I now put most of my free time and energy into other things ( various projects ) which ultimately boosts my income, although i could still be even smarter and ditch internet and computer games altogether, television was the biggest time waster so quality of life is most definitely improved without it.

i’m actually looking at retiring within the next 2 years, something that never would have happened had i still been glued to the tv set.

Personally, I think the trick is to use it only for occasional entertainment, and not let it be a drug. In this mode it can be a source of food for thought especially if one chooses shows which tend to be thought provoking. But those thoughts happen in the time AFTER it goes off when I mull over what I have just seen and think about it.

Internet usage is IMO best used on this same premise. Not one video or site viewed on and on one after another; but stopping and taking time to ponder and consider what one views and which information is really adding to my life rather than just becoming another addiction.

It takes control and mindfulness…something I admit I have sometimes lacked. But its benefits are found in using the tool wisely (in a fashion which really adds to your life).

And I suppose it really helps me that I no longer even like the standard fare shown on TV. I’ve mostly been watching the old Star Trek series (which contains some thought-provoking subject matter and has an idealism that seems to have become passe), and sometimes a station called LinkTV — which brings unconventional ideas into my living room and serves as a door into other cultures.

There was a period when I didn’t own a TV and don’t recall missing it. I’m getting ready to ditch the cable and HDTV.

People are shocked when we tell them we have no tv. It’s strange how we have gotten to a place where people think that going without tv is impossible. I agree with all that you say above. It robs you of your time. It’s a form of consumerism. You passively consume information and ideas that come at you without really processing them. Your not making choices, forming ideas, or having to think. When you rent a DVD from netfilx or go on the internet to watch something, your actively making decisions about what you want to see and having to think. You have to go and get it, it does not come packaged to you. I think that makes a big difference.

I found that I was unhappier with tv. As a friend of mine use to say, “The best way to get you to buy something is to make you unhappy with what you have.” It seemed like a good lot of tv is about making you unhappy with what you have.

I mostly read now. I actually prefer books over movies now. They are so much more in depth and satisfying.

While in college I rarely watched any TV. Besides the occasional movie or youtube video, I was just too busy trying to flirt or impress girls.

Now that I have a solid job and an apartment alone, I find myself watching more TV again. It might be the fact it makes me feel like I am at home again with mom and dad.

QUOTE: “… the closer you get to middle class values and neighborhoods, the greater the preponderance of silent streets; all you see in the evening are empty streets with a faint blue hue emanating from behind the curtains of every house. UNQUOTE

Ha, ha … excellent stuff!

Those of us in the UK have to pay about £10 per month (US$14 I think) to the BBC for our TV licence. Another reason to get rid of the TV.

On the other hand I also echo the sentiment that the Internet can be equally insidious if left unchecked. I can claim to be using it in an intentional, active way, but really, a lot of those YOUTube vids and such really add nothing to my life.

I’m trying to figure out an Internet diet and would love to hear others’ experiences/ideas in that area.

Later I created a rule to not have a TV in the common room except for preplanned events. This prevented the problem of sitting in front of the TV during dinner and channel flipping all evening. Now I have a rule that I watch only pre-recorded TV. This prevents the mindless TV watching as well and also means I never see commercials (except at Superbowl parties).

I do now spend too much time in front of the computer. And even though a lot of that time is spent learning things, there comes a point when it’s time to actually apply some of what you know. I once made a New Year’s resolution to actually do stuff instead of just reading about it.