[Tiresias]

According to the TV Turn Off Network (formerly TV-Free America) people watch an average of 4 hours and 35 minutes a day. If you watch just 4 hours of television every day (not an outlandish estimate), and live to be 70, it will amount to 11.6 years of continuous television watching.

It makes me glad I don't own a TV.

http://www.tvturnoff.org/

[IceEnclosure]

website won't load. come get me when it works, i'll be watching some awesome television.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by IceEnclosure 

website won't load. come get me when it works, i'll be watching some awesome television.

How many hours do you spend watching TV a day?

[IceEnclosure]

sorry, watching tv. ttyl.

[Sherman Homan]

lol, sorry, oprahs on, gtg.

[Trygve]

I've not owned a TV in more than 5 years. Woohoo!

[IceEnclosure]

Originally Posted by Trygve 

I've not owned a TV in more than 5 years. Woohoo!

seriously.. why would someone willingly deprive themselves of watching Formula 1 each week or any other really cool thing occasionally? I just watched something on Nat Geo HD channel about a dude who free-dives to 550+ feet!!

What's your problem with television that you choose not to have one in your house? Would you feel compelled to watch the junk-food-for-your-brain shows or something? There's really a good amount of quality programming on any satellite/digital cable plan. Also with DVR/On Demand type services available, I think NOT having a tv is just really crazy.

[IceEnclosure]

oops, nevermind. I found a list of suggestions. I've highlighted the ones I'll be doing today. So excited!

TV-Turnoff Network/

Go to the Library or a Local Bookstore

Start a garden

Write a Letter

Take a Walk, a Swim, or a Bicycle Ride

Ice-skate, rollerskate or Roller-Blade

Get the news from the radio or Newspaper

Start a Journal or Diary

Make a Scrapbook or Photo Album

Cook a Meal with Family or Friends

Make paper bag costumes and have a parade

Play hopscotch, hide & seek, or freeze-tag

Learn about the native trees and flowers in your area

Play a Game

Watch the clouds

Look at the Stars

Tutor a Child

Attend Local Plays and Sports Events

Listen to Music

Do Yardwork or Household Repairs

Sign Up for a Class

Sit Down for Coffee (or Tea) and Conversation

Make a friendship bracelet

Visit the zoo

Go to a museum

Study sign-language

Climb a tree

[Dork.]

Should I count baseball in my TV watching tally? For half the year, there's a Mets game on for three hours out of every 24, which I try to catch on TV if I can. (162 * 3) / 24 = 20.25 days of continuous baseball (Add 2 of 3 days if your team goes deep into the playoffs) every year!

Most of the time I'm "watching" baseball, though, I'm really just listening to the game, since I'm doing other productive things at the same time. (If you call posting on ten 'NN productive!)

[SpaceMonkey]

But with no TV, where would my laughter come from if not from this?

YouTube - Maury: 11th parternity test, maybe he's the one?

[mitchell_pgh]

My great great grandfather spend 11 years down in a coal mine...

... I'll take the TV.

[ghporter]

At one point I may have had that sort of TV viewing rate. But when I was about 20 we were both so busy and so poor that we simply didn't have a TV (let alone cable) for about two years. It was a pain for about two or three weeks, then it became "the way things are," and I stopped worrying about it. Many years later, I spend more time using my TV for background music (I have DirecTV and get much of XM Radio's programming through that), or for watching DVDs on MY schedule. Oh, and with work and school, we simply don't have time to dedicate to a specific time for a scheduled series; we're the kind of people that TiVo was made for-we just don't watch enough to make that sort of hardware worth buying.

[Kevin]

I don't own a TV, and I like the smell of my own farts!

But seriously, I own a TV. Rarely watch it. I am more into movies/documentaries/live music shows.

I usually end up watching a lot of things on my 22" LCD for my computer. As the TV I own is an old 19" CRT that I got when I was 18.

I am not into sports, don't like 99% of the sitcom's out there.. and the ones I do, I just download and watch commercial free and trash em.

[realmeatychunks]

But how many years do we spend surfing the net?

[Doofy]

My TV broke a while back, didn't bother to get another one, don't miss it.

For the last couple of months that it worked, it functioned solely as entertainment for my cats (who like the wildlife shows and Red Sonja. Seriously). I didn't watch it at all.

Just about to move house (offer in, waiting on surveys) and it's a weird thought that I no longer have to point the furniture at a box in the corner of the room - made me look at the lounge completely differently.

Entertainment? I have guitars, cats, boobies and you guys.

[Kevin]

I am seriously thinking about buying a 90s 550 now Doofy. Dah-Mut see what you did to me? (I have to have the lopro and aanj, sorry. )

[Chuckit]

Yeah, and you'll spend almost three years on the toilet. Who gives a shit? I don't really think I'd be happier if I didn't watch Heroes or Doctor Who, so why would I stop watching them just because you point out that any mundane activity repeated over many years can add up to a lot of time?

Then again, I do think four hours is a lot. I can't think of any night when I watch that much. If I miss most of my shows and watch them on TIVO in one night, maybe that would be four hours.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

Yeah, and you'll spend almost three years on the toilet. Who gives a shit?

Hee hee I see what you did there.

I don't really think I'd be happier if I didn't watch Heroes or Doctor Who, so why would I stop watching them just because you point out that any mundane activity repeated over many years can add up to a lot of time?

Think of how many hours we waste in our lifetime with just flatulence!

Then again, I do think four hours is a lot. I can't think of any night when I watch that much. If I miss most of my shows and watch them on TIVO in one night, maybe that would be four hours.

Yeah 4 hours is a lot in one day. On the weekend... maybe. But during the week I simply wouldn't have time to watch that much TV.

[Chuckit]

I simply can't find enough shows to take up four hours a day. There are only like five worthwhile series a season + The Soup.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

I'm 26 years old and have never owned a TV in my entire life. I just moved into my new roommate's condo, and this is the first time that I've lived in a place where TV was hooked up to cable.

I like it like that. I grew up reading a lot, and now I have to read an enormous amount for school. I like using them as screems to watch movies on, and I love the idea of the Discovery channel and hockey/basketball games, but my analysis is this: no matter how much "good" stuff is on, everyone just ends up wasting their time watching old re-runs of Seinfeld* or a car chase or something else equally time consuming and ultimately useless.

Thus, I am happy.

greg

*I love Seinfeld. On DVD. Where it isn't bracketed by Friends reruns.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

no matter how much "good" stuff is on, everyone just ends up wasting their time watching old re-runs of Seinfeld* or a car chase or something else equally time consuming and ultimately useless.

TIVO FTW.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

I simply can't find enough shows to take up four hours a day. There are only like five worthwhile series a season + The Soup.

The Soup? You mean that show that goes around and makes fun of other shows on TV? Is that still on? I used to watch it all the time.

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by Tiresias 

According to the TV Turn Off Network (formerly TV-Free America) people watch an average of 4 hours and 35 minutes a day. If you watch just 4 hours of television every day (not an outlandish estimate)

Seriously? Maybe it's just because I haven't owned a TV in years, but 4.5 hours seems like a really, really, really huge amount of time to spend watching TV every day.

[SirCastor]

I rarely watch television. We have one. But it only turns on for the occasional movie
My 11+ years have been spent in front of my Mac(s).

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Kevin 

I am seriously thinking about buying a 90s 550 now Doofy. Dah-Mut see what you did to me? (I have to have the lopro and aanj, sorry. )

Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. DO IT.

[mutelight]

I would say I watch anywhere from 30 mins - 2 hours of TV a day. (sometimes I don't even turn it on) Well at least it is a nice and big TV I can waste away in front of.

[Lateralus]

The idea that watching television regularly wastes time is a misconception. It depends on what you watch. Just like your worth as a 'reader' depends on what you choose to read.

And the people who flaunt the fact that they don't own a TV are just uninformed snobs.

On my days off, I probably watch 6-8 hours of TV per day. But it's always a mix of news, history channels, the science channels, and maybe some soccer.

I've learned more from TV and the shows I choose to watch than I ever learned in public school.

[mutelight]

If it isn't during the season of one of my shows I watch regularly like Prison Break, 24, Lost, Six Feet Under, etc. the only channels I watch are one of the Discovery networks.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by Lateralus 

On my days off, I probably watch 6-8 hours of TV per day.

You need one of these.

[Dork.]

Today's Met game seems like it's 11 years long. Damn Phillies....

[Trygve]

Originally Posted by IceEnclosure 

What's your problem with television that you choose not to have one in your house? Would you feel compelled to watch the junk-food-for-your-brain shows or something? There's really a good amount of quality programming on any satellite/digital cable plan. Also with DVR/On Demand type services available, I think NOT having a tv is just really crazy.

Hmmm... I watch DVD's on my cinema display, get the news online and see no need for a TV. I used to live in the Republic of Georgia and we had little electricity... found that I didn't miss TV.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Lateralus 

And the people who flaunt the fact that they don't own a TV are just uninformed snobs.

On my days off, I probably watch 6-8 hours of TV per day. But it's always a mix of news, history channels, the science channels, and maybe some soccer.

I've learned more from TV and the shows I choose to watch than I ever learned in public school.

I bet ya it'd take you about 30 minutes with Wiki (or similar) to extract the same information that you get from 8 hours of TV. TV is slow.

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by Lateralus 

And the people who flaunt the fact that they don't own a TV are just uninformed snobs.

Hoo boy...

[Lateralus]

Originally Posted by Tiresias 

You need one of these.

Originally Posted by Doofy 

I bet ya it'd take you about 30 minutes with Wiki (or similar) to extract the same information that you get from 8 hours of TV. TV is slow.

So you think people who like to learn only choose to extract information from one source?

Wikipedia is my homepage. I'm quite sure I already use it enough.

Originally Posted by CharlesS 

Hoo boy...

WTF?

I like how we're all bordering on picking at each other in this thread. The simple fact that we're all here having this conversation is a pretty good indicator that we're a little smarter than the average bear. But even with that in mind; Not a one of us has any idea what the person we're debating with is actually like in real life. Yet the condescending, snobby attitudes persist.

So why not drop the shitty attitudes and save them for something in the political lounge?

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by Lateralus 

So you think people who like to learn only choose to extract information from one source?

Apparently you do, since you called me an "uninformed snob" for not having a TV, which is quite laughable.

WTF?

I like how we're all bordering on picking at each other in this thread. The simple fact that we're all here having this conversation is a pretty good indicator that we're a little smarter than the average bear. But even with that in mind; Not a one of us has any idea what the person we're debating with is actually like in real life. Yet the condescending, snobby attitudes persist.

So why not drop the shitty attitudes and save them for something in the political lounge?

Irony much? All I did was say that 4.5 hours is a lot of time to be spending watching TV per day, and then you responded with name-calling. I don't really think you're the one to be talking about "shitty attitudes."

[Lateralus]

Originally Posted by CharlesS 

Apparently you do, since you called me an "uninformed snob" for not having a TV, which is quite laughable.


Irony much? All I did was say that 4.5 hours is a lot of time to be spending watching TV per day, and then you responded with name-calling. I don't really think you're the one to be talking about "shitty attitudes."

Get over yourself.

I said people who 'flaunt' the fact that they don't have a TV. Is that you? I don't know because I hadn't even read one of your posts before my first response to the thread.

Don't be in such a hurry to bicker with me all the time. It'll make things more enjoyable all around.

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by Lateralus 

Get over yourself.

There's that irony again.

I said people who 'flaunt' the fact that they don't have a TV. Is that you? I don't know because I hadn't even read one of your posts before my first response to the thread.

Well, I mentioned that I don't have a TV about halfway down the thread, so I assume that your attack was pointed at me as well as the other 2 or 3 people who mentioned not having a TV in the thread.

Either way, your name-calling is not exactly an effective form of debate.

Don't be in such a hurry to bicker with me all the time. It'll make things more enjoyable all around.

Hey, it's not my fault. If you say ridiculous things, expect to be called on them, especially if they involve personal attacks. Claiming that people who don't watch TV are "uninformed", as if TV were the only way to gain knowledge, or even a particularly good one, is laughable, simple as that.

[Chuckit]

Not that I want to compare sizes with anybody, but I think Lateralus' "uninformed" remark was referring people who bash TV as being entirely worthless and accuse those who watch it of being brainless couch potatoes (unlike the enlightened few who read). I think you'll find there are such people.

[ghporter]

It is a common "cultural badge" for self-styled "intelligentsia" to boast of "not having a television in the whole house..." usually followed by a rundown on how huge the house is, how old or historic it is, or some other indicator of the shallowness of the individual. I've heard about it for years and years, and it's at least as irritating to me, a person who watches "Dirty Jobs" or "How It's Made" about as much as "CSI" (read "very occasionally") to have some snob gloat at me about how much better than me they are, when they are almost always obviously incapable of doing really complex things like tying their shoes.

So Charles, I would never have even considered connecting Lateralus' statement to you. You're one of the people around here who seems to have his head screwed on fairly well-a rather scarce commodity in the Lounge.

[Mastrap]

The only time I've got the TV on is in the morning, for weather and news. We remodelled the kitchen/dining room today and I am very tempted to get rid of the small kitchen TV entirely and just listen to the radio. The big TV I watch maybe once a month. We've got the TV in the den, so the living room is designed for friends and company, not for watching a box in the corner.

[nredman]

my main tv habits are - football, the history channel, the discovery channel, and espn.

i wish we could order only the channels we want and pay $5 a month

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

I bet ya it'd take you about 30 minutes with Wiki (or similar) to extract the same information that you get from 8 hours of TV. TV is slow.

QFT.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

It is a common "cultural badge" for self-styled "intelligentsia" to boast of "not having a television in the whole house..." usually followed by a rundown on how huge the house is, how old or historic it is, or some other indicator of the shallowness of the individual.

QF

No TV = shallow person. This is the most ridiculous and insupportable correlation ever. You will remember that I did not say people who watch TV are stupid. All I said was 4 hrs 35 mins a day adds up to 11 years over 70 years and that's a hell of a lot of TV when, let's face it, there are better things we could be doing.

But your counter-attack on the no-TV camp is so wobbly it inadvertently supports the argument you mistakenly think I was trying to make.

[iREZ]

Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey 

But with no TV, where would my laughter come from if not from this?

YouTube - Maury: 11th parternity test, maybe he's the one?

no matter how many times i see this, ill never get bored of it.

[- - e r i k - -]

I'm one of the "uninformed snobs" that don't own a TV. Yet I watch all the shows ever worth watching either from DVD, podcasts or automated bittorrent subscriptions. It's just more convenient for me to watch it on my 24" iMac whenever I want it, with no disruption from ads (making televisions for a living puts you off watching them in a non-work setting) or otherwise.

I do own an EyeTV which provides me with free to air HDTV, yet in the year I've owned it I have watched two full shows. It's really only to connect my consoles.

Is TV worth watching? Sure! There are heaps of great intelligent TV. And I can even understand the desire to tune your brain out for some decidedly unintelligent TV. Same with any other media really. It's just that the format TV comes in (ads, annoying graphics, interruptions, presenters and in a linear stream you have to schedule your life around) is completely inconvenient to me.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - - 

automated bittorrent subscriptions

DIrty!

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - - 

It's just that the format TV comes in (ads, annoying graphics, interruptions, presenters and in a linear stream you have to schedule your life around) is completely inconvenient to me.

QFT

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Lateralus 

The idea that watching television regularly wastes time is a misconception. It depends on what you watch. Just like your worth as a 'reader' depends on what you choose to read.

And the people who flaunt the fact that they don't own a TV are just uninformed snobs.

On my days off, I probably watch 6-8 hours of TV per day. But it's always a mix of news, history channels, the science channels, and maybe some soccer.

I've learned more from TV and the shows I choose to watch than I ever learned in public school.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Lateralus 

So why not drop the shitty attitudes and save them for something in the political lounge?

Why have them in there either I say.

Certain people took your post wrongly. They knee-jerked. I don't think you said anyone without a TV was a snob. At least I didn't read that. I read it as anyone without a TV and then acts superior and pretentiously condescending to other people that DO own TVs, act like snobs. And it's true, people do do this.

That is why my first comment was "I don't own a TV, and I like the smell of my own farts!"

It reminded me of that South Park episode where Stan's dad buys one of those eco cars and starts being all self righteous and starts liking the smell of his own farts (A reference to him thinking his **** doesn't stink)

[JonoMarshall]

Judging by the thread's content & responses, I think we should all get out more...

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Tiresias 

QF

No TV = shallow person. This is the most ridiculous and insupportable correlation ever. You will remember that I did not say people who watch TV are stupid. All I said was 4 hrs 35 mins a day adds up to 11 years over 70 years and that's a hell of a lot of TV when, let's face it, there are better things we could be doing.

But your counter-attack on the no-TV camp is so wobbly it inadvertently supports the argument you mistakenly think I was trying to make.

WTF? I was replying to CharlesS' assertion that Lateralus was attacking him. I really have no idea where the above came from. I have indeed come across people who try to "elevate" themselves by boasting of having no TV. These are the same sort of people who "know all the right people" (according to them) and otherwise boast about stuff due to their actual lack of anything useful to say. I thought I was being exceptionally clear about whom I was calling shallow.

Yes, 11 years is a lot of time. Absolutely no argument. But whether you spend that time watching TV or surfing the Web or reading literature, it really doesn't matter. What matters is being well enough rounded to be a functional human being, and if that means you get lots of good stuff out of TV, fine. The dolts I was referring to are shallow and empty, with nothing to boast about of their own doing, so they boast about something they think makes them sound lofty. That is ALL I was saying.