I decided not to get a TV. It was an economic decision, and intended to be temporary. After all, I'd had TV most of my adult life (not counting three different times of varying length, the longest was about seven years, of doing without) and I assumed this was also temporary. Some eight years down the road I don't think I'll ever have TV again. (In case this is relevant, my earlier, seven years of no TV, only ended when I started the relationship with my now ex. I don't think the demise of that relationship was in any way connected to TV or no TV.)
Here's what I like:
No commercials. None. Ever. That's an especial blessing during election season. I simply don't see any of the ads, most of which are negative and probably totally false anyway. The other interesting thing about no ads is that I'm quite disconnected from the standard consumer assumptions. That means I don't think I need to use a specific toothpaste or drive a specific car or use a particular aftershave to have a full life/attract a mate/be successful in my job. I'm completely free from those things. Completely. Especially after so many years. Which is quite nice since I don't have a lot of money to spend as it is.
Not being locked in to what the main stream media tells me is important. Example: back when Michael Jackson died, I did not know for over a year that all networks had gone to wall-to-wall coverage of his death. I noticed that I couldn't access certain shows online, but assumed that was the vagaries of the internet. The important thing here is that I was spared that wall-to-wall coverage. I had my own personal opinions about Michael Jackson and his place in the firmament, and they weren't shaped by what the media declared the day he died.
I do get to follow breaking news. When something big happens, I generally to to the interwebs and google the TV stations in that area. Typically, at least one TV station goes to live streaming, which is much better than the national networks. Trust me on this.
My world view is for the most part not shaped by the main stream media. I listen to Amy Goodman every day. I catch at least some of the BBC news. I read. I especially read books. Some years ago, during an earlier foray into no TV, a coworker could not believe that I could possibly have any clue about what was going on in the world. So he'd quiz me periodically, and to his astonishment, I not only knew what was going on, but I had a more in depth understanding of the issues. Because I read books.
To this day I read, and I read a lot. I read both fiction and non fiction, and for the most part I'm pretty well informed about most things. I cannot imagine giving up the internet, but TV? Reconsider.
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