To ask if anyone dosent have a Television?

[girlfriend44]

Just wondered does everyone have a TV now and if you don't do you think your life is better for it?
What do you do instead?

I didn't have a TV for years until I moved house recently, and bought one purely so my partner can watch it when they visit. I barely ever have it on when I'm by myself as there's nothing much on television that interests me, and I'm not the sort of person who needs background noise so having it on for the sake of having it on would just be a waste of electricity.

In terms of what I do 'instead'; it isn't really a question of 'instead'. Watching TV has never been a part of my life really so I'm not filling a hole that I've created by not tuning in. I just do all the same things everyone else does that aren't watching TV. If there's a very specific event on or a piece of news I want to watch I'll just go on the internet. The TV set is really just a decorative ornament.

I switched off in October 2020, now the thing sits underneath my desk (I WFH). I am slightly disgusted with myself for the amount of time I was spending staring at the thing. I feel very much that it was put on as a distraction and I would stare at whatever was available, not enjoying or engaging with any particular programme.
Now I read more and I exercise.

No TV here. I’ve never had one, but we do sometimes use a laptop for Netflix. As pp said, I don’t miss it as I’ve never made it part of my routine.

I listen to a lot of podcasts or radio: I wfh some days and prefer there to be background noise.

I guess in terms of spare time I spend a lot of time outdoors (running, walking, gardening etc) or out and about seeing family / friends.

Indoor evening hobbies include crafting (sewing or knitting), reading etc. I don’t feel bored without a tv. None of the rest of the family complain either. We’d probably consider it if they did.

I havent had one since I moved out of my parents house. Ive always read a lot of books so I guess that what I do when most other people would be watching TV. After my son is in bed I catch up on cleaning and life admin then sit on the sofa with a book amd a cup of tea before bed. Any other time of the day im too busy with everything else to really have time to sit down and watch TV or read a book.

I don't have a TV since February.
BBC sounds/radio
Go out a lot

We do have one now.
We didn't for a few years though.
We now have 5 children.
I wouldn't recommend not having one. 😂

Have one but it's literally only ever used for Youtube for toddler for a short kids programme here and there. I watch YouTube a bit on my computer or phone but cancelled Netflix on the TV as I wasn't watching anything.

There are a few programmes I liked in the past but I'm usually a bit tired to focus for a whole 30min episode by the time I've finished work/chores in the evening - I just fall asleep. Instead: being outside (gardening, parks etc) and for downtime a bit of internet browsing/wordle/social media/Pokemon Go, also read books, podcasts while doing something else, etc.

We have one but only DH watches it, the kids watch Netflix etc on their own devices and I never watch it, ever. I work until late, 11pm most nights (self employed) and I read. We go out all day at the weekends.

I do have a telly as a device, but not television. Watched it last time in 2015 and cancelled my tv license in 2019 (I have no idea why I've been paying it this whole time :/). I use it to watch DVDs I purchase on ebay. We don't have netflix too. I never was hooked up to tv, but social media, oh god. I now quit SM and it feels like I have lots of time to spare on other things. I'm back to learning Java instead of mindlessly scrolling facebook, instagram. It feels much better when I don't know what other people are up to. This shit is really addictive.

DH relaxes by blobbing in front of TV in response to stressful job so if I want to spend time with him, I end up on the sofa too, but when he’s away I don’t even go into the TV room. Having said that, the end to the recent Karen Pirie trilogy was bloody brilliant - I’d hate to have no TV at all as there is some truly great TV out there.

I do have one but can't remember the last time it was switched on

I live in Spain so most life is outdoors. Occasionally in the winter I will watch something

I prefer to be walking on a beach instead

I don't have one.

We used to have one and we just watched a load of shite so we got rid of it

Two separate sets of my parents friends have never had one, even when their DC were young. I don’t think they’re missing much!

😅

We didn’t used to have one, but got one a few years ago for the kids - it’s in the playroom rather than the living room. We talk, listen to music, read, do crafting hobbies, use phones / tablets for internet stuff and sometimes watch the TV with the kids or when they’ve gone to bed. I grew up in a house where the TV was constantly on, and hated it!

We have a TV but got rid of the TV package, which means there’s virtually nothing on that we ever want to watch except GBBO so it rarely gets switched on. I tend to exercise (home gym) a lot more in the evenings now rather than flop down on the sofa, which is definitely more productive. Can’t say the same for DP though!

A lot of people say they don’t have a TV but then say “we sometimes watch Netflix and YouTube on the laptop/tablet”, which just means you have a small portable television, really.

I was without a TV for several years and didn't miss it. I would very very occasionally watch a film on my laptop though. On the evenings I was at home I'd just potter, play the piano, catch up with a friend on the phone, read or whatever but I used to be out most evenings so it wasn't lots of time at home doing these things.

We now have a TV but no aerial but have A DVD player and iPlayer on the computer. DD watches a couple of hours of TV in a week on iPlayer and once a fortnight we have a film night on a weekend. It's not that I'm being strict with TV - we just don't gravitate towards it that much.

I think it's better to sit and watch a programme on the TV than to fritter away an evening reading crap on my phone though!

I’ve never had one as an adult (40 years). When children still lived at home we played games, read, chatted, made stuff, had friends round. Now I live alone I listen to audiobooks and talk radio or music, make stuff, play/scroll/chat on my phone, have friends round and since streaming became a thing I sometimes binge watch on my laptop.

Now I want to know about the Karen Pirie trilogy!

Ive never been much for TV, even as a child, but my DH loves to watch the news and “classic” films plus documentaries so it’s important for him. Our autistic son enjoys watching dvds over and over so a separate tv is good for that. I will watch and very much enjoy the occasional Netflix series or film. I’ve just finished The Watcher for example and my dd loved watching Breaking Bad. I dislike watching things on a laptop apart from, say, YouTube. I agree that there is some truly great tv out there.

As just an occasional tv-watcher, I do other things like read, work on the computer, write or - of course - go on MN

No TV. I don't miss it at all. I have a laptop so occasionally watch something on there, but otherwise evenings include cooking, listening to podcasts, reading, chatting to friends, arts and crafts projects, writing, dancing round the living room, going out, etc etc

I've never owned a TV
I read books
Internet
Hobbies
Radio

I've never had a television as an adult. No streaming services or subscription things. I recently spent a few weeks in a home that has a tv. I had a quick look at the listings and there wasn't anything on that I'd really want to watch, so I didn't.

I tend to listen to the radio and read or do other hobbies and activities.

I'd like to watch a good documentary occasionally, but it wouldn't justify getting a tv license. If I really want to watch a film I tend to use pay-per-watch online services, though I don't like Apple or Amazon which limits the choice a little. I used to watch DVDs but I can't remember the last time I did that.

I'm probably unusual, but I know one other person who does things pretty much the same as me.

No TV, not had one for many years, but do use a laptop for watching Netflix or BBC iplayer occassionally. I spend too much time on the Internet though so not sure that is any healthier! I would never sit down and watch anything before 9pm, but I do get distracted reading Internet news articles and scrolling through forums like MN!

Have one now but didn't have one for years. It went from being an unusual choice to not that odd as smartphones and tablets were invented. For example, young people watch 7 times less telly than the over 65s, according to the BBC.

Not having one just means you can't watch things in a group so easily. I think it would only improve your life if you avoid filling the time using other screen devices.

All these people with no TV, do you get lots of threatening post from TVLicensing or do they eventually just leave you alone?