Do you keep TV on for long periods?

Very embarrassing nearly all day. Can’t cope with silence, as a child growing up in a disfunctional home with father and stepmother rowing frequently then the silence lasted for days. Am strict about visitors no TV.

Monday from 6pm is the long TV evening. Otherwise just specific things. They sometimes include binge-watching 5-6 episodes of a series. More than that and DH. goes to sleep so I turn it off.

I watch more TV in the Winter but in Summer it sometimes doesn't go on til about 6pm. Sometimes I do have it on from 3pm til 9pm.

For 15 years I didn’t have a TV and didn’t miss it. I preferred watching favourite DVDs on the computer. Now with current partner we have a huge TV in the living room and bedroom. I am amazed at how noisy it can be and how many depressing/violent programs are on the channels. I also hate the news being on before bed after already having watched it at 6.00pm.! I try and put my earplugs in and do something else! I have come to treasure peace and quiet or the sounds of nature outside.

Like Ilovecheese my tv switches itself off after being on for a set time. I get a five minute warning of this, and can keep it on by touching a button on the remote.

I have it on for about an hour in the morning whilst having brekkie. BBC news - and this is the only time I watch it 'live'. All other times I watche recorded programmes p-so I watch whatg I want when I want. Lunch time is is something like Sart Trek episode, if I have nothing else on , may have it for an episode of something else I am watching for about an hour. Back on early evening for Doctors whilst I have my tea, and perhjaps an episode of Antique Road Trip. Over to BBC Radio 4 for 6.30pm spot followed bhy The Archers.

My evening watching is similar most evenings. An episode of something like Midsomer Murders, etc. followed by QI extra and Would I lie to you. I like to finish my day on a fun, happy note.

I rarely watch TV these days, but even when I did I only put it on for specific programs. I hate erroneous noise, it really gets to me. Usually I listen to music, audio books or podcasts via my echo dots, or earbuds. TV rarely gets a look in.

My DH has a TV on from 8.30 am - 11.30pm unless he is out of the house. Sometimes I am cajoled into watching with him but it's such a waste of time.

I hate TV with a passion, and would only have it on for specific programmes...my husband, sadly, puts it on at 9am and it stays on until 11pm/12pm. If people visit it is muted or occasionally turned off

Nobody 'needs' to watch TV, but why shouldn't they if they want to?

As I say, I really don't understand the need for moralising over things like this.

The more I hear about “some” threads on MN the gladder I am that I take no part in it.
What a strange thing for Mums - who are presumably busy with juggling jobs, children , the home and a social life and who I cannot imagine would need neither to watch TV all day or indeed talk about it. ]

My DH has tinnitus, have found tv in background at a certain volume helps , so I can tell how bad it is on a day to day level. On by 10am bad day the weather plays a big part in tv use on nice dry when we can leave house for a couple of hours it can be 6pm , but in winter when his heath is not so good it can be on for 16 hours in 24 I have learned how to tune out .

I find tv on in the daytime profoundly depressing, even though I live alone. It smacks of Abandon all Hope, that there’s nothing else in life to get on with.
It goes on in the daytime for a royal wedding/funeral or something similar, but I keep it for the evening after my meal and then I really enjoy it as I have been looking forward to watching the latest episode of whatever series I’m currently watching.

If I am home then the tv is on - since my husband died I don't like sitting here in silence, although sometimes I listen to music instead (and mute the tv lol!). I usually have the news channel on, half listening whilst I am on my computer, iPad or phone. I only watch properly late at night when I stream a movie or episode of a boxset before bed. My husband always liked the tv on constantly, even if he wasn't watching it, and I have picked up the habit - plus its company of a sort. My tv also nags me periodically - I have to press a button to stop it automatically switching off.

TV is on in the early morning as I wake very early and like to hear the news from Sky and BBC. It stays on until about 10.30 as I potter about then switched off as I get busier or go out. I try not to have it on again until 6pm or so and it stays on all evening until I go to bed which is late. I am a poor sleeper so the TV in my bedroom will lull me to sleep. I know that so called ‘experts’ would throw up their hands in horror at the perils of ‘blue light’ and suggest whale sounds or some such thing instead, but my mind is so busy I can never relax fully without a bit of trite nonsense to wind me down. The TV is wonderful company as I live alone and I can happily read, do puzzles and sew with it burbling away unheeded in the background!

My husband has it on all bl**dy day, and then he sleeps through most of the programmes. But he wakes up of I turn it down or change the channel

I must be an," unwanted caller " , biglouis.
I'm a GP . I'm ancient now and no longer do home visits but I often found that the TV was on at every visit and no one went to switch it off.
It made conversation, history taking and listening to hearts , lungs etc nigh on impossible.
Trying to ask for the thing to be turned down/ off usually resulted in mucky looks !

I watch too much TV and often have it on all day. Even if I'm not watching it I like the background noise. If it is off I hear every noise and feel quite unsettled as I live in a big old creaky house!

Bel9v3d turns the TV on when she gets up, until we go to bed, the turns the bededroom one. I've no idea when she turns it off, I'm asleep by then

It’s all the same noise - radio or TV, whether you have your diversion on some of the time or all the time. Airwaves noise.

Some people cannot concentrate on their reading, puzzling, cooking, computing if there is ANY noise. The radio silence itself is a distraction for me and I wonder how people operate in a vacuum without music or human voices.

It’s easy for me to tune things out. I have a friend who cannot tolerate having noise competition - it interfere’s with her ADHD.

Here, something is on all the time as background - I prefer that in my daily existence, and so does my cat - even when I’m gone, it’s on to keep her company. 😺
USA Gundy

As DAB reception here is not too good I listen to Planet Rock radio all day through tv. Cannot stand too much quiet as I have Tinnitus. So my favourite music on all day distracts from it, thank you Planet Rock 😄

I don't like the TV on on Christmas Day, but now that we've got different generations with different ways all there at once, it is more difficult. I relent in the evening, when everyone has often had enough of interacting (), but as often as not as soon as I leave the room my mum puts it on, even though there is nothing worth watching.

We sometimes put the TV on for the lunchtime news but mostly it doesn’t go on until 7.30ish. If we have visitors it gets switched off. If we get phone calls it goes on mute or paused. One absolutely unbreakable rule is that there is NEVER TV on Christmas Day. This has passed down from my grandparents who always told us it was a family day, no need for TV - we never missed it - always had fun, as my grandchildren do these days.

Only when mum in law is staying. Then it goes on at 9am and stays on til bedtime. Sends me coocoo!

I don't understand the way that some seem to almost see a moral dimension to watching TV. What's the difference between watching a film and reading a book? Both are escapism and can sometimes be educational or entertaining. Similarly, what's the difference between watching TV at 2.00pm and 8.00pm? These days it's not about there being a difference in the programming, as so much is 'on demand'.

As I said upthread, whereas I resist self-imposed rules myself I do realise that others need to impose a structure on their days, and that's fine - I just don't understand why, or why these rules often seem to be seen as 'standards' that have to be maintained, with a sense of 'failure' if they are not. Each to their own, obviously, but I am interested, so if can anyone explain it I'd like to know .

I hate eating alone so usually have iplayer on for an hour at lunchtime and again for my evening meal. The TV is off then till later in the evening.