JFF: TV Viewing Habits

I am catching up on a whole bunch of shows on netflix and Amazon Prime since I didn't watch TV for about 20 years with the exception of the news and home and garden tv. The kick is...I only let myself watch netflix or amazon when I am on my exercise bike or elliptical. (I've gone over 15,000 miles on my exercise bike since February 2012:).

We have a 16" portable set that we drag out in the evening to watch a Netflix movie a few times a week, and occasionally a TV series
(The Wire, The Office, Big Bang). Other than that, we don't have TV. How do people find time for it?

My first marriage was to a man who loved TV and needed it on all the time. The set was always on. I couldn't stand it, and spent as much time as possible in other rooms.

We have TVs, no cable. Its rarely on. Occasionally we do pizza and movie night, but even keeping my kiddos attention during that is hard. My guys love to read. So that's mostly what they do!

I too grew up in a TV home. As an adult I've struggled to figure out what works best for me and my family. We don't have cable. We use Netflix. I only watch an hour a day (with my husband before he goes to bed). My daughters and husband all do 2 or 3 hours a day. It really depends on the day. Right now we're in a hotel while we transition to Georgia. Having cable and unlimited TV access has NOT been beneficial to our family. I'm losing my sanity. :-/

As of now, our TV is usually on from about 4pm until I go to bed, around 10:30pm on weekdays Mon-Thurs. Friday is date night and we are out on Friday nights. On weekends, it is usually not on very much except for golf on Sundays or sports events we like to watch.

We have 7 TV's in our house... every bedroom, game room and our family room has twin TV's. The family room is a large area and the fireplace is the center point. So, we have identical entertainment centers with identical TV's set up in them. This enables everyone to have a good view of what is showing if we have guests or have a huge sporting event playing or something. The TV in my bedroom is hardly ever on and the only other one used is in the game room area where hubby now offices and he does keep it on the financial news all day.

During the day, I am usually listening to Pandora on my laptop or Ipad which is connected to a portable Bose speaker.

This has been the habit now for about a year. Last year we bought a condo for our daughter to go to college and she has 2 TV's. She watches more movies and such as well as a couple of favorite programs that we enjoy together. On nights when our favorite shows are on, we are texting back and forth about what is going on with the show, etc. It was our "thing" when she lived at home to watch our favorite shows together and chat.

When she was younger, the TV was not on all the time but I didn't police her TV activity either. As long as we are all active and not just plopped in front of the TV I am ok with it. I believe it is smart to just balance things out.

For the family as a whole, tv is sort of what 'comes last', as it were. We don't have cable, just a digital converter box and Amazon Prime ...and I still will only watch the free stuff-- if we are going to pay for something, we walk to the local independent video rental place-- like to keep the money local.

Kiddo might watch something if his tasks, incl. homework during school, are finished. We get a lot of dvds from the library or will rent a season of favorite cartoons every so often and he can watch from that. We aren't legalistic about screen time, just matter-of-fact that there's a lot of stuff to do in a day and tv is only one part of that picture.

I don't usually watch tv during the day unless I am folding laundry. Sometimes that's a little treat; occasionally we'll have a lazy day and Kiddo and I will watch something we might both like. We will usually save viewing for 8-10 or so in the evenings, after Kiddo's bedtime. By that time of day, our work is more or less finished and we can relax. I also would say that, content-wise, what we like to watch isn't really appropriate for a seven year old (be it more adult-directed comedies or "Bones" or my latest dvd indulgence, Hotel Babylon). I've found that taking a break from tv/radio during the day makes things fairly peaceful. I listen to NPR if I need a background noise during the day, or put on some music if the news is too much.

And every Saturday evening we go upstairs, pile on the bed together and watch an hour of vintage Batman (w/ Adam West and Burt Ward). Silly, of course, and it's become a family tradition.

We have 3 TV's, in our 3 living areas. We have a family room, living room, and upstairs the kids have a "tv room" where the wii is hooked up as well. I DVR all my favorite shows and watch them throughout the day while I'm home. We are inside more in the summer since it's hell hot here and the hottest part of the day is 5pm. So we are inside. The kids get home, do homework, have a snack, get on their phones or computer until dinner then watch some tv before bed. In the winter, we will go to the park or a walk after dinner so there isn't as much tv since we can get out of the house. I don't think it's a big deal as long as you are doing other activities. The kids are busy at school all day and we generally have activities during the weekend that doesn't involve the tv. I am a big believer that the kids shouldn't have TV's in their rooms like I did when I was younger. I practically lived in my room but I was an only child raised by a single mom. I also don't let them have their iphones upstairs or any other electronic for that matter. They have stereos in their rooms.

We have Dish, Netflix and with amazon prime or blockbuster we have access to any movie released to DVD.

My kids watched very little while growing up but at 12 & 15 they have their favorite shows and watch what they want when they have time.

I would suggest that people that say there is nothing of value on or that TV isn't as good as it used to be don't have access to what we do. We very rarely watch anything on "mainstream" channels (abc, cbs, nbc) I do find most of that to be junk (except Modern Family). What we do watch is mostly really interesting and valuable in my opinion.

As a family we watch documentaries, old/current movies, animal and nature shows, history channel, PBS and a little of what my girls call "junky shows". CNN has had some great programming lately, we like Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown, Morgan Spurlock/Inside Man. The series The Sixties produced by Ron Howard has been great. My 15 year old was mesmerized last night by the episode on Haight/Ashbury and the hippies.

My husband and I watch HBO/SHO series and specials. We stay up pretty late so after 9pm we'll catch up on things we missed that week.

We listen to music a lot of the time. We live in the woods so with the doors open nature is a great playlist.

I don't have much time for TV but it's on all the time between my kids and my husband. My 7 year old has finally moved into more advanced kid shows, and my 4 year old is the age where she wants to watch the same movie over and over for days.

I don't formally limit it for my kids at all. They respect when I say "turn it off now and go play". I remember my youngest sisters watching TONS of TV as kids, and they are some of the smartest two successful people I know their age (25).

We have one tv and we hardly use it.
The Golden Age of tv has been over for awhile.
I find most of the newer tv shows are just vapid.
Reality tv is anything but - a lot of it is Jerry Springer topic wanna-be s.
There are a few exceptions - Big Bang Theory comes to mind.
We watch very little live tv these days.
The shows we really like we have on dvd and we watch them when we want to.
I don't have the tv on just to make noise and I don't need to be surrounded by noise to feel comfortable.
I like hearing relative silence - to be able to hear when the rooster next door crows, the frogs, crickets, the sound of anything driving up the gravel driveway, the sound of rain and thunder, etc.

We fall in between but usually closer to less. We only have netflix so if it's not on there or a movie we get from Red Box then we don't watch. I may occasionally look something up on youtube but that's about it. So we absolutely are a by the program rather than just 'cause family. My husband & kiddos would probably watch way more than they do if I cared for it more but I'm not a huge fan of just watching to watch.
Our watching kinda ebbs & flows also. Nasty weather is sure to equal more screen time as is when I'm not feeling well. I'm kinda relaxing a bit as the kiddos get older but still prefer them to spend time doing something rather than watching.
Whatever works for each family!

I grew up in a household where the TV was on only a few hours a week, and though I developed a definite addiction to crime dramas, I generally prefer not having the TV on a lot. I will only turn it on after the kids go to sleep. Overall, we are a 'watch by the program' bunch (though my husband will often have a news station on if there isn't a soccer match). He watches any soccer match he can get! My kids do enjoy the competition programs and the teen comedy shows; our policy is to allow a couple hours a day on weekends, none during the school week. We spend so little time home due to kids' activities after school that it's pretty easy to enforce. Frankly, the bigger challenge is limiting the kids' computer time! They are more interested in playing online games which have an active and interactive component.

Definitely in between. It's off more than it's on. It's only on if someone is actually watching it. We have 1 TV.

tv is like a really long-term tidal effect. it has receded to the background in my life, and moved forward to become a major component. when i was a kid we only had 2 tv stations, and they only came on at night. and wowza! what excitement it was when saturday morning cartoons started! my brothers and i literally went from outside-from-sunup-on kids to glued-to-the-tube kids on saturdays, until noon when the station went off.
and then we were off and running again.
kids today don't have those natural boundaries, of course.
i barely watched any tv as a teen, then in late teens through my early 20s, when i was bartending mostly, my roomies and i were soap addicts. we'd sleep until noonish, have the soaps on while we flopped around and got ready for work, and that was it.
for most of the busy years raising kids and working a lot of jobs, i watched nearly no tv. the exception was the shows my kids loved. i could barely stand barney and thomas (though the boys loved them) but whenever our schedules permitted we sat down together for power rangers and teenage mutant ninja turtles. i wasn't particularly focused on restricting screen time for my boys- they were so busy doing other things that it was rarely an issue. when video games swam onto the scene that was a different story, but i'll pass on that for now.
at the moment i'm back into a love affair with tv. if there's something on i like during the day it usually keeps me company if i'm cleaning or whatever. but if there's nothing interesting i have no problem keeping it off. i really enjoy silence, and often run without earbuds so i can listen to the birdies and think thinkety thoughts. at night, after my household chores and writing and whatever devotionals i'm doing are wrapped up, i almost always reward myself with some tv before my bubbly bath. so at the moment i'm watching a lot of tv. but in a month or 6 i may suddenly be done, and turn it off for a few years.
well, except for game of thrones. and top chef.
a girl has to have some vices.
:) khairete
S.

We have one t.v. We have no cable or satellite. All we have is Netflix and Amazon Prime. My husband and I watch about 3 hrs. of t.v. per week. At the absolute most, we have watched an hr per day. My kids do the same -- at the most an hr per day, but usually average more like 2 - 3 hrs per week. Of course, sometimes we do watch a movie which means 1 1/2 - 2 hrs. in one day. my kids are also allowed no more than 20 min. on the computer.

They don't usually ask to watch the t.v. Sometimes I suggest they watch a show because I want them to rest after a huge day or if they have been up late the night before or have a big night coming up (they don't take naps). This is what adds up to the 3 - 5 hrs per week of t.v.!

Now, I grew up with the t.v. on ALL day! I like it MUCH better this way. I HATE the blasted t.v.'s on EVERY where you now, in doctors' offices, at gas stations, etc. You can't get away from them!!!

Funny, when I am home alone, the TV is off more than on. If I have missed a show, I may watch that, then turn it off.

At night, my husband likes the distraction of the tv. He can work on his computer and watch shows, he usually also has one earbud in.. Can you tell he has ADHD?

Our daughter also works well with the TV on, and her laptop gong.

We have 3 tvs. When I was a kid we had just one and for about a year, we had none. We didn't have cable til I was in HS.

Ours are rec room, kitchen and living room. It is rare that there is more than one on at a time. During the day, DD will often watch her kid programming. At night, DH and I will watch a show or two (usually something like Top Gear or other BBC programming). The TV is on a lot, but not 24/7. If we cut cable, we would keep our high speed internet and go with Hulu. We've been considering using a Roku box instead of cable.

At family gatherings, some of my relatives show movies the entire time. People will spend more time watching a movie they've seen before than socializing with family they see once a year. My uncle has an enormous TV now and it's hard to ignore. When gatherings are in our home, the TV is off. No need when you can talk to each other, play board games, etc. When DD has a guest, we generally don't have the TV on, either, as the point is for the kids to play.

I would rather have a radio on than a TV, if I want background noise.

TV is on whenever someone wants to watch it. I find that restricting it only makes it more desirable. The kids hardly ever turn it on to just sit and watch. The girl likes a couple of shows in Disney or Nick but she DVR's them to watch when she's taking a break from other stuff.

Fun question.

We do not have cable or anything. Anything we watch is a DVD or HULU/Netflix. When I worked from home, I had the TV on most of the time that I was working because it helped keep me alert and awake; the job was a bit mundane and sitting at a computer so long made me feel foggy.

Nowadays, I will usually watch 1-2 hours at the end of the night, and it is always a program that my husband and I are watching together. It is how we unwind, and a fun pleasure to look forward to after a hard day of work.

It is about the same on weekends. My husband watches more during football season though.

The kids do not watch much TV they they use the TV to play Minecraft quite a bit.

I frequently had it on as background noise when my daughter was little. I didn't want her to be one of those kids who had to have absolute silence in order to sleep.
I didn't have a set amount of time she was allowed to watch. I just made sure she had lots of stuff to choose from to keep herself busy.
I don't have tv now. I cut my cable package to internet only in order to save money, I watch tv on the internet.

We DVR our shows, watch the news at night. When the kids are up, after work before bed, they are allowed to watch TV. Saturday mornings (unless there are specific plans) we gather around the cartoons (netflix or what is on depending).

We watch our DVRd shows after the kids go to bed. Unless I am on a reading kick, then my hubby watches.

We try to have the radio on a lot or music TV.