No More TV!

Okay so this Winter I'm going to attempt a new challenge.

I'm going to take my Television out of my bedroom, and attempt to go the entire Winter without Television.

Besides the Occasional Football games, and out to the movie theatre.

my goal is that I want to read more, I want to study more, I want to be more focused.

I want to spend my time more wisely.

has anyone else attempted this? did you go nuts and kill anyone?

lol wish me luck.

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Comments

dave330i

There's only so much studying you can do continuously. You need periodic breaks to stay sharp. Good luck with your endeavor.

Turgon

xirtlook wrote: »

Okay so this Winter I'm going to attempt a new challenge.

I'm going to take my Television out of my bedroom, and attempt to go the entire Winter without Television.

Besides the Occasional Football games, and out to the movie theatre.

my goal is that I want to read more, I want to study more, I want to be more focused.

I want to spend my time more wisely.

has anyone else attempted this? did you go nuts and kill anyone?

lol wish me luck.

It wont do you any good if you have a games console or WoW habit. Thats sucks up time as well. Quit both and change your life.

xirtlook

I learned to hide/put away the games years ago. Friends dont let friends play WoW, or COD: MW. lol

My "fun" and my "life" will be Sports and the Gym, and occasional outings with friends at the bar, or out to dinner.

looking to change my life for the better, and stop wasting time.

besides reading before bed will help me sleep better, well atleast fall asleep quicker =P

Tackle

I went for 20 years with limited to no tv. Had 13 channels but most were fuzzy, watched the news in the morn but that was it. I think if I had more tv I would not have gotten into IT as I spent a ton of time on my PC. I never played PC games besides a brief 3 month stint with Counter Strike before I was banned for using Wall-Hacks.

It wasn't until about a year ago when I moved out and got cable for the first time.

I'm actually going to be purchasing a bigger TV on Black Friday to enjoy it more! (I still watch less than an hour of TV a day)

You sir, are crazy. Good luck!

JDMurray

The best thing I ever did for getting more rest was to forbid a TV in my bedroom. I think any room where serious computer work is done should also not have a TV. This means I don't plan on getting any reading or computer work done in my living room, where a large TV dominates the room. A radio for background music/talk/podcasts is the exception, especially when working in my garage on networking equipment.

vCole

Unfortunately, my issue is that my girlfriend and I currently live with her parents. (In an effort to save money for our own place & pay off debt.)
My 46" TV is in our bedroom, and my workstation. Only place to sit is at the desk or on the bed. So if she's home, she's 99% of the time watching TV. They're currently in the middle of a remodel so there's no living room either or anywhere else for me to go besides our room. So, I'm having the issue of finding where I can study!

Good luck though!

Tackle

JDMurray,

A TV in the bedroom has been noted to make falling asleep much harder. The bedroom should not be used for anything stressful. Sleeping and time with the lady are the recommended things to use a bedroom for.

I noticed that after 2 years of online courses I completed while sitting on my bed, I did have trouble falling asleep. It has gradually gotten better as I don't use my bedroom for anything except sleeping.

shaqazoolu

I haven't had a TV in my bedroom for about 4 years now. I do have a pretty amazing TV in my living room but I probably use it more for BluRays and video games than I do for watching TV. If it wasn't for football, I would have cancelled my TV subscription long ago. I am still considering it once football season is over.

demonfurbie

my kids have taken over the tv at my house

so i get the computer

MrRyte

I've cut down on TV time immensely. I only watch shows on nature, space, NFL and some local news; and even then I'm cautious not to let myself slip. I never realized how much of a brain-drain TV was till I saw how much time I had to exercise, study and practice guitar. (Though I must confess-the only other time waster that I have is periodically checking Facebook.

)
How did it work out? I didn't go crazy; in fact, I'm much better off for it. Think of all the crap that they put out on the airwaves. How many lame "reality" shows are the networks gonna put out there? How many "talk shows" rehash the same few topics? How many "jugde/justice" shows seem to exploit the judicial system for cheap entertainment? And the two major cable news networks? They have become the megaphones for our political parties. Their "news" is so biased that it's not even credible anymore. And don't EVEN get me started on the sewage that VH1 and MTV puts out now.....

Trust me; you'll be much better off by cutting down on TV time. If nothing else; you'll have a lot more time to invest in and improve yourself as opposed to throwing it away watching someone else.

Sorry for the rant....

ConradJ

TV time for us is limited to one show per evening. At the moment it's Big Bang Theory, Sons of Anarchy and Boardwalk Empire.
If our show isn't on, we don't watch TV. If it is on, we watch that one episode then go on with our evening.
Try that, that way you still get your rest at the end of the day but it's not in excess or otherwise detracting from tasks.

petedude

I think it's largely an individual thing.

There are times I can have a TV going while I'm studying or whatever, and times I can't. It depends on the material and how much focus I need for that particular topic, plus any need for momentary distractions. Sometimes having a TV going means you can look away for a moment.

In general terms, though, I personally don't watch that much TV to begin with, even though my household has one running almost all the time.

My big thing is the occasional DVD. The current guilty pleasure is Smallville Season 4 when I need a break or I'm not feeling up to doing anything.

JDMurray

vCole wrote: »

So, I'm having the issue of finding where I can study!

Other than home, I'm either at the city library or my favorite Starbucks. Possible for you too?

JDMurray

LucasMN wrote: »

A TV in the bedroom has been noted to make falling asleep much harder.

Paradoxically, I find it very easy to fall asleep on my living room couch with the TV on. Go figure.

thall860

We cut the cord about a year ago and have saved over $500. I switched over to HTPC's (which I am addicted) and now we have a HDhomerun attached to the neighbors antenna which we get about 15 channels. Everything we watch is recorded so no commercials plus our son watches stuff on PBS (word world, curious George... "good TV"), not sponge bob!

That has cut down on our TV viewing some, plus no commercials so each show is shorter.

vCole

JDMurray wrote: »

Other than home, I'm either at the city library or my favorite Starbucks. Possible for you too?

Going to see if I can find the library around here (Just moved from RI to CT.) If not, Starbucks it is.

(Only problem is I don't have a laptop or tablet, so I would need to buy physical books to do so!)

onesaint

vCole wrote: »

Going to see if I can find the library around here (Just moved from RI to CT.) If not, Starbucks it is. (Only problem is I don't have a laptop or tablet, so I would need to buy physical books to do so!)

Black friday only a few days away...

I use the local library when it's open (thanks to budget cutbacks), my local coffee shops (there's like 5), and my new found favorite a french bakery where I get lunch and can sit with coffee, studying for hours with minimal distraction. Otherwise, the kids demand my attention and focus becomes difficult till their asleep.

As for the TV, we received one for Christmas a few years back (42" I think) and it sits in the living room. We catch the occasional show, but mostly its for the kids (PBS shows, Little Bear, etc.). If I have free time it goes to education, family, or friends.

Psoasman

After we moved, we never got around to buying a new TV. After a few months, we realized we weren't missing it at all. I do spend some time online, of course, but mainly as study breaks.

docrice

I don't own a TV and technically never have. I've rented apartments which had TVs furnished and on a rare occasion I watch programs when at a friend's house. Otherwise, I live completely TV-free and barely hit the movies these days. I don't find anything interesting on anyway since most of it seems shallow. Discovery shows are nice, but overall my entertainment platform is the Internet (forums, infosec news, occasional cat videos on YouTube, and maybe a little playtime on the iPad). I can see how television can pull you in though with the way programs are presented and emotionally executed for the targeted audiences.

When I'm at home, I'm almost always in front of my screens doing either work, network-related labs, studying a technical topic, etc.. My weekends and holidays are pretty much this. Not very healthy, but I'm chasing that bleeding edge which sadly I'm still far behind on. And I've been doing pretty much this for over a decade. No regrets.

(Translation: when you're not that smart, you have to work extra hard to keep up with your peers.)

So the Internet and work-related subjects is my new TV. If I had a big-screen, I'd probably have Splunk and log tails going on. That would be my football game. Every new "event of interest" is a touchdown.

Blonde, brunette...

SteveLord

Have 4 kids. Need the TV. Most of the time I watch it, it is the kids shows.

cisco_trooper

I have exactly one television. I have had the same TV since 2001. I never watch it unless we rent a movie for family night, and even then it is quite an internal struggle to actually sit there and watch it. I have never been a fan of television. My earliest realizations that everyone was addicted to television and that I was in fact different became apparent as a teenager. My family would huddle around to watch shows like "Home Improvement" and "Roseanne" and I would sit in my room in the basement trying to figure out how I could make use of the Algebra, Trigonometry, Statistics, and Calculus classes I had taken. Yes, I was a freaking math nerd slowly realizing I was surrounded by idiots. Finally, my mother bought a Packard Bell computer. A 486DX2, 66Mhz, 420MB hard drive, 4MB of RAM non-stop computer programming playground. Pretty soon I was writing QBASIC programs to do the math homework. It was much more challenging and I learned a whole lot more about the math that way. Fun times WAY better than watching the dumb broad house wives of New York City or whatever the heck those shows are.

djfunz

I love our TV. It's big, it's HD and it plays very nice with Blu-Rays. Watching Football on it is like a dream. The brain...well MY brain can only absorb/concentrate during studying for about three hours at a time anyway. We all need the periodic break from hardcore studying. What outlet you decide to endeavor in is entirely up to you though. I mix it up. PC gaming, TV, going out with friends or my girlfriend. Gym, sports. All perfectly O.K. Remember everything in moderation right? Too much of a good thing is also not good and that includes studying in my opinion.

Back to TV though. Currently I'm watching:

-Game of Thrones Season 1
-Dexter Season 6
-Sons of Anarchy Season 4
-The Walking Dead Season 1

All FANTASTIC series that have a different something for everyone.

JockVSJock

I haven't owned a tv since 1999, and I don't miss it.

colemic

cisco_trooper wrote: »

I have exactly one television. I have had the same TV since 2001. I never watch it unless we rent a movie for family night, and even then it is quite an internal struggle to actually sit there and watch it. I have never been a fan of television. My earliest realizations that everyone was addicted to television and that I was in fact different became apparent as a teenager. My family would huddle around to watch shows like "Home Improvement" and "Roseanne" and I would sit in my room in the basement trying to figure out how I could make use of the Algebra, Trigonometry, Statistics, and Calculus classes I had taken. Yes, I was a freaking math nerd slowly realizing I was surrounded by idiots. Finally, my mother bought a Packard Bell computer. A 486DX2, 66Mhz, 420MB hard drive, 4MB of RAM non-stop computer programming playground. Pretty soon I was writing QBASIC programs to do the math homework. It was much more challenging and I learned a whole lot more about the math that way. Fun times WAY better than watching the dumb broad house wives of New York City or whatever the heck those shows are.

Ha, Roseanne was banned in our house when I was a kid but honestly it was a pretty good show.

rwmidl

We've got a tv downstairs (50" plasma) and a tv in our bedroom. I usually end up watching the tv in our bedroom since the dvr is downstairs and my wife uses that one. The only time I really want to watch the downstairs tv is during college football season when the Gamecocks are on. Other than that, I don't mind watching tv upstairs. Truthfully, I really don't watch that much tv. I don't find having a tv in our bedroom makes it harder for me to fall asleep. I also read for fun/study up in our room and I just keep the tv off. Right now I'm finishing up Steve Jobs autobiography (which is really good btw).

Turgon

rwmidl wrote: »

We've got a tv downstairs (50" plasma) and a tv in our bedroom. I usually end up watching the tv in our bedroom since the dvr is downstairs and my wife uses that one. The only time I really want to watch the downstairs tv is during college football season when the Gamecocks are on. Other than that, I don't mind watching tv upstairs. Truthfully, I really don't watch that much tv. I don't find having a tv in our bedroom makes it harder for me to fall asleep. I also read for fun/study up in our room and I just keep the tv off. Right now I'm finishing up Steve Jobs autobiography (which is really good btw).

TV is all a bit pointless really. The networks broadcast whatever generates viewing figures to sell advertising and the news channels spin the news to suit their paymasters. Not much on TV I care to watch these days.

rwmidl

Turgon wrote: »

TV is all a bit pointless really. The networks broadcast whatever generates viewing figures to sell advertising and the news channels spin the news to suit their paymasters. Not much on TV I care to watch these days.

While a majority of shows are pretty pointless there are a few shows my wife and I enjoy watching together. It gives us something to do together once the kids are down for the night.

Turgon

rwmidl wrote: »

While a majority of shows are pretty pointless there are a few shows my wife and I enjoy watching together. It gives us something to do together once the kids are down for the night.

Thats about the only time when we watch TV as well. Always a struggle to find much on worth watching. Usually just catch on the news.

rwmidl

I usually watch the news in the morning when I'm getting ready and in the evening when I'm cleaning the kitchen. Beyond that I read the newspaper and catch the news online.

blargoe

We're getting ready to drop our satellite TV subscription too. I'm going to hang on to the NetFlix subscription, mainly for the kids, and I get ESPN3 though my ISP. I get news on my computer. We'll use Hulu for any time we want to watch something more current. That's all we need.