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Original poster

Living without TV

104 replies

biggestbloopers · 27/12/2021 19:06

Just posting this as our TV has broken and I'm considering not replacing it but I'm curious to see whether there are any other families out there without TV and how you find it?

We're a pretty low screen time family (young primary school aged DC) and I quite like the idea of using this as an opportunity to go without it properly. I'm conscious that I don't want the kids to feel left out at school, so was planning on doing it as a trial for a bit to see how it goes. However, the few people I've mentioned it to think we're mad, but surely we can't be the only ones to try it?

OP posts:
ParkheadParadise · 27/12/2021 19:11

No way could we live without a TV.
It's on first thing not that I'm sitting watching it but it's still on.
Dd watches her programmes
My alone time is 7.30 Mon/ Wed/Fri with my wine, crisps and Coronation Street 😂

DebbieHarrysCheekbones · 27/12/2021 19:12

No way

Vbree · 27/12/2021 19:13

God I couldn't live without a tv. Maybe that makes me a bit sad but it's how I relax in the evenings!

Twizbe · 27/12/2021 19:13

My friends don't have a TV. They do have a projector and stream things through iPlayer etc.

I think they only thing they 'miss' as such is using CBeebies as a routine timer. Their kids still get to watch the TV shows their friends do

TheChosenTwo · 27/12/2021 19:14

I wouldn’t want to live without a tv but I know a lot of people that don’t have one.
I don’t see the problem with just seeing how you get on without one though, if you decide you want one again you can just replace it.
We have more TVs than people in our house - 6 for the 5 of us Grin
I watch telly when I’m in bed and we sometimes have family film night. Dc rarely watch the tellies in their bedrooms.

Player20868 · 27/12/2021 19:19

Do you mean a physical TV with working channels or TV in terms of channels? If the set has power you could probably channels from your phone or tablet via the various apps, or just watch directly on the computer/tablet.

We have truly lousy freeview reception where we live but hardly ever watch live TV these days anyway. I think the Strictly final is just about the only live broadcast we've watched all year!

We do have large computer monitors and various firesticks etc though...

Player20868 · 27/12/2021 19:21

*probably cast channels, that should say...

(Oh for a mumsnet edit function!!!!)

Original poster
biggestbloopers · 27/12/2021 19:53

@Player20868 I mean without streaming either. Which is probably the more tricky bit. I remember as a child a couple of my friends didn't have tv. However, that was long before the days of mobile phones / streaming etc, so was perhaps slightly different and easier to achieve.

I'd just like to see whether it means we spend more time together (we do spend time together of course, but I sometimes feel like I use TV when I need to get stuff done and maybe not having it would force us to be a bit more creative). Also, if we watch TV in the evening me and DH tend to just zone out and I realise the evening has gone and we've barely said a word to each other. The kids I knew without a TV as a kid seemed perfectly fine with it, but that was quite a different time, and I'm not sure if it would be quite as easy now.

OP posts:
happysunr1se · 27/12/2021 20:06

We don't watch TV, haven't done for years. We do have a television in the living room, but it's hooked up as a monitor so we can stream/play Switch together instead.
I don't miss TV. If we go to a holiday place with a TV I really struggle to find anything that interests me, I usually end up on the cooking channels.

On Christmas day I went to my mum's house and I found it a bit strange that she and my dad HAD to go watch TV all afternoon when we hadn't visited them for months and thought they might like to...spend actual time together insteadHmm

rifling · 27/12/2021 20:09

We never watch live tv but we do watch Netflix etc on tablets.

rifling · 27/12/2021 20:11

I remember as a child a couple of my friends didn't have tv.
And they seemed to have more fun and be more imaginative than us. I wanted to try it but dh was very much against not having anything. Why don't you try it and see?

User0ne · 27/12/2021 20:13

We didn't have a TV until my mum died 3years ago; now we have hers. I don't think we'd replace it if it broke.

We did stream stuff occasionally before on a laptop and I suspect we'd do so again.

We let the kids - 5, 3 and 9m, watch TV on Sundays (about 30mins that they can choose) and sometimes we'll watch a film with them over a couple of days. We had a week long power cut at the end of November and we didn't miss it.

You can always change your mind and buy a TV later. Feels like a waste getting rid of one later though

onlychildhamster · 27/12/2021 20:15

My DH never had a tv in his life and we don't have it now either. We have a projector. We also don't pay TV license and watch Netflix.

birdglasspen · 27/12/2021 20:17

I grew up without a tv. Highly recommended but of course I was laughed at and embarrassed with other kids knowing, however sister never had this issue. This was early 90’s, most unusual! Sure it did us more good than harm!

RampantIvy · 27/12/2021 20:19

At this time of year with a DH who doesn't like socialising or playing board games, no way. I love reading but wouldn't like to have that or online scrabble as the only options every evening.

I have zero interest in crafts or jigsaws, so what else would I do?

WorstXmasEver · 27/12/2021 20:20

I went without a tv for many years. You can watch anything online really & don't need one.

Whadda · 27/12/2021 20:24

I’ve had no TV for the past two months and could definitely get used to it.

It wasn’t planned- moved house, ordered TVs then there was a delay with stock, then they delivered the wrong ones, and now we’re waiting for stock yet again.

I’ve been watching some things on Netflix/Now/Disney, but really don’t miss having a TV in the house at all.

Original poster
biggestbloopers · 27/12/2021 20:28

@birdglasspen that's my only worry. I don't want them to be made to feel weird. Although I guess we could cross that bridge if that actually happens.

@User0ne that sounds like a really good way of doing it.

@happysunr1se we had a similar experience this Christmas. Went to visit family and everyone spent the entire day glued to TV or xbox and no-one really spoke to each other much!

OP posts:
worriedatthemoment · 27/12/2021 20:29

If you stream or watch netflix etc ofs pretty much the same thing its still screen time

Original poster
biggestbloopers · 27/12/2021 20:32

@worriedatthemoment I'm thinking of not streaming either. That's what makes it a bit more challenging as obviously that's pretty ubiquitously available. Or maybe as someone suggested up thread, just having a certain time each weekend when we do that.

OP posts:
RampantIvy · 27/12/2021 20:33

We still have a TV. The three of us are watching a film right now. It isn't the same sitting huddled round a 15" laptop screen, and the sound quality on a TV is much better.

Larryyourwaiter · 27/12/2021 20:42

Teen DD isn’t a huge TV watcher but she loves to watch a movie with me and have a cuddle. I’d be so sad not to have that.

user15364596354862 · 27/12/2021 20:45

I didn't have a tv for a couple of years. And for those two years every single time somebody came over their first comment would be "you don't have a tv!" Or "why don't you have a tv?" (Even if they'd been before). People just seemed to find it incomprehensible.

That was more annoying than not having a tv tbh.

Notdoingthis · 27/12/2021 20:59

I didn't have a tv from leaving home at 18 until after my 2nd dc was born at 32. I didn't have devices either. I have always been bad at sitting still to watch tv. As a young person I was far too busy. We have one now but I could very easily live without it. I do find it useful for keeling kids quiet though.

Serena1977 · 27/12/2021 21:05

Me and DH wouldn't be able to manage without a Tv. But DD9 and DS8 hardly ever watch it and we still have plenty of family time.

Sport inc wimbledon, documentaries, news, gardeners world, chelsea flower show, strictly, CTM, HIGNFY, graham norton, loads of things and others. We don't watch much in the summer but I still want it there.