Life without Cable TV
by Arik
We reside in a country that lives and breathes on the media it produces across it’s numerous platforms. TV is probably the most ubiquitous medium from which we consume our media.
Folks all over the country give their time and money to watching an endless run of television shows ranging from news to reality game shows. But really, how much do we watch? Is it too much?
Why I ended my cable subscription
There was plenty to love about cable. I particularly loved on-demand (movies, tv shows, etc any time). If you could only have just on-demand and nothing else, it would be perfect. But that was not the case. The desire did not justify the means to afford it.
Over time my wife and I developed a sort of addiction to cable. We found ourselves watching shows we’d never watch otherwise just because we could. I mean, it’s 200+ channels, there’s gotta be something interesting to watch? Right?
The effects of cable television had adversely effected my personality causing me to feel like a drone than a real person. I use to be fun, outgoing and sometimes off-the-wall. But when you sit in front of a television watching completely mind-numbing shows for 3 or more hours a day, the effects add up while ultimately draining your interest in everything else.
Okay. So maybe that’s all a bit dramatic. But the difference in my attitude before and after cable are night and day. I find myself wanting to get outside more, talking to others seems easier and my wife and I’s relationship has grown even more so as a result of not watching cable.
Cold Turkey? No way dude!!! I love Dr. House!
Cable is not all bad. There are a lot of really great shows like The Office, House, Modern Family, Family Guy or Ghosthunters and plenty others. These are all shows I can watch on my own time on Hulu.com.
Internet TV FTW! Money saved.
What is great about Hulu is that I cut my TV watching down to only the very minimum. Instead of 3 hours a day, it’s now just a few hours a week. Additionally with iTunes Store at my disposal there really is no reason to have cable. I could even buy 3 shows with season passes on iTunes and still save loads of money over cable.
Conclusion
Other folks may have a better handle on the amounts of TV they watch. But I’m one those dudes that sort of grew up on television. Giving a large section of time to TV was common and so that carried into my adult life and the effects of it were negative for me.
But all in all I’d recommend anyone to try not watching TV for one month or simply watching only the shows that really draw your utmost interest. You’ll see a difference. I promise.
Comments
I have not personally had TV since I was living at my parents\’ in highschool. For a long time, I just had better things to do (studying, art, etc). I suppose it helped that we didn\’t have cable growing up, and thus didn\’t miss not having it. I did feel a bit left out not knowing all the latest pop culture BS as it related to TV, but now we have Hulu and netflix streaming, so I still seem to be able to catch what I want. It is somewhat funny to go to the gym where they have a wall of tvs in front of the treadmills and see the lame crap people tune them to. Perhaps it is just the times I go, but it is always either CSI, Law and Order, some bs on E!, or cooking shows. I realize you are not going to go to the gym and watch a movie, but I am guessing the people who take the time to change the channel to these programs have cable at home too and thus are continuing their regular viewing habits. It is is a weird world.
Congrats on ditching cable. I\’m guessing you will enjoy life quite a bit more, even if you have less mundane trivia to spout that is the usual fare when you get a handful of people together in a room. hehe.