thinking outside the boob tube

As mentioned in an earlier post, the apartment I'm moving into in June is much smaller than the one I have now. So I'm thinking that one of the items I'll likely definitely leave behind is my clunky old TV. It really is old (30+ years), takes up too much room, and needs at least ten minutes to warm up before the sound and picture kick in. I've decided that since I only have four channels anyway, and most of the shows have had their season finales, the summer would be a perfect time to see if I can go without TV altogether. Mind you, it's amazing what you can now watch on your computer, so it's not as if I have to be completely cut off. Plus, if I get desperate, I could always get a new (and much slimmer) one.

But what's funny is how the idea of being without an actual TV is making me a bit anxious. And if I'm honest with myself, I have to admit that TV has become a bad habit. Like junk food, I reach for it when I'm bored, stressed, or want to put off what I don't really feel like doing, even though I wouldn't otherwise watch those shows. And once the TV has been turned on, it's easier to leave on. So can I go cold turkey? I plan to listen to the radio more (CBC Radio One to be exact), read all the unread books on my bookshelves, and hopefully blog more. Much more. Think I can do it?

Comments

[krissa]

Oh, let me tell you, it sucks to lose your tv. We haven't had tv since we moved to Germany. (There's a whole extra story there about living in Deutschland and having to pay to own a tv). We do have a little cd player with a built-in 3" black and white screen, but watching stuff online is way better. Unfortunately for me, all my favorite shows ("The Office", "Earl", "How I Met Your Mother", etc. etc.) are in fact online, but you can't watch them outside the US!!! (or maybe North America?). Anyway, I miss my old shows SO much. But I knew I would. You might also want to have your tv just so you can play tapes to watch. I did that for a long time when I didn't have cable. I lived near a really good library that got new movies a lot, plus I had tons of my shows taped and movies, etc. Well, good luck anyway. You might do a lot better than me without tv! :)

[have gone vegan]

Well, I'm going to give it a shot as I'm not bringing my old TV with me, and during the summer months I should be okay, but come September I might break down and buy a slim version. Or not, snort. I'll take my DVD player in case I can't live TV-less, but would really like to give it a shot.

What a pain that you can't watch outside of the US! I kind of thought that with the Internet being global and all.... But it figures you'd have to pay in Germany just for the privilege. *rolls eyes*

[krissa]

Actually, CBS and NBC are blocking the outside of the US access, I think. But yeah, if you own a tv in Germany you have to pay a fee to the government. Same for radios and radios in cars and computers, etc. - And I just found out a couple days ago that "Earl" got cancelled!!!! Even though I haven't been able to watch it, I can't believe it. :( ... Good luck tv-less. I'm sure you'll breeze through! :)

[have gone vegan]

Hmmm, not sure about breezing. I've been trying to wean myself off of TV by not having it on for two nights (still watch the news during the day), but am finding it really hard! Even with no shows that I actually want to watch. So I'm hoping that by not having one in the house at all, I won't have a choice and therefore won't miss it. I think what I do is reward myself in the evening with an hour of two of TV after I've done other stuff, and it's become such a habit, that I haven't come up yet with another way of treating myself.