I did not expect this kind of hostility! - Page 3

[Materfamilias]

Originally Posted by goldfinch

I think it can be because they have some underlying insecurities about their own decision.

:
I haven't had a tv since I was 18. Most people don't engage me in debate about it, but those who do invariably feel defensive about their own viewing. They insist they only watch educational tv, for example. I have never had anyone try to convince me it would be good for me to let my son watch it.
I'm a teacher and my students are always aghast when they first find out I don't have/want a tv. They always wonder what on earth I do with my time
I have converted a few of them, though.

[Smokering]

Heh. Gosh, I've gotten so used to not having a TV that I sort of forgot it was an issue (I only just realised that the 'TV-free forum' applied to me!). DH and I do watch shows and movies on the computer, though, so it's a different kind of TV-free... maybe we don't count.

I haven't had a huge amount of hostility, TBH. Mostly I've just noticed people forget, and keep saying 'Did you see X on the news last night?' or 'Did you see Y on Channel 4?'. I just keep saying patiently 'No, we don't have a TV' and they say 'Oh, yeah' and we go through the whole thing again the next day.

My sister does remember feeling a bit left out at school because her friends were all hugely into Batman and Robin, and she didn't know who they were. Yet she lived through it... and ironically, DH and I are superhero geeks, so obviously being TV-free didn't stunt my family's pop culture for life. Plus that sister and I both ended up studying film and TV at Uni! Odd...

[MelanieMC]

I don't even have children yet and I get crap from ppl all the time about not having a t.v. I'm about to move out into a new apartment and everyone I know has asked me if I want an old t.v. they've got, or if I want one for graduation (I'm finally done with college!). I just tell them no and leave it at that. I actually had a friend who asked me how I was going to arrange my furniture without a T.V. as a focus point.: Seriously, everyone asks me all the time what I "do" when I'm at home since I don't have t.v.

So see, even if you don't have kids involved it's still a hot topic with some people.

[earthgirl]

Originally Posted by MelanieMC

I don't even have children yet and I get crap from ppl all the time about not having a t.v. I'm about to move out into a new apartment and everyone I know has asked me if I want an old t.v. they've got, or if I want one for graduation (I'm finally done with college!). I just tell them no and leave it at that. I actually had a friend who asked me how I was going to arrange my furniture without a T.V. as a focus point.: Seriously, everyone asks me all the time what I "do" when I'm at home since I don't have t.v.

So see, even if you don't have kids involved it's still a hot topic with some people.

No offense to your friend, but that's just so dumb!

[lalaland42]

The only negative response about being tv-free we ever got was from DD's pediatrician. She went in for an ear infection and was being so brave, the pedi (a mom) offered her a Disney princess sticker. DD kind of stared at it and then said no thanks, she just wanted a sucker. I felt the need to explain that we are tv-free and she didn't know who the princesses are. We had to come back in a week for a re-check and the pedi handed her a Cars sticker with the names printed on the bottom and told her, "here, the names are even written on the bottom so you can learn who they are." The way she said that, it sounded like a jab. Not really sure why though. I think the pedi thinks I don't approve of her choices (I disagree but don't disapprove).

[MelanieMC]

Originally Posted by earthgirl

No offense to your friend, but that's just so dumb!

no offense taken, she is kinda dumb! She also just happens to have at least 8 tv's in her house (that I know of, there may be more). :

[earthgirl]

Originally Posted by MelanieMC

no offense taken, she is kinda dumb! She also just happens to have at least 8 tv's in her house (that I know of, there may be more). :

Good lord! 8 TVs? Well no wonder she thinks you can't arrange your furniture w/out the TV being the focal point. Wow, 8 TVs...

[avivaelona]

I'm finding this thread so odd because for the last 6 years we didn't have any kind of broadcast tv (we did own a tv and watched movies from netflix occasionally) DS never watched tv and didn't even much like watching videos so he has no clue about most of the "characters" children learn about. We've gotten tons of comments about it over the last few years, every time someone asked him if he liked "thomas" since he liked trains or whatever, I said we didn't have TV.

The thing is from everyone, the comments have only been positive. "oh I wish we could go tv free" or "yeah I really try to limit my children's exposure its just hard for me to go without it entirely" or "oh that's so good, its so much better to raise them without it". Of course the problem is, I never actually chose to be without television, it was just a byproduct of lack of funds and a town with no cable or ability to get broadcast TV. So mostly when I got praise for it I felt kind of guilty, because I always intended to get cable if it came to our town, or eventually sign up for sattelite.

I'm so shocked that people have gotten such nasty comments! Maybe its because I live in kind of a crunchy place?

[alicewyf]

I'm another here who doesn't have cable of any kind, but I do watch some series on DVD/online when I feel like it. I only watch Firefly, Rome, and The Office (and two of those shows are canceled!).

We don't have children yet, but I don't plan to let them watch "saturday morning cartoons." DH and I have actually already had a fight about that already! He has a lot of love for 80's cartoons!

I just hate commercials and I know that they cause consumerism in children. :

We will not be having cable of any kind in our house, but I will probably let my children watch DVDs of movies, select children's shows, and documentaries occasionally, without commercials.

[MelanieMC]

Originally Posted by earthgirl

Good lord! 8 TVs? Well no wonder she thinks you can't arrange your furniture w/out the TV being the focal point. Wow, 8 TVs...

I know! She has 3 children - they all have a t.v. in their bedrooms (they are ages 18 months, 3, and 6); one in her bedroom; one in the living room; one in the kids playroom; one in the kitchen, and one in the basement (which she has so the kids can watch tv while she's down there doing laundry). It's truly the most insane thing I've ever seen. :

[roostery]

We just watch videos, we don't get any reception really, and we only let DD watch national geographic occasionally (maybe 2-3 a month). But now that she's doing playdates at other peoples houses I'm having to deal with the fact that the parents of the other kids seem to think that watching videos is a good playdate option. I really don't know how to tell them that I don't want DD watching Batman cartoons (for example) without them feeling that I'm disapproving of their parenting.