What are you views on not having a tele in your home?

Question

it has some positives and negs

for me a plus is that it helps the kids to study better

*a neg is that if they dont watch it at their home then they will go to someone elses house to do it....

thats not too great..

Answer 1

I could do without it.  You can get your news from newspapers and the internet-- better sources anyway, in most cases. TV for the most part has the potential to become a huge time waster in a person's life.

My husband loves it though... so we have one; and we try to limit the kid's use of it.

Answer 2

We got rid of our hookup about 3 years ago, when our 7yo didn't want to do anything but watch Boomerang 8 hours a day.  (We didn't let him, obviously, but that's all he wanted to do.)  A week later, he thanked us for it and told us it's the best thing we could ever have done.

We still have a television, but it's not hooked up to anything but the DVD player.  We watch plenty of documentaries, educational movies, and just plain for-fun movies.  We are thinking of getting it hooked back up, now that he's in middle school, just because of the shows on channels like Animal Planet, Discovery, and The History Channel that we could get.  However, we haven't missed it, and he doesn't really want to watch it at his friends' houses.  He will, to be nice, but after that half hour show he's generally asking to do something else.

Answer 3

If your children are home schooled you may find that they are going to feel very isolated if they have little view on what is going on around them.  The TV has it's place and if you are care full there is no reason why it should interfere with studying.  It can also be used as a study tool as there are now many fantastic programmes about the planet, history etc.

As for them watching it at other friends houses, they will, and you won't be able to stop that.  Like everything, if you ban it you crave it more.  They will always find a way!!

Socially within their peer groups it is important for children to appear normal.  Without a TV at home the child will have their lives thought of as weird, and if they are home schooled as well it makes things even stranger to the average kid.  Unfortunately, as it has always been, if you are deemed to be odd,different or strange you are picked on, sad but true.

The answer is probably to have things in balance and you have control over when, what and how much is watched.

Answer 4

Well, you certainly don't need a TV, but it sure comes in handy when you want to watch movies at home instead of going to the theater, watch the news, or see a certain program for a school assignment. I know some people who don't have TVs, and they do just fine. It would depend on your needs.

Also note that if you have a TV, you can put limits on it. I know a nifty lock that you can put on your TV cable that prevents you from plugging it in unless you know the password to remove it.

Answer 5

You will find yourself with more kids if you get rid of the tele .

Answer 6

For our family, we have a television with cable and two without (with DVD players). Starting two years ago, our children had unlimited access to the TV, they could watch anything at anytime. And do you know what happens?

They get bored. They realized that there was very little on TV that was appealing. Grownup shows aren't fun, they are a waste of time. Cartoons are boring because it's just repetition. All the teen nick and disney shows follow the same story line. It was a wonderful learning process.

They saw that mom and dad neither one choose to watch much TV (although we both love the Discovery channel and the History channel) In the end, they don't watch much TV now. I don't have to worry about them sneaking off to watch it  (which I did, because I wasn't ever allowed to watch TV. I also snuck out of the house because I wasn't allowed to see my friends. How unsafe is that? I'd rather KNOW what my kids are doing and not approve than try to say they can't, because they will find a way)  

I also don't have to worry that once they are on their own they'll fall victim to the TV, like that poster above who's husband only watches TV. I did that as well, when i went to college, I would skip classes to watch day time TV. When any item is restricted, it becomes more valuable. It's basic in economics and it is basic in human needs.

Now they have one or two shows that they really enjoy and they can CHOOSE to watch, rather than feel compelled to cram in any sort of nonsense that is on in the hope of getting their fill.

Answer 7

I have always thought this was carrying PC to far. There are lots of educational programs on TV and in general it helps kids to learn about the world.  It makes sense not to let the kids have TV in their bedrooms so you can monitor what they watch.

Answer 8

We have a television and sometimes I feel like blowing up the stupid thing. Hardly anything ever gets done because the husband favourite pass time is TV. Don't get me wrong I enjoy watching movies and the odd program but I do agree that it is a distraction.

When I was a child we hardly ever watched TV, we spent whole days outside playing.

I would allow the children 1 hour of viewing a day during school days, their choice. The library is a good place for children to spend time on rainy days or any days for that matter. Books are so much more fun! The key is not to deny them TV, it is to make them see that there is so much more that can be accomplished other than sitting down in front of the tube and learning stupid things from "Family man".

Well, I could go on forever, alas, time and space are of the essence.

Be well, Cheers!

Answer 9

Personally I can do without it, and I spend little or no time actually watching TV.

The quality of, and  the content of regular prime time TV programs is to far below any minimum standards we would set for our family.

That being said, you have to be discerning, and not trow out the baby with the bath water.

We do use many of the programs on the varies history, science, National Geographic, and other wonderful channels that can give you plenty of good programs to use for fun, and educational purposes.

Parents have to be in control of the amount of time spend in front of the tube, and remember that there is an off button for those programs that they find objectionable, or interfere with family, and study time.

We use even the news, and some of the programs that have little or no decent, or useful content as a teaching/discussion tool to debate right, wrong, and how many of our society, as well as their friends may be influenced by these, and the consequences of this.

Answer 10

Without a TV, kids would grow up thinking everyone lived in nice warm, semi detached houses, and got their food delivered by Tesco. Instead of seeing that some people live in mansions & some live on the streets & eat from bins.

They wouldnt realise that in Zimbabway the locals chased off or killed white farmers then moned because they didn't have any food!

Kids would not see News & docomenteries. Documenteries are a bountifull supply of information.

Though spelling has never been my strong point. :-(

Answer 11

I couldn't live without a tv lol sad I know but it's my way of relaxing after work just to chill out and watch my progs

Answer 12

I'd have to go for no TV but yes to DVDs and things. You can then have some movies or shows to watch but without the endless stream of TV that's available when you can just switch it on. You can also get educational DVDs teaching a wide range of subjects.

Answer 13

I know families who don't have a TV and the kids don't rush off to other people's houses to watch it, so I'm not sure where you got that idea from or if it's been your experience.

We have TVs in our home and it doesn't affect my kids' studies at all. Why? Because we've placed restrictions on how much time our kids can spend in front of it.

I don't have a problem with having a TV in our home. It's not abused and is a great form of entertainment when we do want to just hang out and relax. Plus, there are some great educational things that we get to watch here and there!

Answer 14

I did not have a television for most of last year, and I was fine without it. I have a TV now, but only watch a few hours a week, and tend to be very selective what I watch. I did not really miss it all.

Answer 15

It would be very difficult for me to be without a tv at home, after so many years, although I admit that I do watch it far too much!

Answer 16

i need my tv i need to watch all my programs otherwise i would be qutie bored. i dont watch daytime tv just after 6 to 9 or 10.

Answer 17

my mom didn't allow us to watch tv on school days.  i didn't suffer any. in fact, when i have kids they are not watching tv on school days either.  forget teachers giving assignments that involve watching the news.  they can read the newspaper and get the same information.

oh, and they won't be going to someone else's house to watch tv either.  parents should control where their children are and when they're going.

Answer 18

u need a tv a house would look bare without one

Answer 19

Well, the telly can be a great time waster but it can also be a great educational tool.

We have TVs but do not have cable - just rabbit ears.  We get two network stations - three when the weather is just right. :-)

We mostly use the telly to watch the local news and to view videos that we choose.