Cutting off tv = Good for your life

[n00bPimp]

Cutting off most technology is actually good for your goals. All these things do is distract you. But they are such an accepted habit in our society that we don't even think we're doing anything wrong.

Actually, tv, music, computer, and games are very bad for your life and, dare I say, your ability to procreate. I think this is the reason why immigrants usually exploit our economy so well and become wealthy, because they don't have the same habits as the average US population.

Check out the following story about the kid who went 90 days without high tech communications. I'm arranging things so that I can take a no tv, radio, leisure internet, video games challenge and maybe some of you can join me:
http://news.yahoo.com/90-days-without-cell-phone-email-social-media-015300257.html

 

[iwanttofight]

Yeah people waste so much time watching tv it is sickening.

 

[Burroughs]

I agree with everything except the music...I'm not getting rid of my daily Zeppelin and Sabbath !!!

Of course if you listen to sh!t like gaga and LMFAO you're useless in any case.

 

[Rubirosa]

I'm not a big fan of TV and have contemplated cutting out cable, but the truth is that TV is a valuable tool in setting up a comfortable enviornment for chicks who come over to your home for the evening.

 

[FairShake]

I dunno if this guy cut off TV. Just social media and cellphones. I'm not too impressed with that though. It's called 1999 and I'm just graduating high school.

Anyway, cutting down on TV is great. Cutting it out is a bit silly in my opinion since it seems like an overreaction. An hour or two a night won't kill you. Especially if you already have a life. I have a kid, a career, a house and stress like you wouldn't believe. Cutting TV out doesn't alleviate that at all. For most people in the world who are living life right now one or two hours is a GD'ed lifesaver. It's better than liquor or drugs!

 

[PRMoon]

I watch quite a bit of educational programs on TV so shouldn't I get a pass?

It's not the device itself that ruins lives, it's the lack of will of the users to do something positive with it.

 

[Vice]

I haven't sat down and watched TV in YEARS. After such a long time and after reading about marketing techniques and psychology, I was sickened and annoyed at commercials and the canned laughter of sitcoms. I'm very sensitive to commercials now, on the radio and on TV, it's like they're invading my mind's personal space.

I do, however, watch movies and have TV show marathons, but the stuff that holds my interest nowadays is much more stringent.

Music is a large part of my life, but I try to listen to it in moderation because I noticed that I take it for granted because it's ALWAYS around you. People now listen to music just so there's noise, and they listen to music in their car just because it's now a habit, not because they're appreciating the artist's work.

Social media feels like masturbation to my ego; and my ego does not like to masturbate at all. It prefers to f*ck.

I spend alot of time reading and applying what I read to further my own goals.

 

[Gaucho]

If you find TV relaxing at times, then watch it. Life is about balance. If your always on the move trying to 'better' your life, your going to have little mind control and perspective. You need times when you are doing what makes you relaxed and where you can think without actually concentrating, if TV does that for you, then you have no reason to disconnect it. The unhappiest people I know who never smell the roses are the same guys who say 'why I am I wasting time' anytime they aren't on the go.

 

[n00bPimp]

I've decided to cut off technology from my life for the next 60 days. Not completely tho, I will keep only what is absolutly necessary. I'm using this as my official announcement that I'm cutting off technology starting 5 minutes from now. Here are the rules that I'll have to follow:
TV - no
Radio - No
video games - no
Internet - 30 mins a week, except for emails, work (my job doesn't really require it that much), and emergency once in a blue moon situations (career research, weather, etc)
Music - 20 mins a day
Video / audio - 30 mins a day, cummulative (If I dont use it one day I can do 1 hr the next) This is only instructional videos that I actually need, such as spiritual related, guided meditation, pick up, self actualization, etc
Cellphone - No text, conversations 5 min max
Movies - No movies except at movie theaters if invited

Unintended exposure is ok. meaning if someone at my place is watching tv or listening to music, its ok. I can also watch a game if my friends are watching (dont wanna be a party pooper), or at the sports bar, and I can go to clubs with music, as long as my intention is to be in a social environment.

I will probably make video blogs about my experience or just update this thread every sunday. This will be an experiment so I dont really know what to expect in terms of benefits or detriments.

Stay tuned!

 

[backbreaker]

it's funny this thread has come up. I realized yesterday that I have literally forgot how to just watch TV.

I am a big fan of the show "the firm" and all yesterday I was talking to my wife about how we were going to watch it once it's Tivoed or what not, and she was like "umm.babe..you know you can just.. cut on the TV and watch it when it comes on" I was like "god dammit you are right lol"

i do not know how to sit down and flip channels anymore and watch TV. I have not done that in about a decade. If I do not hear about a show through the grapevine i'm not watching it.

I watch quite a bit of educational programs on TV so shouldn't I get a pass?

It's not the device itself that ruins lives, it's the lack of will of the users to do something positive with it.

this is me. the only non educational shows I watch are mad men, boardwalk empire, law and order and the firm. I might be missing a show or two overall but that's pretty much it.

I tried to make myself watch downtown abby beucase a lot of people like it, I just don't want to. MY wife, who i would not call a TV nut or anything does watch more TV than i do and that' fine, that's just not me. she has her shows she likes to watch. I have my Hulu plus and my netflix hooked up to my ps3 and I watch teh **** out of documents or I download them to my ipad and watch them while doing nothing. I do play video games though.


I don't consider Horse racing to be TV even though I watch it on TV. that's more like work.

 

[FairShake]

If you watch DVDs (ask your older brother kids), Netflix, Hulu, or educational programs...you watch TV.

People love to brag about not watching TV. There's always a "but" though. People can't admit they watch TV, girls always say "I never go out", people always say "I didn't even study" but the truth is always murkier.

 

[PrettyBoyAJ]

Too much things to be doing to be sitting down and watching down tv. The only time I watch TV is when I'm with a female. If not then I'm trying to upgrade myself somehow(Gym, Books, Self Improvement Forums, Studying for School, In Class) or making money.

When I'm a Billionaire then I'll watch some TV.

 

[Falcon]

A couple years ago I cut off cable and it was one of the best decisions in my life because it later lead to pretty much not watching TV at all. With current technology, it is much more convenient to stream shows or movie on the computer. That way, I can still watch a show and such, but I do it on my own time and when I find it convenient. Not surprisingly, I find it hard just to keep up with one show now, even when I have direct access to it on the internet. I maybe watch an episode every other week.

 

[tj]

I don't think over bingeing on anything all the time is cool.

 

[backseatjuan]

I'm gonna say more:

TV is a weapon in United States. All the news, all the shows, all the hollywood, they all preach a message. A message which makes popular some things and unpopular others. For example it's patriotic to obey president and torture American citizens. You turn on news, and they tell you who to vote for. Example again YOU have a president that's bad. Hey maybe next one will be good, just choose what they offer you.

Who they don't want you to vote for - Ron Paul - is ignored in media, ridiculed, and associated with unpopular. All the while they present you with THEIR CHOICES.

TV is used to steer public opinion. During 8/8/2008 TV said Russia attacked Georgia (country). Reality was the opposite. Presently TV is spinning Syria and Iran.

TV is used to go to wars, make you vote, sell you crap like the official 9/11 story, etc. TV is a weapon.

Finally, in United States, TV makes you watch more TV. Just take the news. All the drama, all the spinage. They don't tell you squat, but it's day long and filled with commercials. To contrast, news in other countries takes 5 to 10 minutes for local and world.


I too turned off TV. But then I went to Russia and for a long time didn't want to watch TV there. When I finally turned on TV, I was surprised and relieved. It's not weaponized here. Movies and shows they show are not for brain dead idiots and it's interesting to watch them. News only takes a few minutes.

More importantly TV gets watched when there is nothing else to do. There is no that moronic behavior like in USA, after work watch TV go to sleep. TV is not addictive here.


All in all you made a right choice by turning off TV. You'll be more healthier.

Now you need to remove fluoride from your water and GMO from you food. Makes you smarter and if you have weight problems they'll disappear by themselves.

They keep asking me here why Americans are so fat, I say GMO.

 

[Mike32ct]

I got rid of TV because I didn't want another monthly bill. I mean you might have a landline telephone, a cell phone, internet for your computer, etc. I don't need cable TV on top of all that.

I don't miss it at all. The tradeoff is I think I spend too much time on the internet. I got rid of one habit and replaced it with another lol.

Also, everything backseatjuan said about American TV is absolutely true.

 

[backbreaker]

i will tell you something else that pisses me off about TV and why it becomes so unwatchable.


beucase americans are idiots.

if law and order, were a new show that the sires premare was this week it wouldn't last one month on TV before being canned. it's "too slow"

over the last few years I have grown attached to a few shows only for them to be canned beucase they weren't raqting good enough, they were too slow or didnt' move fast enough or didn't have enough sex appeal. The firm, LOVE that show, very upscale very good plot line, yeah canned. Prime Suspect. not really very sexy but gritty, decent story lines, I liked it.. canned. law and order CI canned.. Fvcking Rubicon.. i damn near went postal after i found out that show was canned. that pissed me off. that's not efven a GOOD Tv show that is on the same level as mad men IMHO and they canelled the **** beucase of the stupid ass americans won't watch it becuase it doesn't move fast enough



so all you have is slew of crappy ass mind numbing TV shows. even the "plot" TV shows like breaking bad aren't really all that deem and are more action oriented TV because they ave to cater to stupid people who have no concept of charterer development.

 

[Vice]

backbreaker, it's all about making money. And to make money, you need to cater to the widest audience possible, which is a population with an ever decreasing attention span. If you force people to think and wait, you'll lose money. You were mad; imagine being the brains behind that show and having it cancelled because it was "too slow".

 

[Alle_Gory]

Fvcking Rubicon.. i damn near went postal after i found out that show was canned. that pissed me off. that's not efven a GOOD Tv show that is on the same level as mad men IMHO and they canelled the **** beucase of the stupid ass americans won't watch it becuase it doesn't move fast enough

What network was this? Futurama was cancelled even though it was very popular.

 

[Machina29]

I hate TV and radio mainly because of commercials. I absolutely cannot stand commercials. When try to view videos online and there is an ad before it plays, I always either go back or just close my browser.

I don't need them trying to convince to buy stuff that I really don't need. Plus most TV is just propaganda.