That is the question over at Emmie's place. Go read her thought-provoking, non-judgmental piece on living without television. All of her posts are good for the brain, but I found this one to be particularly noteworthy.
I'm not ready to give up my TV, but I do think about how I want to handle "screen time" as the kids get older. I can't wait for family movie night, but I dread the commercials and marketing that are a part of regular network programming. I'm grateful that TiVo, Netflix, and portable DVD players make avoidance of the rampant "you must have this" commercialism so much easier these days.
There's still a lot to think about, though. Kudos to Emmie for being a TV radical and sparking some discussion.
Moi
- Snickollet
- I'm a mother and a widow, and a whole lot of other things. Here, though, I tend to write about parenting, grief, and their intersection.
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6 comments:
I've though / blogged a lot about the relationship I want my kid to have with the TV (partial custody, visitation rights, restraining order). = )
We are currently sans TV, but we'll watch DVDs on our laptop (thus avoiding commericals, letting us chose the program, and cutting down on the actual time spent watching the show).
I thought it would be a lot harder than it was - but, really, having silence or music is nice!
When we moved into our house we got rid of our cable, we get two local stations, one in Spanish and the other with so much static it isn't worth watching. We do watch movies, I like having one playing in the background, even if I'm not watching it or even interested in it. I think part of the reason for us to get rid of cable was the expense, it wasn't worth the expense when we were watching so little of it.
Thanks for the link. As I posted there, I haven't had a TV since the Kid was in kindergarten, and it has been a good thing for us overall-- although I would've missed Sesame Street and some of the other PBS shows if we hadn't had TV when he was younger.
I have the utmost respect for people who don't let their kids watch TV. Personally, I tried and didn't last very long. I guess I can say, I wish I could resist. But I give in pretty easily when I need a break. I am in awe of people who are able to resist!
Recently had tv service turned off because I had scheduled to have service with a different company. I got my dates all wrong, so the service has been off for almost 2 weeks and I have to say it is lovely.
If I hadn't just indulged in a flat screen (that I cant return since I tossed the box) I would probably keep te service off and go TV - less. Anything I DO watch can be downloaded from itunes.
Personally I don't watch tv. I wish I did sometimes as I am always so out of it socially. "Did you see the season ender of ...?" Uh, no.
My kids (twin girls 9, and son 14) watch an hour or so a night. Not a big issue around here. Kids are happier to play with their friends or draw (the girls) usually. I appreciate the tv for their wind down time.
When they were all young I relished the hour or so they watched a day. It was MY time! Mind you usually spent doing something exciting like cleaning house..
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