No more TV

I do not believe in owning a TV. When I have my own place, I will not have a television in my abode.  Not a single one.  I think we waste sooo much time watching TV and movies and don't even get me started on video games.  No way will my kids have any of that.  I see it all as a loss of time.  We become so dependent on it, for things like 'unwinding,' that we don't even know what to do without it.  I think I would have done pretty well if I was this age 50-100 years ago.  I would have thrived under the sense of urgency that comes with if we don't provide for ourselves, we won't make it.  My generation knows little to nothing about that. I would have loved to exist when people actually found something productive, something physical, something actually interacting with other humans, something outdoors to do instead of making camp daily in front of the altar of entertainment.

When we have finished watching a movie or TV show, what have really gained?  We were entertained for 30 or 60 minutes, half of that spent on commercials, often to just dull the stress and hardship of life, or make it go away for a short while.  Now I'm not saying there aren't any pros.  I think fellowship is a great positive. Whenever I get older and I'd like to catch a ball game or something, I think it would be great to do it in community, with a small group of friends/family to enjoy it with.  But for the most part, TV is watched alone or almost alone and has no lasting benefits.

My whole life I have always been the one that hadn't seen the movie.  I got used to it a long time ago.  'Wait, Mills, you haven't seen ______________?!' Nope and it doesn't bother me one bit.  Whenever I bring up this no TV idea people predictably give me the argument that my kids 'won't fit in' and since they won't be on top of the latest pop culture, kids will think they are weird.  ..........Good! Last time I checked, we are called to be in the world, not of it. I have similar feelings towards the internet. There are as many or more negatives as there are positives. I realize the possible foolishness of saying for sure how I will do something in twenty years, but I predict that the net will be much more available and free than it is now. It's just another thing I won't pay for. I won't mind walking to Starbucks or wherever. I'm definitely not saying this is how I think everyone should live, but these are my beliefs and opinions that shape how I live my life.

Now I will admit I spend too much time on the computer. That's why I don't mind it too much when the internet doesn't work for a couple days. In the past I've done media fasts, where I went weeks without any technology except my phone and that was a great idea.
It's not just watching the screens that bothers me, but also the screens themselves. For five and a half years I have been very pro-Mac bu not anymore. Let me clarify. I still think Macs are the best, hands down. You get what you pay for, which is the problem. I cannot believe I spent that much money on a computer. I'm ashamed of myself. It bothers me when people say, 'well a TV is something I'll splurge on.' What? Really? 'Enhancing' our entertainment fix is more important than the people who will spend tonight in boxes on the street?

“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” ― Henry Ford