Lance is one of my new friends in Raleigh. We've seen each other at church each weekend, eaten a handful of meals, and dabbled in the local music scene together. So far, I think a lot of Lance. And then he dropped, the big one on me.
They don't own a TV. Haven't for 12 or 13 years now.
Wow. I was blown away.
The reason for ditching the box? There wasn't much worth watching. They were busy and didn't have time for it anyway. Over a decade later, they don't miss it. They aren't completely out of touch either. Lance reads the news every day online, they watch movies on the laptop, they are even fairly conversant about sports and tv shows. Lance told me that you'd be surprised how pervasive tv is (even as one hummed on nearby in the restaurant we were eating at).
How do people react when they hear about his abstinence? They usually talk about their own watching habits. Two refrains are most common:
1. I don't really watch that much tv.
2. We need it for sports.
He usually just says ok and lets the conversation continue.
Don't get me wrong. Lance isn't an activist about this. He doesn't think tv is evil and isn't trying to convince anyone. He's simply living out his choice. Makes me like him even better.
Every year Lance attends a conference for work and stays in a nice hotel complete with a nice tv. Does he watch it? Yes- for about an hour. Then he thinks- oh yeah, same old stuff- and clicks it off.
Am I giving up my tv? Probably not. Although I could stand to unplug more. By the way, Lance's biggest curiosity about people who watch tv is "How do they find time to get anything done- like reading?". "We don't", I told him with a smile.
How about you? Ever thought about getting rid of your tv? How long do you think you could go without it?
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Would You...Could You...Ditch The Box??
Posted by Fred at 8:35 AM
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4 comments:
If I had to choose between the tv and internet, I'd definitely go with the internet. The internet allows the user to dictate what content is being displayed and when it's being consumed.
I'm a huge sports fan so I don't think I would want to give up my tv for that reason alone. Sports are a metaphor for life so it does have something to offer.
We went without cable for six years and I used to think that I was so deprived.
As my Christmas gift last year I got cable and was so excited, but I still pretty much only watch cartoons.
But for me tv is a companion, I hate the sound of a silent house. It makes me feel lonely.
Yes, I could ditch the box. Jeremy couldn't!!! ;) Actually I've said lately that if I had access to ABC, NBC and CBS and Netflix I'd be perfectly fine. Having TiVo has really narrowed down what I feel I really, really want to watch.
I don't read nearly as much as either Lance or Lisa. Then again I read purely for entertainment or self-help stuff. Which is the similar to what I watch on TV. :)
By the way, ask L&L how much "screen time" they have in a day/evening. ;) Isn't You Tube becoming a mini version of what's avail on TV? I'm not a You Tube girl so I truly have no idea.
-Jenn
When Chris and I got married we decided we would go the first 4 months - no TV. I had my doubts if we would be able to keep our commitment - but we did. I'm so glad we decided to drop the box. Because we decided to start our marriage w/out the box - w/out realizing it we set a habit for ourselves...a good habit. Even to this day we don't feel enslaved to the TV. We will watch DVD's, but rarely TV shows. Now don't get me wrong we do have our favorites we find time to watch - The Office, Lost, and Chuck. But we find that we have time to do lots of other things. I think it's a good challenge for all newlyweds to try at least 1 month w/out the box. :)
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