In the last little while I have not tuned into watching television much and somehow it doesn’t interest me anymore like it used to. So many years back I was glued to it, watching so many different shows and everything else, however recently, something is preventing me from touching the remote control and resorting to social media and getting my news from the internet, communicating online, as well as how busy my life has become outside the virtual world.
Now the question is, has television lost its way? I seem to think so. Nowadays, there isn’t quality content like there used to be. Before this whole stream of reality shows, violence, adult content, coarse language, discretion advised warnings and the string of nothing but bad news has been broadcasted and I just cannot seem to watch anymore of it. I probably spend about an hour or 2 a week watching television with the exception of a few special shows which make me tune in a bit longer, however after that it becomes boring, repetitive and then my TV is shut off. A lot of bad influences come from television and the shows being produced now. Things that teens, children, youth and young adults are tuning in and that is where it becomes dangerous. They think and see it on television, so they thing its alright to do it in real life.
Back before even the 70’s, 80’s, early 90’s, you’d see great quality family values always being implemented, you’d see clean and very well thought of shows that you never got bored of, people were entertained for hours watching their favourite icons play their part, you’d see appropriate clothing, appropriate topics discussed and teaching life lessons to people of all walks of life, things that never offended or hurt anyone, shows that are still discussed up until today from people who grew up in those years.
There is just a couple of good things that are on television now, like the game shows and a few of those sitcoms, award shows, and special events. That is all I tune into. Do you think that TV has certainly changed in the last 20-25 years? I think so. I think it is getting worse and not better. I am glad the TV show reruns are showing at least.
Do you give yourself a time limit to watch?
I’d rather do something more productive like writing, communicating with friends and family, going out, cleaning, cooking, going out to the malls, going out seeing people, doing more hands on crafts, reading, being on the internet and learning so many new things, making new friends online, and so much more.
Do you watch television much? Do you tend to stay away from it?
What are your thoughts?
Talin Orfali Ghazarian 
We find that lately this is very true. We were just having a conversation how they just do not have any good family shows or movies on TV anymore.
It’s terrible, isn’t it? I hardly watch any TV anymore. When I do, it’s old re-runs of shows from the 70;s and 80;s.
I agree! I watch television every once in a while. I do not watch the news any more and I am not a die hard fan of any new shows on television. I love watching “Keeping Up Appearances” on Netflix.
I also feel the same. It had been a long time I watched TV. The reasons are same as you pointed out.
I also feel the same. It had been a long time that I watched TV. For the same reasons you pointed out.
I am so with you on this. We rarely watch tv in our home. The only show we watch regularly is “Resurrection” on Sunday night. Anything we watch we record with the DVR, so we can fast forward the commercials or any bad part that might happen to pop up in the show we’re watching. I am so glad there are others out there who have noticed this, too.
In answer to your questions: No, I don’t watch much TV. Yes, I agree it has gone to pot. And limiting or eliminating it in your life is a great idea.
We actually don’t have ‘TV’ in our house. We removed the ports from the walls 12 months ago.
I disagree, i don’t think TV has changed much at all. Of course there has been a relaxing of what are considered social ‘norms’, but is that not more an indication of the way society perceives such things these days. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that.
Once upon a time, TV was the primary source of electronic entertainment in most western cultures. Today this is not the case. Now the availability of alternative media has increased, peoples focus has also shifted.
We download what we want to watch now, we aren’t ‘told’ what to watch by TV networks.
We let our son (3yrs old) watch for maybe 1/2 hour a day, we have focused on reading, drawing, outdoors with him. He would rather do something else other than TV.
I agree that there is a lot more trash on TV now, but the good shows are REALLY good, mainly because to get attention they have to cut through the “noise” of the trash.
When my kids were small we watched a LOT of Food Network, both because we love food, but also because you don’t have to worry what your kids will see on that channel! “Kids, cover your eyes! Alton Brown is going to filet a salmon!” My oldest daughter actually became a Rachael Ray fan for a while.
That is so true…I also haven’t watched TV for a loooooong time now… everything now has so much sexual contents in them which just irritates me… The music videos also are getting out of hand! The reality shows (like Geordie Shore) set bad examples for the young… TV adverts are also getting worse… Should just save the money on buying TV’s and get more books instead.
TV today is super bad influence, the epitome of moral decadence. It’s the reason why world moral values are so low, and society is topsy-turvy because even what is wrong is being portrayed as right.
I’m married to a TV watcher. It’s his mindless time after spending hours in the professional world. I get it. Mostly. However, I’m a ‘TV sampler’ … just passing through as he watches his shows, and maybe sitting for a few minutes here and there.
When I commit to sitting down and actually watching, it tends to be informational (HGTV, Food, PBS, Discover, etc….) Then there are shows that intrigue me on cable – also with mostly a narrative nonfiction approach (House of Cards, etc…).
Otherwise, today’s ‘regular TV’ is pretty much like our society in the U.S. ~ largely shallow and stupid. Just sayin’….
I hardly ever watch tv nowadays. Most of it is trash plus I prefer to have my own schedule than adhere to the few good shows I do sometimes chance upon.
There are very few television programs that I watch regularly. If I have the TV on, it’s when I’m doing something else like folding laundry or knitting. Then I will usually watch HGTV. I have two young kids and they actually enjoy watching classic cartoons such as Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, Tom and Jerry cartoons, and nature shows such as Ocean Mysteries and Sea Rescue.
I can totally agree I absolutely have a TV for no reason ! I can’t get into anything on television these days … a whole bunch of crap is what it is! …. 🙂
I completely agree; television is losing its way, especially with the news. You turn on the TV and all you see and hear is about violence and corruption, and while is may be important to be aware of all these things, what about the good humanity does? It would be nice to be reminded of that.
My house avoids TV like the plague. We are even very choosy of how we expose ourself to media and news. We do have one TV in our house; however we reserve it for movie rentals only. We have been this way for many, many years 🙂
I am selective about what I watch. I spend alot of time reading and writing 2 blogs with the prospects of writing a third blog. Another thing is there are more channels than ever before yet there is little in the way of quality to watch.
Good write up. I know people who go from both extremes. Hardcore TV watchers and people who don’t watch at all.
niiiccee
I quite agree and I haven’t watched TV for a few years now. I don’t own a television but I sometimes watch catchup TV on the BBC’s iPlayer on their website. Also I don’t buy the newspapers and very rarely listen to the radio.
First of all thank you for visiting and following my blog http://www.theviewfrommyrecliner.wordpress.com. From visiting my blog, you seen that I am a big Walking Dead fan, which I blog about frequently. I am guessing that is one of the shows you mention above that you would not watch. I agree with you in the aspect that watching too much TV takes away from productive time that you could spend more wisely, but just because you are not watching TV doesn’t mean you are being productive. There are a lot things that are just as unproductive.
The second thing you referred to is that shows are not good anymore (morally speaking). I find that even though they are not the shows of old, if you take the time and have discussions with your kids about what is being seen, you find out that they are being exposed to this stuff all the time when not at home and it gives you an opportunity to have a good discussion that you might not have had before.
I don’t have a problem with TV. In fact, I don’t see it as being any different from movies, plays, or books–which is why it always amuses me that people who have no problem with watching movies or spending time on the internet will proudly proclaim that they either don’t watch much TV or don’t even own one. It’s all storytelling in one form or another; while some media lend themselves better to telling certain types of stories, none is inherently superior. The only real distinction is the quality of the stories being told. That, of course, is always going to be a subjective judgement.
When it comes to mass media entertainment, I prefer the TV to the movie theater. There’s a greater variety on TV, particularly in comparison to the big-budget blockbusters (with their grossly overpriced admission fees) that the US movie industry almost exclusively produces anymore. When I do watch movies, it’s almost always on TV or video.
As for my TV viewing habits, I follow a handful of current shows (a few sitcoms, SVU, and the couple of current Japanese dramas available on Hulu); otherwise, I watch old favorites on Netflix or Hulu (I’m currently on season 1 of The Dick Van Dyke Show).
I gave up watching TV news several months ago. As Brené Brown has pointed out, the news media are very good at telling us what we should be afraid of and who we should blame for it.
But I don’t think TV is really any worse now than it used to be. It has changed with the times, which may not be comfortable for some people. (That’s how I feel about the current state of pop music–I think it’s mostly crap.) But I have found that some of my favorite shows when I was a kid (particularly The Partridge Family) were really pretty bad when I watched them as an adult. It’s all subjective.
Sadly this is true. Even the TV shows that are deemed family are not necessarily wholesome. I don’t own a TV, but when I visit my family I play catch up and watch Westerns and Football with my dad. I’m able to have access to news through work and the internet. I am a reader rather than a TV watcher. Thank you for your post!
TV has become more of an indoctrinational tool, rather than entertainment. It has become pure garbage.
Thanks for following my blog and introducing my to yours. I have totally stopped turning on the tv for quite some time now. It has just gotten so bad. We will download 2 sitcoms and watch on the computer because we just couldn’t stand to turn the tv on anymore but that is about it. So glad to see someone else has noticed how much it has changed. I may be missing some good things by not turning it on but it isn’t worth my time to try to find them while sifting through the huge amounts of garbage. I guess if I was into reality tv, pitting people against each other and insulting or kiling each other then I’d be in heaven. haha. I’d rather watch a documentary or intelligent funny show than some of the stuff they’ve come up with these days.
It isn’t that television has lost it way, but that television cannot compete favourable with social media.The fact that you are not solely and onlooker on social media but a participant gives it a unique edge of television
Made a concious choice to stop watching 15 years ago. About 3 years after it came into full fruition. I now can’t handle hearing it on. My 3 first kids grew up without one for the first 7 years of their lives. As such, they are energetic, creative as hell and don’t care about it like other kids do. They play, run a muck and enjoy the outdoors so much more. My next goal is removing myself from online life too. That’s a far worse addiction I believe.