of our tv and the sins that were displayed there.

And did you reply "why the heck are your kids looking in my window!?"

I have a client who has never owned a tv, computer or cell phone!! She says that when technology comes to a screaching halt she and her husband will be just fine To each their own I guess. She's a very nice person and volunteers a lot and takes fun classes to keep her busy. She reads a lot and gets her news from the newspaper. She goes to the gym everyday, gardens when the weather is nice and visits historical sites and museums for fun.

Wow... I do all of those same things and still have a tv, computer, cell phone, and more! Well, okay, I don't go to the gym everyday but I would need to add cooking and baking to that list. I guess it would all even out.

 

[luvmy3]

You must not have kids....

Or a tween who is completely obsessed with Twilight

 

[NHdisneylover]

We turned the satellite reception (the only reception we could get) off the summer the kids were 7 and 9. We were going to be travellign a lot and figured we would just forgo TV for those months and turn it back on in the fall. We did not miss it that much so we never turned it back on (we were in that same house for another 3 1/2 years after that). It saved us about $35 a month.
We had had 3 at a time on Netflix before we shut of the TV reception and we kept that at that level.

Besides saving money, we liked it because any "TV" viewing was purposeful. None of us were every just watching whatever was on and flipping through channels. We still watched lots of movies, and rented entire seasons of TV shows but it was always something we really wanted to watch and not just whatever was on. The net result was less viewing in general and a tendancy to find other thing to do (play games, read) before turning to the TV.
As a bonus we did not see adds.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Agree. I have all the movie channels and Netflix. My kids hardly watch TV.

Now my youngest will watch some of my shows with me at times but for the most part if we had no TV she would not even care.

My oldest is like your youngest. When we turned off our TV she did not even notice for almost 4 weeks She watches the occasional movie, but even then she often leavs halfway through "to go do something interesting." The onlly 4 TV shows she has ever wanted to watch were all things we got on DVD (and all but one was already long since canceled): Star Trek the Next Generation, Family Ties, The Muppet Show and The Hustle (that one is still in production I think--it is a BBC show).
DS likes movies and TV much more, but he generally prefers movies himself.

 

[Bob NC]

Maybe in many cases it's not WHAT they are watching, but, instead HOW they are watching.

Perhaps it's:

90 minutes watching a movie

VS

Spacing out in front of mindless chewing gum for the brain all day.

 

[ElliePeters]

We did this when we cancelled cable, all we had were movies to watch.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

well, Twilight isn't exactly the worst thing a younger child can watch. there's no blood, no fangs, no sex, no nudity, and very little violence. so that doesn't make me go when someone says they allow their children to watch it(now the acting and the storylines are a whole other story lol). now if you told me they don't allow tv beacuse of the content, but let their kids watch something like True Blood THEN you'd have me going

i guess i can kind of see where they're coming from. Netflix is $9-$12 a month and you can rent as many times as you want, and you can also watch certain things online as well. which is obviously better than $80+ for cable or dish.

and tv shows come out just under a year after the season ends. and you can watch as many episodes as you want.

 

[golfgal]

well, Twilight isn't exactly the worst thing a younger child can watch. there's no blood, no fangs, no sex, no nudity, and very little violence. so that doesn't make me go when someone says they allow their children to watch it(now the acting and the storylines are a whole other story lol). now if you told me they don't allow tv beacuse of the content, but let their kids watch something like True Blood THEN you'd have me going

i guess i can kind of see where they're coming from. Netflix is $9-$12 a month and you can rent as many times as you want, and you can also watch certain things online as well. which is obviously better than $80+ for cable or dish.

and tv shows come out just under a year after the season ends. and you can watch as many episodes as you want.

I agree, if they are doing it for cost savings it makes complete sense, if they are doing it for content, it makes zero sense if they are watching inappropriate movies. There is plenty of good tv out there and even with cable/satellite it doesn't mean you HAVE to watch shows you don't like.

 

[terri01p]

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

well, Twilight isn't exactly the worst thing a younger child can watch. there's no blood, no fangs, no sex, no nudity, and very little violence. so that doesn't make me go when someone says they allow their children to watch it(now the acting and the storylines are a whole other story lol). now if you told me they don't allow tv beacuse of the content, but let their kids watch something like True Blood THEN you'd have me going

i guess i can kind of see where they're coming from. Netflix is $9-$12 a month and you can rent as many times as you want, and you can also watch certain things online as well. which is obviously better than $80+ for cable or dish.

and tv shows come out just under a year after the season ends. and you can watch as many episodes as you want.

So you haven't read books 3 & 4 then? There's plenty of violence in Eclipse and lots of sex in Breaking Dawn.