I just thought I would enter my name and say since I started this group I have cut my tv watching practically to nothing! Everytime I am tempted to do so, I think about what I have said in this group and what others have said. My gut tells me it is so true and I do not want to waste another minute on it. Sorry Oprah, I'll check your web site... commercials suck!!! The olympics are on yet I want to perfect my own self. Movies used to be fun but I would so much rather be cooking, reading , playing with my baby, taking a relaxing bath, talking to a friend or having sex with my husband!!! He is not complaining... Thank you

I am Harini, new to your group,but i find the topic interesting, and thought provoking.

yes i watch TV for an hour,but now i know i can live without the TV. there is so much outside and inside the house to do as Erica says!!!!which is fulfilling and eventually good for the family.

Thanks again.

Harini

I'm from Venezuela but I live in Mexico since I got married -5 years ago!

I prefer doing other activities rather than watching TV. I just spent 1 hour a day or maybe less, watching TV -and that was 'cause my neighbor gave me her old TV when she received a new one! hahaha

Thank you Sarvo for the invitation! It seems to be a pretty interesting group to be in!

Wow! Indy. Thanks for joining. I looked at your photo album. A lot of happy, attractive people. Wonderful pics and I didn't see a TV in any of them. I loved the pic of your aunt's kitchen. All the group pictures are filled with love, life and joy.

Thank you Sarvo!

I really love to take pictures all the time!!! hahaha That's one of my favorite hobbies! And since I'm a little far from my family I try to have them in all my sites

Have a nice day and thanks again for the invitation!

Thank you for inviting me to the group Sarvo...

Thank all of you for having me...

~Yesenia

I saw this group on a friend's profile, and liked the idea.

I was a TV baby until I went overseas in 1978; after that, I never looked back. IMHO, if American television is how we present ourselves to the world, it's no wonder other folks think that we are a nation of crass, tasteless, ethnocentric and shallow people who glorify sexual exploitation, violence and conspicuous consumption. I don't even want to get into the manipulation of public opinion by news organs such as FOX (FAUX) News.

I own a TV, but it's connected only to a VHS/DVD player. I do confess to watching the opening of the Winter Olympics for Yoko Ono's remarks and Peter Gabriel singing "Imagine", but that was a special occasion.

I'm looking forward to seeing you all here!

Ive been a member of this group for a long time but never got around to introducing myself.  I guess dont like being "plugged in" to my computer much more then i would a tv. Growing up my mother had a tv in everyroom of the house. I can remember many times when they were all on and even worse on different stations. I cant think of anything less productive then sitting and watching other people live their lives while in turn mine is stolen from me.

KILL YOUR TV!!

So, Miel, if you can protect both of your beautiful children from TV, you will be a super hero.

This is just a quick hello.  I'll say the things I feel about television in other topics, but I was very happy to see this group!  I haven't been interacting until the past week or so, just getting to know my groups.  I look forward to tv bashing with you all.

Tanya,

Really nice that you're here. I've seen your posts in other groups and so I know your input here will be very valuable and much appreciated. Thanks for joining KYTV.

Hello Everyone!

I find myself watching less and less TV lately.  It gets worse and worse, especially on the networks.  If I do watch it is usually something on Discovery, the History Channel and stuff like that.  I use it to gain usefull knowledge and not fill my mind with all the garbage that they try to sell us.  I think America is being fed junk these days, and we will eventually suffer for it with increased violence and immorality.

You're right Sue and there's no eventually about it. What you describe is already happening big time. We have all been brought to the point where we are ready for slaughter. First they will harvest the children. America's Army will single out the best ones first.

Ha, America's Army, that's another whole topic for discussion.

Hello! Thank you for the invite.

I have never owned a television, nor do I plan to!

I am however, a big fan of quality radio programs, and have been since childhood.

Television is not only a huge waste of time, but a mind-numbing drug being used by the terrorists!

Free your mind, your body will follow!

Ok, how did you guys know I don't watch tv?? I turned mine off 10 months, and never looked back! Don't miss it even. However, I think I have become addicted to three things now: Silence, BBC, and Air America!! Not bad addictions if you ask me!

I don't know how much I will have time to contribute...but will certainly try!! Oh, and thanks for the invite!

Cheers! Lyn G.

Hare Krishna

I don't much to say, but I would like Sarvo Prabhu to start a spirtual conversation where people could express their views.

Hello!

I'm happy to hear I'm not alone. My friends think I'm crazy when I say I don't watch television and prefer not to. In fact, my best friend and I just had a discussion recently...she was trying to tell me that buying and paying monthly for TiVo will reduce your television watching because you can now choose to watch all the shows you want to watch, whenever you want to watch them. Not sure of the logic on this one...unless you're already watching way too much TV to begin with.

I much prefer to be outdoors, practice yoga/meditation or read a book than watch television.

I'm looking forward to talking more with all of you!

~Kristen

Hi Everyone.  Happy to learn where the others are hanging out ... 

I dropped into a thread here a while back...  but basically haven't spent much time chatting on the internet... back then when I dropped in, I joined the group, but didn't say hi.

So, like, hi ...

HI,just dropped in to say hello to everyone.have a niceday,and thank you for the invitation by email!

You have been so kind, respectful and considerate to me. I appreciate you.

As a child we had one little black and white tv the neighbors gave my parents because they pitied us for not having one.  I think we watched the news on it, but music and talking was much more the norm.  I have a television now, it is an old one in a big console, I use it to put my knick knacks on. 

Hi everybody Nice group title - I just had to join.. TV is like black paint for your third eye... Now I just have to watch the news

Brassica,

My brother and I started spending too much time at the neighbors house because they had a TV so my parents got one and said it would only be for news but then it gradually took over and firmly established its insidious presence. Until then my parents held out and read to us. For that I will always be grateful.

Rasskolnikoff,

Black paint for the third eye: I like that. Guaranteed to squelch anyones kundalini.

Hi, don't think I ever introduced myself. My name is Bill and I'm the author of the book Broken Nation and the host of the Care 2 group of the same name. TV is a major part of why my nation (the U.S.) and other nations around the world are broken and in need of spiritual repair.

My wife and I take walks in our New York neighborhood quite often. Especially but not limited to night, we come across house after house with tv after tv blaring and glowing. It's almost as if there's nothing else for people to do with themselves, especially in the suburbs. Our society is chained to the tube. 

I admit I like my 1-3 shows, but that's it. Everything else is garbage. I prefer documentary films and an occasional movie.

Read, read, read. We need to read more.

All best,

Bill

I often think of posting to this group, but imagine doing so would be frowned upon if I did not introduce myself first. The problem is that I am not especially fond of introducing myself...I hope this will do!

Pobinosuke

Thanks for joining Kill Your TV ! ! !

Thanks for the link to this group posted on Science or Boycots, Sarvo.

We had our cable turned off two years or more ago. The only shows I miss are "Now, with Bill Moyer" and "Monk".

Rie

Hi Rie!  I love the horsey pic on your profile.  Who is the artist?

Lynn

It is by Picasso, I am pretty sure. It is called "The Sandpiper." You used to be able to download art for free from art.com (something like that) and I had downloaded some without adding the artists name to my files.

Thanks for the warm welcomes.

Howdy to everyone- . Didnt know about this group.

Thanks for the invite Sarvo. Yeah i have seriously grown to a deep disgust w/the tv. Nvr had one when i was younger & got one when i was married. Although for the 1st yr or so i was glued so many things to watch you know-nvr had one got see it ALL. Now i watch like 1 every month or so. Such garbage-just short of poisoning everyones mind w/the useless trip. And the news WTF is up w/that. They tell you nothing but what they think you should know-nothing other than that. Ok now that i got that off my chest i can say hello to everyone out there. Looking forward to meeting new people.

You are welcome to Kill Your TV, Lesaann. Fox, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS and all commercial network systems are tied into the great network which is beholden to the corporate giants who do not have our best interests at heart but see us as a target market and willing field of drones and slaves.

Definately agree w/that. I was soo surprised. All they did was advertise product. And the sad part is - that people just buy them like you said DRONES. Dont think for yourself- just go & hit mcdonalds every night & make sure to buy that shampoo because of the advertising i saw on the tv. If it's on tv it must be true.  Amazing to me that people are still eating that stuff up!!

I think 'killing' the TV may be a little violent but I don't own a TV and people think I am weird....wait...yes...they are right, but anyway I don't think not having a TV makes me weird, I may have been born that way. All my friends try to give me TVs and I have even had strangers offer me a TV when they found out I didn't have one.  I much prefer to talk to real people and live my life to the full rather than watch someone else living their life on TV. Woohooo, much more fun!

Berni, we could use a few more like you in the world. The world would be a better place to live. People would all be a lot happier. More power to you. Thanks for joining Kill your TV.

Now that we are getting rid of TVs and getting back to more real communication can we also teach the world to value our amazing and beautiful young people?

If we produce children not as a byproduct of sexual pleasure but to rear as happy productive contributing members of society, then we won't have to kill as many of them in the womb. Television unfortunately reinforces the idea that we should all be entertained all the time and that anything that might interfere should be done away with.

Do you think TV is a sympton or a cause?

After reading Jerry Mander's book, Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television, I'm convinced that in a subtle but very powerful way, TV has much more influence on our lives than we realize.

Thank you, Diana, for the invite. i don't really watch alot of TV - it's photography and photoshop that I'm addicted to! Since the advent of Tivo, it's made TV viewing very selective so I end up watching only the best stuff - when/if I feel like it - and never have to know the other garbage exists - I love it. I love a good sitcom, like Everyone Loves Raymond, Will & Grace, Rosanne, All in the Family, I love Lucy (thank god/dess for reruns). I also like House, and the new show Heroes is looking promising. But I am not addicted to TV anymore than I am addicted to reading - they are much the same to me, one story is filmed and another is printed. Content is everything. It is a problem tho, for alot of people. I know alot of people do just watch TV, no matter what is showing, and that's sad but I understand the escapism - for so many our lives are void of anything but the daily grind and living in a world of danger that the TV relentlessly hammers into us. It's like a viscious circle -- we watch TV to escape what stresses us, but TV is depressing! I wonder how much depression in people TV programming is responsible for As so many have pointed out in the thread listing other things to do - there's SO MANY wonderful, fun, fulfilling, creative things to do with our free time besides TV - all of which would be better escape routes because it would be ourselves benefiting from being creative (which I believe makes us whole - whatever it is we do that's creative, be it domestic work or masterpieces of art), instead of just watching what makes someone else feel whole, their creative work, on a tube. .

Good point! Television programming is expressly designed to direct us into a more and more depressed condition with the simultaneous repeating message that we can become happy by buying some bright shiny new product.

Hi! Thanks Diana for inviting me. TV is such a pile of drivel. I work with a group of people who live to TiVo and one person is actually considering buying her fourth(!!!!!!!!) vcr. I've never seen a reality t.v. show. When hearing this, people lookat me like I'm growing a foot out of my head. I get my pertinent info via NPR and RFE/RL. Wonderful to see like minded people of my own planet!!

er - what is RFE/RL?

Oh, it's Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. You can read it at
    http://rferl.org/
Peace,
Scarlet

Katii , thank you so much for sharing your ideas .  You're a gem.

Scarlet thank-you ~ and you're too funny!  I love the 'people look at you like you're growing a foot out of your head' expression.  I totally sympathize with it.  It is amazing how few non-tv watchers there are.  I don't know any 'in person'...  I know many who have trouble grasping the concept and yes, think I'm sorta wierd...

Thanks also for the European radio info..  my dad was Belarus, so it's kinda intersting for me

Sorry, he wasn't Belarus; he was Polish.  The part of Poland he was from was Russian-occupied at the end of WWII and ended up being Belarus. 

I'm not convinced TV is the problem.  I am pretty sure that the problem lies within our minds and hearts. Most people watch TV for escapism, or becuase they are lonely and TV fills the gap that friends, family and community used to fill.  This is why the reality TV shows are so popular.  They fill the need to be connected in some way to other peoples lives.

In each house where you now see the eerie glow of a TV, imagine a piano. That's the way it used to be. You're right it was a lot happier and healthier. The word "entertainment" is from two Greek roots. Enter means between and among and taneo means that which holds together. Entertainment Industry is an oxymoron.

"Enter means between and among and taneo means that which holds together. Entertainment Industry is an oxymoron." Wow, it sure is ........ alot like the names they give legislative bills in congress, like “The Clear Skies Initiative” - which in truth is an initiative that makes clear only that the Republicans are willing to put Americans’ lives at risk for the sake of big energy corporations’ profits. .

Isn't Oxymoron such a cool word! I know heaps of Oxymorons!

An all-time favorite has to be Military Intelligence.

I remember when I liked TV, it was when we could get about 4 sations in west texas and that was really enough.

It's not what it used to be and not for me.

We are restricted in this apartment to one cable company and it's out of my control to get it shut off, so for right now, I'm stuck with it. When nobody but me is home, it's shut off, otherwise, I try to "tune it out".

We don't even have TV land with some of the good old programs, it's commercials and blah, blah blah.

No Carol Burnett or Alice or Little Rascals so heck with it.

I'll soon be divorcing the tv and all of it. If it wasn't for my 3 youngest kids still at home, it would be blown up and out at the dumpster.

Sher      

I am a new member to this group with a question.  How & who decides what is to be aired on TV?

I think TV and video games are the down fall of our society. Violence & sex is what they play upon & it is affecting our children.

Thanks for letting me share.

Peace to you & yours,

Tami M

Hi I'm new here, Ive just joined Care2 today, & this is the first group i have joined, when i saw Kill your TV i thought yep that's a group for me.  I haven't had chance to look at all the topics yet, but i will do.

I find television sooooooo mind numbing, there is so much violence on the telly, i sometimes think,  that when young people are brought up in front of the telly and watch to much of it & violence, i believe that it can reflect on your personality, that's why i think there is so much violence today in the really world, because when kids see this on telly they start to believe its the norm , like in England they are trying to ban fatty food ads because there are to many overweight people and put healthy food ads up instead, so if the produces of the telly think like this , then why not for violent films.  

Sherry, Tami and Pixie - Welcome to Kill Your TV! Thanks for joining this group. Amazingly enough, to take a definite stand against TV, is a revolutionary position in this sadly enslaved world of ours. Bravo! More power to you. You are exceptional and remarkable.

Thanks for the invite!  I currently have a TV but only use it for watching rented movies on occasion.  I had cable, but cancelled the service because I never watched anything..This sounds like a fun group!   

-Molly

Hello everyone.  I saw the title the just had to join.

I haven't had a tv for about five years now and feel that the quality of my life has improved substantially. 

Craig! Thanks for joining. I'm going on about 5 or 6 years now myself. One of the last things I did was watch bull riding for about 48 hours. I used to ride rodeo back in the 60s. I felt more frazzled out from that TV marathon than from the one time I rode a brahma.

I tried the BETA version of killing my TV and that works fine for me.

ABSOLUTELY no more than 2 hours a day - NO MATTER WHAT -

So it's like i gave TV A PARTIAL LOBOTOMY Intead of myself.

---

Hello Sarvo - Thank You for the invite from the beginning of this Year

And to my several other friends in the group.

Pleased to meet You Emmeline and others....

Intead - should read INSTEAD (major faux pas there, considering the context)

Not due to TV either, Tiredness from too much computing zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Sarvo!!!............Bull riding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My admiration for you has grown yet again!

Lynn

Lynn,

The guy that roped me in on the one and only bull I ever rode accurately predicted that I would be sent sailing almost immediately. He looked at me, smirked, and said, "Three jumps." Turns out he was right. The monster went up once, twice and on the third time I was definitely airborne and on my way to the turf. It was exciting and fun but once was enough. After that it was back to the bare back broncs and an occasional wild mule. I never did saddle bronc because then you have to wear spurs and you can get hung up in a stirrup and really hurt. More people get severly injured from saddle bronc riding than from even the bulls. And it's pretty brutal because they score you higher if you can hook 'em really hard with the spurs to get extra action out of your ride. It's a cruel and violent way to treat a horse. I would never do it.

It looks like no-one has joined for about a year.  Is this still an active group? 

I grew up without TV, and had a very happy childhood, living on a South Pacific Island.  When my family would come back to the United States for awhile, everyone would ask us the same question, which was as far as their curiosity went: 

"Did you have TV over there?"  "No."  Shock and horror- "Then what did you DO?????" 

Then it was our turn for shock.  All we could think was "What did you NOT do?" 

We did so many things!  We made forts in the bushes, played hide n seek, used our imaginations to act out exciting dramas of our own making.  We swam, hiked, jumped, climbed, even body surfed on 9 foot waves!  We climbed mountains, explored caves, camped, backpacked, played soccer in the mud, and made mud slides that were 35 feet long. 

We baked, sewed, crafted, did wood working, prepared crafts or performances for a creative arts fair.  My brother even put a motorcycle together from scrap.  The boys raced their motorcycles.  We girls sewed our own banquet dresses.  I sewed ALL my own clothes and was called the best dressed in the school. 

We sang, had hay rides, performed in plays, created skit nights, had music reciltals, and everyone in the community was responsible for the entertainment of everyone else.  We personally knew all the people who entertained us all. 

When I lived in the US, in 1968-69 and in 1972-73, those were the most boring, desolate years of my life.  Why?  We had TV.  Having TV meant not being able to find anyone available to swim, play soccer, camp, hike, play dress-ups, have doll tea parties, ride motorbikes, make English toffee and eat in the treehouse, then wake up laughing because it was in our hair...

I used to bike ride in Pasadena, with its beautiful stately trees.  It was as quiet as death.  No one was out.  I biked all over the neighborhood and almost never saw a soul.  If I did see anyone, they were racing from their car into their house so as not to miss a show.  I had to settle with the birds for company- at least they have the sense not to throw life away by watching TV. 

TV killed our creativity and made us unable to think.  We were so glad to get back to our Pacific Island with no TV!!!  When I got married 25 years ago, We dumped the TV.  I raised 5 kids, and we had a wonderful time, crafing, doing all kinds of art, home schooling, reading library books by the thousands, trying what they showed in the books, and running, skipping, rolling, jumping, exploring, photographing, feeding ducks and watching birds and wildlife at the park. 

Neither I nor my kids would trade this beautiful no-TV life for all the gold in the world.  We had a life- and still do.  We even made a music CD together to sell.  My kids are living all their dreams as young adults.  And we are very close- and happy.  Why would anyone want someone ELSES life to be the center of their household.  WE are the ones who matter in THIS house! 

Wow, I thought I was the only one who cut the cord, lol.  Being a hermit gets to be like that when you break from the crowd.  Were it not for the computer (my life line) I would be lost in the crowd and now I feel part of a humanity I feel good with.

Actually I still have (let me count) three TV's in my old house.  I do use one of them to watch my dvd's and vhs's though.  No commercials of course.  You know since I cancelled the dish network I cannot sit there for more than 2 hours and then I have to leave it.  TV is really a trap and when I was parenting I used to put a little lock on the hole in the plug terminal so the kids would not watch it.  We parcelled out TV time and both of us were teachers so we played with our kids and read to them constantly.  They are all successful today and hardly watch TV at all.  I am back to reading books also.  So many wonderful things happen when you cut the cord.  I will be back soon. 

I have to admit I joined the group a few months back but haven't gotten around to introducing myself. So hi to everyone who feels the same way about slavery to television. I may be one of the youngest to have made the choice to eliminate that from my life, despite being raised with it. Since moving out of my parents' last year when I was 19, those I've lived with just haven't felt the need to get cable, no matter how much we're harassed by companies telling us we need it. Our time is usually spent on art, music, documentaries, and reading. I've never felt my mind so free until I just stopped wasting my time on the tube. It took a little bit to get used to but now I don't even miss it. Instead, whenever I visit someone who has a tv on I'm just offended by everything that's on it, and it made me realize how desensitized we really are to the crap they feed us. Throw away your tv, your mind will be free.

Posts like these make me feel as if there might be hope for us after all.

Been a member for a while, been elsewhere, glad the group is still about. I gave up TV as I couldn't deal with having my emotions played with, invariably leaving me upset. My secret addiction is BBC Radio 4, even worse - I have to confess to an addiction to a radio soap - The Archers, the everyday story of english country folk, at it's best when othing happens. It is only 13 minutes a day with a day off for Saturdays.

I have no problems with out a telly I just listen to other people and realise I'm missing nothing!  Ski M

Hey Ski, TV is much more odious and insidious than radio. Radio can also be used as a tool of indoctrination and it certainly is but it's nowhere near as effective and powerful as TV. Sorry it took me so long to respond to your post here. I've been spending most of my time over at Care2Guru.

Hi everyone,

I'm glad to be here.

Druid Godmother

Hey Druid Godmother, thanks for joining. There may be hope yet. You want to be a co-host?

Thank you Sarvo for the invitation.

 

Hopefully, we can help a generation avoid the mind altering output of our Media... owned and controlled by a deregulated corporate, chemical, biological, military monopoly that is supplying an army with children and weapons of mass destruction.

 

 

This post was modified from its original form on 02 May, 8:56

...and now they also plan to put some of our children on monitors directing killing robots on distant battlefields. The Pentagon has bankrolled the new video game, America's Army, with that express intent.

BTW, Thomas, welcome and thanks for joining Kill Your TV.

Sage is thinking about joining. In case Sage does show up

Just wanted to mention that I am still here.  With my TV still off.  I still get asked what I do without TV.  That varies from month to month and year to year, but I have been TV-free for 27 years, and lived a full life.  Never got bored.  There is so much to do in life.  Right now I am finishing off a book of my own crafts- fancy Victorian boxes decorated with ribbons, lace, and fake jewels (the Walmart kind.)  In my crafting I have moved on to decorating Christmas boxes and bags.  That will go into another book.  After that I plan to do crafting for Valentines Day and Easter.  I also get a lot out of talking with my grown kids, and getting to know people from other cultures.  And spending time with my cat, Fluff.  There are lots of things to do in life without TV.  I still consider TV a time robber.  I read, and sometimes watch news on the internet, but like to limit that also if I don't find it worth my time.  Like I said, there is so much to do.  Anyone else out there care to join the discussion?

Hello everyone!!

 

I'm back on care2 and so happy to see so many people have given up the brain washing device

 

Life is so beautiful why waste it on TV