It’s amazing how much free time I’ve had this year without television in my house. What’s even more surprising is how much my life has changed as a result.
It’s been almost a year since I moved into my apartment and made the choice not to pay for cable/digital, etc. television. At first I went without television because I wanted to cut down on basic spending costs. Then I realized I had much more time on my hands.
In retrospect, I now see how addicted I was to all the TV shows, most of them being crappy productions, at best. In fact I’m embarrassed to admit that at times I would have passed up a social event so that I wouldn’t miss the next episode of “Rescue Me,” “The Closer” or certain other shows.
I’ve also realized that a lot of human interactions/conversations revolve around television.
We talk to eachother as if the lives of celebrities, the plots concocted by coffee-hazed writers, and the deaths of fictional characters actually mean something.
Yet I bet you can’t look me in the eyes and tell me that when you are on your death bed you are going to be thinking about all the wonderful TV shows you watched. No… you’ll be thinking about those people you’ve loved and the memories you’ve had with them.
Looking back now, I can see some subtle changes that have happened in the last year partly as a result of my decision to go TV free.
Without television programming to occupy my time, I’ve …
1. befriended neighbors. Not all of them, but at least a few couples in my general neighborhood. And I’ve made friends with a really cool guy down the street who loves Scrabble more than I do. Yay.
2. crocheted a large blanket and many other things.
3. taken my dog on more walks, longer walks
4. frequently visited my favorite nature spots (i.e. my favorite tree and favorite water views from national parks) to read, sit and stare or just breath in the clean, fresh air.
5. spent time in downtown Takoma Park just hanging out in the restaurants and on park benches with people
6. devoted more hours to socializing in downtown D.C. (volunteering as an usher for the Shakespeare Theatre, dancing, making friends, going to museums, going to festivals and other things).
5. dished out plenty of extra money for good books, dinners with friends, Netflix, clothing, crafts and yes, for drinks.
6. listened to dozens of books on CD while I would crochet
7. become addicted to the CBC’s “As it happens” radio show, which comes on for an hour on NPR at 11 p.m. every night
8. realized that TV was just one in a big pack of binkies (distractions) I have used to keep from handling the things I really should address and overcome about myself, my habits, my relationships and my spirituality.
9. finished three big jiggsaw puzzles
10. read nearly all the books on my shelves that I’ve been meaning to read for years
11. started experimenting more with cooking foreign dishes
12. had more long phone conversations with friends and family
13. had time to start a blog
14. spent more time with work and college friends who live nearby (i.e. David, Valarie, Christopher Z)
15. been able to feel when my body is getting sleepy at night (without any coffee in my system for several years and without the stimulation of television)
While there are probably more things and more factors that went in to these developments, I think I’ve made a pretty convincing argument for going another year television free in my apartment.
What do you think?
Esther now-and-then-some 
August 8, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Hey lady!! Yep I’ve been tv-free also for about a year and a half now. 🙂 Can’t say I’m getting more done at home, but I am definitely out and about more and interacting with people more. Plus I don’t have the added depression of knowing all the negatives the news likes to spread. Sorry but unless it’s happening in my own neighborhood, I’d rather read about it on my terms….as in: “Gee, I wonder what’s going on in Maryland right now…I think I’ll go look up Maryland news online” instead of sitting vegetatively on the couch having some tv announcer telling me their version of the news going on all over the country.
Of course I don’t want to be locked in a closet unaware, but I also don’t want to be forced to hear about it all the time when I could be out doing other things…as they say – ignorance is bliss…right?…well ok to some degree.
BLAH – anyway glad I’m not the only one avoiding the boob tube…but sometimes it’s nice to sit down and veg out just the same….but isn’t that the whole point of netflix? 😉
August 8, 2008 at 8:25 pm
I’ve often thought about venturing back into the TV-free life, but my wife won’t have it. I don’t think TV is evil, and there is a lot of quality programming out there (Dexter, for one). Still, as you pointed out, a TV-free life is a good one. I had one for about four years when I was younger, and I was very productive with my time back then.
But as you said, a lot of life revolves around TV. When I was in my TV-free life in high school, I felt a little left out when I’d go to school the next day, and people would be talking about what had happened on Seinfeld or Friends the night before.
Everyone should try the TV-free life at least once, but there’s also nothing wrong with watching TV.
August 9, 2008 at 7:43 am
I tend not to watch TV when I’m alone. When I do, it’s because the husband is around. Lately, we’ve been turning it off more and more when we’re occupied with other things — him, with World of Warcraft, me with the internet or a book.
Now that would be the real test for me: a year without internet…
August 9, 2008 at 11:43 am
I have been pushing no TV in my house but have not gotten anywhere.. I would rather just order the shows I want on iTunes and on DVD. I have however stopped watching a lot of TV starting last year, now spending much of my time on the Internet and photography and reading. Its been good. Good to see that the NO TV plan is working for you.