After three plus years that I've been attending college now, I've come to the realization that I hate television. It seems that nobody wants to do anything but sit around at night staring at the idiot box because they absolutely can't miss that episode of Smallville, or whatever piddling crap the CW network is running. I used to go out and do things with other people at night, but now I'm lucky if I can find a half dozen nights a month when my friends can pull themselves away from the TV. Granted I don't have a TV in my dorm room and I used to complain about this lack, but I've found that I don't really need it. There aren't many shows on that I like anymore and the only things I was interested in tuning in for was the occasional sports broadcast or movie. Which I still try to catch.

But I feel like I'm better off without its regular presence. None of my friends read anymore (unless its online), and nobody ever wants to to anything like play tennis or shoot hoops. Only watch TV. Am I crazy, or have other people noticed this? Or does nobody really care. It's just something I've noticed lately.

People have been watching too much TV since about 1948.

I'm just glad there was no such thing a Playstation when I was at school. If we had NCAA Football '07, we'd never've left the house.

I know in college I used to watch a lot of tv and play a lot of video games. However, I had a lot of time so on top of school I would play basketball and do other stuff as well.

I watch much much less tv now that I have been out of college for a few years.

I am guessing the same will happen for a lot of them. I do think it is much easier to get a lot more shows now that are "good" and may have increased the amount of time spent watching tv in college. Hardly any of my friends watch a lot of tv unless we're talking about my 65 year old dad or if it's football season.

A lot of my friends don't own a tv at all.

it's just easier to get stoned and watch tv.

Start off by getting rid of cable, if you have it. We gave it up 3 years ago. I only miss UGA games.

just don't feel better about yourself because of this and you are golden.

I often come *this close* to getting rid of cable until a Discovery show about a midget family or a VH1 Classic interview with Gang of Four sucks me right back in.

This summer in Boston my apartment had cable. I miss Myth Busters and some car rebuild shows, but not much else.

Hi Def tv comes over the air for free. Get a nice tv with a built-in hi def tuner, and some cheap-ass rabbit ears. I get 3 PBS's in hi-def, and one is all parks and shipwrecks and shit in widescreen. Football and baseball look fucking amazing.

Free.*











* once you drop a grand and a half on a tv.

I don't have any friends in my city so I spend most of my spare time on the computer or watching tv.

I know when I lived in Toronto and had friends we'd go to the park, walk to the store, play basketball, street hockey, soccer, all sorts of things.


I'd almost want to get rid of cable when I move out. But then I'll crash at my friend's apartment for one night who doesn't have it and I am so bored within a few hours. I sit on her computer for a bit and I read for a bit, then I don't know what to do.

I'll never not have a television, but it seems the only way I watch anything lately is if I've tivo'd it.

I thought I grew up watching a lot of TV, but then I met people who do watch a lot of TV.

Outside of The Wire, MSNBC, Tony Bourdain and random travel or PBS shows, I don't turn it on.

If I had tivo growing up, I might've actually excelled in high school. I often found myself choosing television over homework assignments.

And by often, I mean always.

Haha you watched "Parker Lewis Can't Lose".

Yeah, him and Zack Morris really had a negative impact in my schoolin'. Bastards.

get better friends

i havent watched TV in months

the only shows i watch are Lost and Prison Break and old Simpsons/Seinfeld etc

and i just download those when im free every couple of weeks

The ironical-type thing about Parker Lewis is that he did indeed lose after 73 episodes. Though most Nickelodeon shows are direct descendants of that show, so that's a measured success. Of a sort. I guess.

I have cable, yet I hardly watch it.

I actually only watch one program each week and it's too embarrassing to say... so I will not.


It takes a lot for me to get into a sitcom or any other show for that matter.

The main reason I got cable was becasaue of Sopranos and Curb Your
Entlhusiasm, and one other show.

Now, both are off.

I did try Howard Stern on demand.
Funny shit, but god damn expensive ($14.00) which is more than HBO.
It's really funny, bult not worth the money.

Jesus, I had no idea Artie Lang was using heroin.


I also really miss Arrested Development.

You're in college man. Why are you staying home at all?

Go out and drink way too much and try to hook up with as many girls as possible.

I watch televison for about an hour or so a day and sometimes more. But it's never kept me from doing anything else either.

Maybe you should consider finding new friends. I suggest the local bar.

And if there is something that I really want to watch, I never watch it at the
actual start time.



I always DVR.

My life's goal from this point on...also i hate the tv, it means that i wont be getting any work done, or listening to music. Anyone else ever played the volume game where you dont tell each other to turn it down, you turn it up and so does he? yeah...we're experts at that.

ditched cable a couple months ago (well, except fox soccer channel) and i'm happy to be rid of those shows that i thought i'd miss. it, at that point, becomes really obvious when tv is for--shutting off your brain. the tivo's still on call and there is plenty of mindless entertainment on broadcast channels for time-wasting. plus i'm paying $14 bucks a month instead of $60. nice.

Yeah, a year ago when I had a roommate, we had two tvs in rooms side
by side, with no door. One was the living room, the other is where the
computer was (or still is, i should say).

We would never tell each other to turn down the volume, ever.

One trick I learned, durring parts of just dialouge, with no music... wait
for parts when there is no nosie at all, just a break durring the dialogue.

Turn up the volume.

You win.

Game over.