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life without a TV

Date: April 27, 2003 | 24 Safar 1424 Hijriah
Blog: veiled4allah
Subjects: personal, thoughts
This last week has been Turn Off the TV Week. I don't own a TV and haven't watched TV in about 12 years. When I went away to college I didn't buy a TV for myself, and I've never really seen the need to do so since then. The few times I have watched TV (at a friend or family member's house) it only reminded me why I don't usually bother.

My younger sister used to watch a fair amount of TV but now she doesn't own one either. I think we got it from my mom, who doesn't watch TV either, except for the major tennis tournaments like Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. My mom spends her time reading instead. My sister and I do that, and we surf the web. I think the internet is much more fun than watching TV wink
~ Posted by Al-Muhajabah, a member of the reality-based community, at 09:57 PM

Comments

umair said: Total comments: 51   gold stargold stargold stargold stargold star

no way! that is sooooooooooo cool! I think we need to do that too. unfortunately, we already bought a TV and watch way too much of it everyday. matter of fact, i sometimes find myself watching TV while I'm on the computer! lol. my maternal grandpa didn't want any of his kids/grandkids buying/watching TV. seeing what's on TV nowadays, it has become clear to me now, why my grandpa didn't want us to own TVs. we never owned a TV until recently (in the last 5 years or so). i think i need to work on getting rid of the TV from our house altogether - it will be hard, but its a great goal.

~ Posted at April 27, 2003 10:23 PM | Comment Permalink
umair said: Total comments: 51   gold stargold stargold stargold stargold star

inshaAllah wink

~ Posted at April 27, 2003 10:24 PM | Comment Permalink
one of the top five commentors on this blog! Zack Ajmal said: Total comments: 112   gold stargold stargold stargold stargold star

I don't own a TV either. Actually that's not quite right. I have a TV card in my PC and sometimes open a TV window while surfing the net.

I actually like watching TV. However, I have never been a heavy TV viewer and I don't follow anything on tv religiously.

~ Posted at April 28, 2003 12:01 AM | Comment Permalink
dita said: Total comments: 6  

The only positive thing I can recall from watching TV as a child is picking up languages and accents :P

Actually, to stop watching TV isn't that hard. Don't have one, that's how. Ever since I went to university and stay in a dorm I hardly watch TV anymore. For news I would read the paper and news sites and for fun I would surf the net. Occasionally I would go watch a movie with some friends or play VCDs in my PC. That way I can screen for myself what I want to watch.

But somehow, when I'm staying at home for holidays, I still watch TV *sigh*

~ Posted at April 28, 2003 03:42 AM | Comment Permalink
John said: Total comments: 2  

to me internet life pales in comparison to real life.
that's something new I have discovered, or re-awakened too. studies show that people who go without TV are generally happier, i didn't get the indications as to why from the study.
I think hamza Yusuf said that. this other website I went
to recommended at most 2 hours "screen time" whether it was computer or tv. I am pushing it smile I have off and on days. I'm weaning myself off of it. and getting on books more and stuff, and real life fun and all that. I just went through a period if internet madness, hehe, alhamdullilah(thank God), it's over now i think.

asalamu alaykum

PS: muhajabah, did you read that Lang book? what's your thoughts on it, or was it just interesting?
PSS: no tv here. roomie has this computer, i will not have one inshallah when I'm on my own.


~ Posted at April 28, 2003 07:29 AM | Comment Permalink
moderator Al-Munaqabah said: Total comments: 996   gold stargold stargold stargold stargold star

The internet is one of the primary ways that I get information; I don't have the resources to be able to obtain all that information offline. The internet can be addictive, especially when you're interacting with people (IM, discussion boards, sharing comments on blogs, email, etc). But it's an important means of seeking knowledge for me.

P.S. Sorry for not answering your question. No, I haven't read the book, although I've heard about it.

~ Posted at April 28, 2003 08:55 AM | Comment Permalink
one of the top five commentors on this blog! PG said: Total comments: 64   gold stargold stargold stargold stargold star

I think the internet is ten times more addictive than TV because of the infinite variability and the opportunity for interaction. Especially for someone like me who is fond of debate and new information, the internet defeats the limited options and passivity of TV. Sometimes there's nothing good on TV, but there's always something worth reading on the internet.

I think the internet has a good humbling effect too. Looking at the most popular shows on TV makes me feel superior to people -- who is making a trashy reality show like Joe Millionaire beat out a decent drama like The Practice? -- but the internet is a constant lesson in how little I know. I still haven't even visited all the Muslim voices that have been recommended here!



~ Posted at April 28, 2003 08:59 AM | Comment Permalink
john said: Total comments: 2  

i agree about the getting info part. it's fast and easy.
then the boards and online interaction can get
addictive.
asalamu alaykum, John

~ Posted at April 28, 2003 09:11 AM | Comment Permalink
Suzyz said: Total comments: 1  

I'd rather go online than watch tv anyday!!

~ Posted at April 28, 2003 11:07 AM | Comment Permalink
one of the top five commentors on this blog! Jonathan Edelstein said: Total comments: 91   gold stargold stargold stargold stargold star

I lived without a TV for about ten years - when I first moved out of my parents' house, I couldn't afford one, and after a while I no longer missed it. At the time, I was amazed by how easy it was to do without TV, not to mention that I had more time for reading and social activity.

I have a TV now - Naomi writes for a television-related magazine, so we can't really do without one. I still don't watch a great deal, though.


~ Posted at April 28, 2003 11:29 AM | Comment Permalink
John said: Total comments: 2  

i think it's all in how you use them. it is easy to get
sucked in though..........

Al-munaqabah, I recommend Lang's books. I just saw some other posts here on where Islam meets femenism. well I'm reading Lang's "Even Angels Ask" and though I'm not all saying it's all there, it is refreshing for me ot read after about the first chapter. he deals with women's issues with really logical arguments(he is a university math instructor), some funny stories. I may read his first book "Struggling to Surrender", which apparently he gives a dissertation-like talk on women in Islam. I may look into it after reading "Even Angels Ask." Some things i look into, I have to agree with him. Asalamu alaykum,
John

~ Posted at April 28, 2003 11:34 AM | Comment Permalink
ali said: Total comments: 1  

you folks obviously dont watch any japanese animation....it is a whole universe on the internet ! i prefer the internet as a communication and entertainment platform than information acquisition. books are much more reliable imo than any academic website or online article. oh, and ofcourse modesty is the best policy even for internet activity. addictions are common among gamers, forum ghouls and digital rights bandits. hehe..ciao !

~ Posted at April 29, 2003 05:30 PM | Comment Permalink
Manish said: Total comments: 17   gold star

I've stopped watching tv for the most part within the last couple of years. Have had a tv in my place, but pretty much only used it to watch movies. My current roommate likes to catch the news, but other than that, it's never on. Unfortunately, the time I save by not watching tv ends up being devoted to surfing the net though.

~ Posted at May 1, 2003 02:09 AM | Comment Permalink
Jochen said: Total comments: 2  

I don't own a TV set. I believe once people have such a device, they switch it on casually for convenient entertainment without a lot of reflection.

To get informed, I use the internet and sometimes my tiny pocket radio. Whereas the Internet also offers a lot of opportunities to get distracted and waste time, I find it still a more active way to consume information compared to TV, and services like Google News allow us to compare what different newspapers say about the same event very easily, which is way harder (and more expensive) using other media.


~ Posted at May 10, 2003 08:18 AM | Comment Permalink

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