Minimalist Lifestyle Living Without Tv

Discussion in 'Living on the Earth' started by minimalistgeneration, Jul 15, 2013.

  1. Laci

    Laci Members

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    The thing is, as far as TV, it's about how you want to spend your time.

    I enjoy watching television to learn about things. I enjoy watching medical, historical, and animal documentaries and being given a glance into the life of others. On the internet, I enjoy talking to people I may not have had access to before, being able to quickly look up questions I have or varying topics. The internet is faster than going to the library and getting a book. If I can get something done quicker, I have more time to experience other things.

    What really grinds my gears is when someone can't get off their cell-phone. For example, if I'm spending time with a friend and they're sitting next to me texting someone else. It makes me feel like they aren't in the moment and have other, better things on their mind than spending some time with me.

    But in regards to minimalism- I think living with the minimum is a wonderful way to build gratitude, to save money, as well as several other benefits. Personally I'd rather live in a small house with second-hand furniture and clothing but be happy with my life than spend all my time working to make money to pay for things (big house, nice car, new furniture, latest fashion, etc etc etc) and then have no time to enjoy those things because I work all the time. That's what minimalism is all about for me.
     
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  2. AceK

    AceK Scientia Potentia Est

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    TV is 99% crap, and some 75% of that crap is repeated reruns of crap that youve been unfortunate enough to have seen already.

    I think ive seen the 1% of stuff worth watching .. i like science/educational/ history stuff and it seems like theres less new episodes of shows like that so it always seems like ive already seen it when i watch it.

    Plus i cant stand the amount of crappy commercials that are usually at a higher volume than the show. Ive seen the same commercial run 3 times back to back! I can sortof understand having commercials if the TV is over the air (i.e free), but when you have cable you have to pay for it, and i think its ridiculous to have to pay that much money to get to watch commercials. your actually getting screwed twice that way, they make money from the commercials and then have you pay for that bullshit too!
     
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  3. Tyrsonswood

    Tyrsonswood Senior Moment Lifetime Supporter

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    Haven't owned a TV for over 20 years... Not sure how this is considered "minimalist".
     
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  4. Pieceofmyheart

    Pieceofmyheart Grumpy old bitch HipForums Supporter

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    That's not saying much if you have the internet...and a fancy cellphone.
     
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  5. Tyrsonswood

    Tyrsonswood Senior Moment Lifetime Supporter

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    I have internet, but not for watching TV or movies... Never owned a cellphone.
     
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  6. themnax

    themnax Senior Member

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    i really don't see how it would be minimalist to live without cell phones, television, or automobiles, if you could live with computers, narrow gauge railways, and little people sized houses.

    its all a matter of perspective and priorities.

    today of course, most people need a vehicle of some sort to get away from cities, but a lot of that is do to having to buy the land.

    we could all live very well and happily, i believe, without this idea of trying to impress each other by making everything needlessly big.

    i find more gratification, making things on this computer, and sharing them on the internet with the world, then in the rest of the house where i live, or the rest of the city i feel a prisoner of by not indenturing myself to a car.

    i'd be less of a prisoner were there more public transportation, going further and less expensively then there is now. built to minimalist form factors, so that there more easily could.

    television is of course about excitement. if i'm weird, so be it. but i really find craftsmanship, especially that of micro-technologies, far more gratifyingly interesting then any source or amount of excitement.
     
  7. gingeroot

    gingeroot Members

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    I always though TV wasn't bad it just depends how you use it. The only time I was allowed to watch whatever I wanted was Saturday morning cartoons. Other than that it was only PBS the rest of the time. We had a rule about not watching TV alone at night.

    Other than that TV could be a great social event. Some of my best memories were going over someone's house and we'd all watch a movie together, in the summer we would do it outside. My best friend wasn't allowed to watch TV either so we'd get together sometimes and sneak watching a movie together and laugh and have great fun.

    TV is a tool like anything else. You can use it to bong and educate, or to lock yourself away and not care.
     
  8. TheGreatShoeScam

    TheGreatShoeScam Members

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  9. TheGreatShoeScam

    TheGreatShoeScam Members

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    Free WIFI no cable but I think I spend more time in front of the screen cause the internet is way better then cable Television.
     
  10. StellarCoon

    StellarCoon Dr. Professor

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    I don't even watch T.V. A good radio is nice to have though, I can and do listen to it all day.
     
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  11. OldDude2

    OldDude2 Newbie

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    Someone explain the difference between having a TV and having Internet.
    Posting you don't need a TV on an internet forum is just bogus dude!
     
  12. gingeroot

    gingeroot Members

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    One of the things my community did that I still highly agree with was that TV/Movies themselves aren't bad. Just when they take the place of human connection. We had TV bad it was considered a sin to watch it alone. Movie nights were big things. I have fond memories of watching movies with others in our community. In the summer we'd set up this big old console TV from the 80's outside. Have popcorn and sweet pea pods passed around and watch a movie together. Even when my best friend and I would sneak off and watch movies we weren't supposed to we did it together.
     
  13. tumbling.dice

    tumbling.dice Visitor

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBV51t54pZk
     
  14. themnax

    themnax Senior Member

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    not sure why living without one is supposed to be minimalist, or why anyone would want to live with one.
    television is like tobacco; one of the most addictive things, that provide the least gratification in return.
    and probably responsible for most of the depression and suicides.

    i'm not so much a minimalist, as willing to live without whatever it takes living without to avoid indenturing myself to stress.
    there are a lot of technologies i absolutely love. television, the automobile, and the use of credit, just don't happen to be among them.

    (miniature railways and computers are. off grid sources of electricity to power them are too.)
     
  15. David0301

    David0301 Members

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    a tv dehydrates you, overstimulates your nervous system ( think of all the fast moving pictures) , damages your eyes (because you dont blink that often while watching) , and makes you lazy,tired
     
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  16. themnax

    themnax Senior Member

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    on the internet you can tell your own vision. if all you do on the net is watch corporate media, then that would be a point.
    that's what corporate media is wanting to turn the internet into.
    but that's not what it started out to be. even this place isn't just letting someone else think for you.
    the real difference though, is when you share your own art or technical knowledge, that sort of thing.
    its very expensive to put on tv, or even commercial radio, your own ideas,
    on the internet, all you need to do that, is a connection, and your own imagination.
    so unless you just use the net to watch tv, which would be really a total waste,
    the difference is really just totally fundimental.

    of course now minimalism, if that's going to be self serving, then its just as self serving as anything else too.
    internet was created to be a way to share and participate.
    its corporate media that doesn't even belong on here at all.
     
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  17. David0301

    David0301 Members

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    well said my Kitty cat. agree
     
  18. David0301

    David0301 Members

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    TV is such a waste. you are nothing if you allow yourself to sit in Front of the TV, pushing remote control buttons, with that dump look on your face , wasting precious time away, on the Internet i read, study, watch whatever i like. in other words : Internet is the 10% that cable TV lacks .:wink:
     
  19. Asmodean

    Asmodean Slo motion rider

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    Lacking discipline and other activities and pastimes is usually a bigger origin of concerns than just having a TV in your house.
    My country just has to much quality tv programs to see the point for me to get rid of a tv. Besides, i use my tv for other stuff than just watching tv programs. And I know how to time my use of it.
    Lacking discipline and/or other pastimes can be a bitch.
     
  20. wilsjane

    wilsjane Nutty Professor HipForums Supporter

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    You really made me laugh. My late mother would never have a television in the house, she called them lunatics lanterns. She did however have e structured lifestyle listening to music, playing board games and cooking all her own food (not to mention some of ours)
    With about 100 channels, the advertising revenue is so thinly spread that TV in the UK now seems to be at an all time low. We recently noticed that one channel is repeating entire weeks programs every 8 weeks.
     

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