People that Say they don't watch TV

[Aquarius1234]

OMG so annoying. Esp those that lie.
You do watch TV so stop making out you spend all evening not looking at a screen!
Or those that say they never watch movies or go cinema. You then find out they go twice a year.
Watching sport or netflix counts as watching tv regardless if you watch it on your laptop or not.

That deserves a thread of its own 😅

It just amuses me that the OP cares so much about what other people do.

Watch TV (however you define it) or don't watch TV (however you define it) I am not the least bit bothered. Do what you like.

As a non TV watcher, non movie goer, non streamer, non every other loophole mentioned in this crazy thread I am more irritated by those who don't believe me and go on and on about it. Boring.

You're not who this thread is about

For the seemingly hundredth time - she doesn't care what people do - and this thread isn't about people who genuinely don't watch TV! 😂

She just doesn't understand why people are so determined to pretend they don't watch TV when they blatantly do watch it.

Maybe those posters who keep claiming they don't see the fuss and think the OP is unreasonable because obviously they don't watch TV and why doesn't she understand that etc etc should start watching TV as all the bloody reading they have been doing instead of watching TV is clearly having absolutely no impact on their comprehension skills.

Yes, it seems that (most) people think there's something superior about not watching TV. Or watching much TV. Or watching DVDs. Or streaming. Or whatever form of watching it is.

And it isn't as simple as if you watch TV you don't read. Or vice versa.

I just think people who don't - read or watch TV - miss out on a lot of really good stuff.

And as I said - I find the fact that she cares so much hilarious!

No the thread isn't about me but I'm sure she thinks I'm lying because no one could possibly live without TV now could they!!!

If you think that is hilarious you might actually explode when you discover TV comedy

I find it hilarious that I have better reading comprehension even with English not being my mlther tongue than half of people on yhis thread.

Nobody is talking about people who really do not watch TV. The conversation is about people who say they do not watch TV but they actually do.

I mean, I am pretty sure B2 level English student would understand that

OP has never said she doesn't believe that some people don't watch TV.
She also doesn't care whether people watch TV or not.

She just wants to know why so many people lie about it. It's really not that hilarious or that complicated

Your very strange tho.. lol
Do you play the piano or violin and listen to the wireless?

Almost everyone who trots out “I don’t watch TV” is a liar and they are saying it to try to project something about themselves.

The tiny minority of those who truly do not watch TV or any form of screen are very likely to have significant issues.

Either way, when someone comes out with this I mark it as a red flag and the person is one for the watching from there on.

The tiny minority of those who truly do not watch TV or any form of screen are very likely to have significant issues.

I know a few people who genuinely watch almost no screens and basically I agree with you

It’s not a bad thing at all to moderate screen time and to avoid unconscious, vegetative screen watching for hours on end. I would always advocate limits and alternatives.

But I think people who go so far out of their way to avoid exposure to something which is at the centre of the way many people work, are educated and entertained for the sake of it are being self destructively puritanical and it has more to do with neurosis than any real practical goal.

I know a couple of people who have tried to recreate a kind of ersatz Edwardian childhood for their children: board games, crafting and walks/exercise and no room for screen based entertainment at any time.

Not only does it look absolutely exhausting (and is basically only possible if at least one parent doesn’t work), it also strikes me as counterproductive because the taboo factor about screens just makes them incredibly attractive when the children concerned come across other children who do have screens. And risks making their children very alienated from most of their peers and leaving them struggling to learn technology at school.

I don't think people not watching anything has issues. Horses for courses. Same like with people who watch a lot

"And risks making their children very alienated from most of their peers and leaving them struggling to learn technology at school."

I agree that it's not good for children to have an upbringing where they are not exposed to normal things, but it's fine for an adult to not watch TV at home. Presumably, even those who don't have their own TV will occasionally watch something if they visit someone else or at the cinema.

We have good friends whom we love but the woman half of the couple says almost every time we speak - if we recommend a TV series, for example - "Oh, we never watch TV, I'd be happy not even to have a set in the house". The male half says nothing of the kind.

Invariably, later in the conversation she will bring up programmes they've watched in the last week...They have subscriptions to Netflix and Britbox, too.

I watch tv now but didn't watch it for 6 years in my twenties. As in: I physically didn't own a tv, and netflix/youtube/smart phones didn't exist yet.

I like streaming, I didn't/don't like mindless watching without being able to pick it out myself or being able to pause it. Maybe that's what people mean?

Even with freeview one can choose what they want to watch. Not having streaming service doesn't mean people just put random channel on and mindlessly watch whatever is on it even if they don't like it though.

@Gwenhwyfar

Of course, adults can suit themselves. I don’t think a lack of regular tv viewing has a negative impact on quality of life unless you have nothing else to do.

But deliberately and systematically choosing to exclude a child from such a major cultural touchpoint, in the apparent belief that this is somehow enriching their lives, seems perverse and selfish.

I knew a girl when I was at school who was only allowed to watch the BBC channels (presumably commercial tv was insufficiently intellectually enriching). That struck me as an extraordinary piece of nanny state arrogance on the part of the parents.

What a silly comment. I would find someone who has such a batshit reaction to someone not sharing their hobby far odder than whether or not someone watched tv.

In our childhoods, absolutely that would have been a big deal, but I don’t think that many children watch tv now at all. DS, who is almost 11, doesn’t, and none of his friends seem to — their screen touch point is playing Xbox games together. If I forbade him to watch tv, it would currently have zero negative impact on his life.

I agree with you completely.
However, I've seen the 'BBC only' thing quoted here on MN many times by women talking about their own childhoods. Snobby mothers I think!

"In our childhoods, absolutely that would have been a big deal, but I don’t think that many children watch tv now at all."

They watch videos on YouTube and TikTok don't they?
Imagine not knowing about anything outside your own friends' and family...

I unplugged my tv at the beginning of the pandemic. No way was I watching boris everyday and having all that fear poured into my kids
I moved it and unplugged it from the arial thing so we can’t watch it even if we wanted to
I don’t have Netflix. I hate sport
they can watch dvds as I still have a DVD player and they play Xbox or whatever
but no. No telly here- genuinely