Do you live without tv?

[Scarscar]

Does anyone here live without tv? What’s it like? What else do you do with your time instead? Was it a wrench when you first de-televisioned? Would you recommend it?

I am considering it, but will still have unlimited internet access on my smartphone and a tv licence, so won’t be completely cut off from the screen world if there’s something really really good that I want to see.

We don't have TV. But we do have screens and Netflix, so I don't know if that counts?

Don't miss TV at all, but we enjoy watching films or box sets when we are tired

We don't do anything special in place of TV. We are in the garden alot, out with dog, swimming, out with friends, games, drawing, making goddamn slime, I knit, homework etc...normal stuff

It doesn't count as no TV if you're watching Netflix etc on another type of screen. That's just TV for the modern age.

We have TV, but only watch probably two hours a week at most (more in school holidays). We're out and about a lot. We read and play board games. The DC are all musical and arty so do a lot of that.

I think the difference between 'normal' TV and Netflix is that with normal TV, people tend to put it on and then flick about watching bits and bobs, from my experience, to fill up time.

With Netflix, I think you turn it on to watch the film or episode and then turn it off?

But yes, it isn't the same as having no screens

I personally don't have Netflix etc. and really dislike watching things on a tiny phone screen. So although I would still have access if I needed it, it would literally be on a very odd occasion, like wanting to watch live if we ever land on Mars.

So I don't mean swapping up my 32 inch tv for my phone. I would be going months at a time without watching tv.

Only you know if you'll miss it. How much do you watch now? What do you watch? What are your reasons for wanting to get rid of it? Why are you keeping a TV licence but not a TV?

We go months in the summer without watching anything. And watch much more often in the summer?

Turn it off for a week or two and see?

I'm really just after other people experiences of how they find living without a tv.

It always amuses me when the kids I teach boast of never watching TV and then list the eleventy billion Netflix/streaming series they watch.

I have Netflix and a telly. And Amazon prime thingy.

Since Christmas I've watched Pride and Prejudice on NF, the first episode of the McCann documentary on NF and Dirty Dancing on the real telly.

In the past I've literally not had a television set for a couple of years and didn't miss it.

I do find though that during tough times telly is nice and escapist iyswim?

I don't have a tv and haven't had one since 2007. I do have netflix and amazon etc. What it means is I never have that thing where its on in the background or you just sit down and find you have gone down a rubbish tv rabbit hole. I also think it takes 'electrical energy' out of a room and makes the whole house seem calmer. I can't prove that one though!

It also makes watching more intentional. So I tend to sit down at about 8.30pm ish and watch a programme I really like.

So far in my weekly rotation is The Good Fight, Real Housewives of NY and Project runway. With my husband I watch a film and/or box sets usually at the weekend. So proably watch about 5 - 7 hours per week.

It does mean that I don't catch certain programmes but if they are good enough they get talked about eg Killing Eve.

I have a TV, but only ever use it to watch the occasional football match (as in, less than once a month) and global sporting events such as the World Cup, and Olympics. I don't watch films or TV series/documentaries ever.
I spend most of my evenings glued to my PC, so a sort of equivalent to watching TV but just not watching actual programmes.

We have tv but i dont watch it aimlessly. Only watch particular shows so we mainly stream those.

Even so, i would miss it. Its my little bit of escapism, and something DH and i do together. We love settling down of an evening with a nice drink, snacks & a good show or movie. Since he works most evenings, or we're out at various clubs it always feels like a treat.

I would say, although we hardly ever watch the TV I wouldn't get rid of it. I like it for the World Cup/Olympics etc as pp said. It's also invaluable at times when I need to keep the DC quiet and in one place. It's very rare (mainly just if I'm sick!) but it is great for those times!

Our TV fell and broke at the weekend and we aren’t bothering to replace it. We watch Netflix on the MacBook if we feel like it. I haven’t been a major TV watcher for years.

I don't watch. TV, it's been over 2 years now and I don't miss it a bit. I thought I'd miss the dramas but from what I read about them I don't
regret not seeing them.
I have music or the radio on all the time now and I do a lot of reading on the internet - nothing in particular just what happens to take my interest like Mn, the newspapers and Pinterest.
By the way I live alone if it's relevant.

I didn’t have a TV for 2 years, but did have streaming services we’d watch on an iPad. We watched significantly less TV, only watched very specific things...no mindlessly flicking through channels. Now that we have a TV again, we still basically watch it like we did when we only had the iPad. It definitely changed our habits going without for awhile. It is nicer to watch Our Planet on a big TV than on in iPad though