Do you leave the TV on for background noise?

[PawsForTea]

Do you only put the tv on if you're going to sit and watch it or do you leave it on for background noise while you work or do housework etc?

I used to but around Brexit we started listening to LBC and the habit stuck so now I tend to have that on during the day rather than the TV.

I love tV and as I have become older and my job more challenging, I watch more fluff. I am very old so remember the amazing adaptations of classics the BBC use to do in the late 90s in the afternoon/evening slots. I now use radio for background noise, mainly 5live unless it is sport so may stick on a podcast or radio 2. I do not think this is snobby, just that I watch TV in a different way now. I am mainly at work in the day but if wfh I will have the radio on. Just to add, when my DH died, keeping that background noise on became really important and comforting. Radio feels more intimate, but v annoying when presenters change!

When I was a student, we all had This Morning on in the background but it was Richard and Judy days and it was a different beast. Vanessa and Trisha were not the horrific freak show that made way for Jeremy Kyle and things like Homes under the Hammer or Escape to the Country were quite new and less hackneyed than now. Bloody loved the original Coach Trip format and also 4 in a Bed and Come Dine with Me. When they have new 4 in a bed episodes on I still watch them on catch-up.

We only put ours on when we want to watch something. I love silence so have nothing playing instead.

No but my MIL does - has done for the 35 years I have known her . I find it so annoying and rude to be honest .

I was referring to being alone in the house, not when there are visitors.

I put it on in the evening but only half-watch, I scroll or read a book at the same time. I only watch TV properly if it’s a drama or something that needs full attention. I don’t think it’s intrinsically more worthy or ‘intelligent’ to have radio as background noise rather than TV. If I’m out for a walk or shopping I listen to podcasts, similar principle, I like to have more than one stimulus. When I work I have music.

I live by myself, I like silence most of the time but like to have voices sometimes. I don’t have it as background when visitors are here.

I have it on from Homes under the Hammer, until bedtime. I’m on my own since DH died and the TV stops the house from being too quiet.

Low intelligence lol.
I don't do it, but it's up to others what they do with their TV.

Low intelligence habit..what does that even mean???
How is radio better than tv if you are just listening to it?.
I quiet often put a news channel on while im at home doing other stuff just as background noise.

I do sometimes but it’s got to be something I have zero interest in or I keep stopping to listen or watch. What I’d really like is the news (so it’s quite a steady voice) in a foreign language (so it can be as exciting as they want but I won’t know). Or just someone reading an audiobook in a foreign language would be good but I don’t have access to any.

What if the tv is showing a number of high brow BBC4 history documentaries and the Radio is ‘Hitz UK LOL’ with car showroom adverts?

Disclaimer - that may or may not be an actual Radio station.
Also, it doesn’t need to be a history documentary. It could be something about Greek myths.

No, I think I just wasn’t really brought up with the TV on all the time. But I do like to have noise around me when I’m doing things in the house, I tend to listen to an audiobook.

This thread is engendering such parody Mumsnet responses.

I frequently do. There’s nothing inherently wrong with it at all. People are ridiculously snobby and sanctimonious about it for bugger all reason. It must just be low self esteem people trying to feel better about themselves.

No. I couldn’t bear it.

No and if I’m in a waiting room and the tv is on I find it so irritating.

From what I’ve been told, there is very little difference in electricity use between a TV being on, and being on stand by.
And no, there’s no on/off button, you use the remote to put it on stand-by, and the remote is very temperamental, hence the problem.

I find this overstimulating and just hate the ‘noise’. At least with the radio I hear music and can dip in and out with listeners and still understand what’s happening. Tv only goes on if we are actually sitting down to watch something.

I disagree entirely.
There is a lot of conversation and a lot of books read in my home but my husband will leave tv on sometimes until i turn it off.
I prefer peace.
I do agree it's rude when having visitors .

No, never. If I've got a long task to do (decorating etc) I will put either Radio 4 or an audio drama on. But never just sound for the sake of it. I hate that. Makes my ears buzz.

Nope, also was brought up to turn it off if you have visitors. That seems to have gone by the wayside these days. I’m old!

have the radio on or listen to podcasts if I’m pottering about. And sometimes just silence as rarely get that these days!

No, as if I find something interesting I stop what I’m doing and watch. But radio is on all day at hours as I can carry on doing whatever I need in the house and listen simultaneously!
Also our tv has the embarrassing ‘are you STILL watching?’ function. Which makes me feel guilty 😬

No, if I am doing cooking or housework I will have the radio or a CD playing. We will have a dvd on when we are in bed with the picture off and a timer on cos the sound helps us fall asleep. MiL has this weird habit of having the TV on all the time but on mute, then she will read the paper or a book. Why have it on at all then?

I'm not a fan of daytime TV so I don't put it on until around 4ish in the afternoon at the earliest.

If I want background noise, I have the radio on, I much prefer it.

‘Daytime tv’ doesn’t have to mean Holly and Phil style, it can be the BBC News Channel though.

No. TV only goes on in the evening.