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Are we very unusual no tv

(66 Posts)
creakingandchronic Tue 11-Mar-25 14:33:48

A few years ago 6 to be precise the tv programmes were so dire over the Christmas period we turned the tv off. Time went on and in April we realised we had still not turned it on so got rid of it.
we do have laptops for catch up but do not bother much. The other day at my Reading Group they were discussing a book which was made into a tv show and I was totally lost! Even though everyone else was older than me 70s plus they were amazed I had no tv, made me feel most odd!
TV licensing wont believe us either we have notices saying we are going to be prosecuted often for no tv licence despite us telling them numerous times.
Even on holiday in the chalet we do not turn their tv on either!

henetha Wed 12-Mar-25 10:50:36

I love my TV and wouldn't want to be without it, but every respect for those who choose not to not to. We're all different.

henetha Wed 12-Mar-25 10:51:03

So good I typed it twice grin

teach Wed 12-Mar-25 14:21:22

Haven't had a TV for about 8 years although I do have a TV licence. If I want to watch something, I watch it on my laptop.

Junglebub Wed 12-Mar-25 14:24:10

No, you are not unusual at all, creakingandchronic, I know lots of people who don't own a Tv!

Primrose53 Wed 12-Mar-25 14:28:54

A neighbour of mine has no TV. She is very well off but incredibly mean. If there’s something on she goes to a friend’s house to watch it because she won’t pay for a TV licence.

We have a man round for a meal every few weeks and he doesn’t have a TV, relies completely on his radio.

mabon1 Wed 12-Mar-25 15:10:43

It is unusual but if it suits you - fine. I o watch tv. generally from about 7.30p.m. until 10.00p.m. It is good company as I am a widow. I do read and garden, walk about 2/3 miles daily weather permitting and I'm 83.

AuntieE Wed 12-Mar-25 15:11:07

I have never particularly cared for TV. I do still have a set, but that is just because I have not decided whether I want to keep it so I ca see films on the large screen.

Like OP I use may computer for the news, and as we now have a Media licence in Denmark not a Television Licence, I obviously cannot not pay that, as it covers internet usage and the old radio licence.

But yes, judging by friends' comments, we are the odd ones!

Vintagegirl Wed 12-Mar-25 15:22:42

Another one who has given up conventional TV set. I have a good laptop and am happy to watch streaming channels. It saves me the bother of digging out glasses to see a distant screen and putting in hearing aid so as not to have to turn volume way up.

jocork Wed 12-Mar-25 15:56:22

When I was young my parents didn't have a TV and I only watched at my grandparents' home. When they updated their set they gave us the old one, but we only had BBC as ITV needed a much bigger aeriel due to poor reception where we lived. My parents attitude was "The only argument is it is either on or off!"

When my dad was off sick for many weeks my mum got us a more modern TV via rental so he could have some entertainment when we were out during the day. That was when we first had a choice of channels, the then new BBC2 and ITV. I was a teenager at the time and conversations at school were often about what we had watched the night before, so I was finally able to join in. I did feel very deprived before that. He eventually retired very young due to ill health and had a new TV as a retirement present. He had certainly come to appreciate its presence as he was no longer out playing sports all the time.

I now probably watch too much TV and would be lost without it. The set is on most of the time when I'm home as I feel it keeps me company as I live alone. I'm often doing other things when watching, such as pottering online, checking email etc but I like to have the background noise.
I often wonder if I'd be less dependant on TV if I hadn't been deprived of it when younger. However I'm happy with just the terrestrial channels and use my laptop or a firestick to access catchup. I certainly don't need the amount of choice that is available and wouldn't pay extra for more choice. I think the TV licence is pretty good value for what I use.

winterwhite Wed 12-Mar-25 15:58:17

Like MOnica I dislike watching tv and would happily ditch it. DH likes watching the news and then aimlessly channel hops but he’d never agree to getting rid of it.

watermeadow Wed 12-Mar-25 16:16:36

I look at the BBC news on my iPad. I can quickly pass over all the bad news and keep up with anything important. I no longer listen to news on the radio as it’s an hour of politics and war everytime. Likewise if any other programme on radio wants to include politics or war, I turn it off.
I have a friend who, in her 80s, said she was not going to watch or read anything unpleasant in the time she had left. Very wise.

Crossstitchfan Wed 12-Mar-25 16:29:52

Top Gear would be one of the programme that would make me get rid of mine!

BlueBelle Wed 12-Mar-25 16:36:30

I love having a tv living alone it is a means of hearing someone talking to me and although not everything is good there are some very interesting programmes I m usually doing other things as well

SORES Wed 12-Mar-25 16:46:04

We do not have a tv and haven’t for years, nor a tv licence, meaning we cannot view anything BBC online.

None of our children do either, although they all have large flatscreens enabling films, documentaries, etc.

We do not have a radio either.
As a single person I never had one

However - laptop, tablet, smartphone -
out of my cold, dead hands!

CariadAgain Wed 12-Mar-25 17:04:57

I have one - but very rarely watch it. I think, in my case, I'm not that bothered because my mother always always always had the darn thing on but wouldnt accept me using heating in my bedroom in the winter and so it kept interrupting my studies (ie because I got fed-up with freezing in my bedroom whilst trying to do my homework - and so came down into the sitting room and her tv-watching then disturbed my homework every blimmin' time and I knew she knew it and wouldnt do anything about it!!!!!!).

Hence tv's became something I resent to some extent. Add that, as an adult, I had a live-in job in a college for a while where everyone else was also living-in and the tv room had its proper place of importance (a remotely-located lounge on the premises - that very few of us ever went in).

I do note down any "intelligent" type programmes that come up - but often don't get round to watching them. I do occasionally use the tv for escapism - ie when I'm particularly fed-up with this century I switch on the tv channel with "life that I recognise" (ie because it's fiction programmes from the 1980s for instance).

petra Wed 12-Mar-25 17:10:39

I’m trying to remember being without a tv. My parents rented the first one for the coronation in 1953, I was 7.

Prettythings Wed 12-Mar-25 17:46:25

Have not had a television for over 30 years. Both my husband and myself love to listen to (unabridged) books on tape, read both ebooks and paper books, and have other hobbies. Never had time to watch television, so when we moved we gave our tv to a family member and never replaced it. Whether people have a television or not is their choice, it is just another gadget, like tablets, mobiles, etc.

Nibbles44 Wed 12-Mar-25 18:28:32

I'm 70, last thing I saw on TV was Wills & Kate's Royal Wedding on 29th April 2011, the day before it went digital. Most of my friends of same age don't have any either, & all hate sports. Not having TV has saved us lots of time & money since I got rid of all sets, despite TV licensing chasing everyone with threats. Plenty films & videos of interest to me on the internet, & when I want to watch them - not when broadcast, for which I use my laptop.

stewaris Wed 12-Mar-25 18:29:02

We have not had a television for the last 13 years after the house renovation took so long. However, we did continue to pay the licence fee for 2 years as we tried to decide. Eventually realised we were paying for DH watching 2 programmes a week and I'd completely lost interest in it anyway. Haven't missed it at all. Much more interesting things to do.

cowshindtail Wed 12-Mar-25 18:46:11

I have a tv for watching dvds on but as it is no longer connected to an aerial (cut through accidentally while pruning wisteria) it is not used for watching tv.I have cancelled my licence and only watch ITV catch up sometimes and don't miss BBC.

GrannyIvy Wed 12-Mar-25 18:55:01

We have a tv but I could happily live without one as I prefer to read but DH enjoys his tv and it is very rarely not turned on 🙈 Thank goodness we have other rooms I can escape too that are tv free.

OhOhOh Wed 12-Mar-25 19:04:42

No tv here either. I lost the remote control for mine when I moved house and after 2 years of neither watching it or missing it, I finally chucked it out and cancelled the licence. On rare occasions I'll watch a programme on catch-up tv; the last one being the final series of Vera, but I'd rather listen to the radio or podcasts or watch something on YouTube. It's a bore having to keep deflecting the tv licensing chaser letters though.

Mojack26 Wed 12-Mar-25 19:05:43

Yes it is unusual but your choice.

pen50 Wed 12-Mar-25 19:58:11

I'm another who rarely watches TV - maybe on every couple of months or so. DH watches football on Sunday nights, and occasionally some rugby or cricket, but that's it. If I lived alone I'd dump the box completely.

SunnySusie Wed 12-Mar-25 20:19:55

I cant remember the last time I watched the TV, although we do have one. I do watch You Tube and sometimes iPlayer on my computer in the evening. I never watch the news now, just read it on line on the Beeb and a couple of newspaper web sites. Neither DS or DD have televisions.