Dish Network doesn’t like me very much right now. My children still love me, but not as much as they did this morning. My wife loves me a lot.
You see, I finally did it. I cancelled our television cable service earlier this morning. In other words, I just shut off the TV for good!
I am trying to work towards a life that is increasingly minimalistic. I’m not moving our family into a commune or anything like that, but I do think the Specht’s home needs to be decluttered and dialed down a bit.
Or a lot.
Stepping Back To Take A Fresh Look
Over the last year or so I’ve been unhappy with my family’s consumption of “stuff.” Consumption of entertainment. Consumption of digital media. Many in my household have become couch potatoes and, frankly, it is all my fault.
- What lessons have I been teaching my children by allowing them to watch numerous hours of television each week?
- How many memories have I missed out on with my kids because I’m busy watching SportsCenter?
- How many conversations have I missed out on with my wife because of rerun sitcoms?
And that’s why I woke up this morning, called Dish Network’s 1-800 telephone number and cancelled our service—effective immediately!
It is amazing how something so simple can effect changes so quickly. I feel less stressed. Less burdened. I believe my kids will now have to entertain themselves by playing with each other or reading a good book. Yes, I really do feel less stress.
I couldn’t be more ecstatic about saying goodbye to 24/7 access to bad television programs.
The Reasons Why I Shut Off The TV
Here are 8 reasons I decided to shut off the TV and tell my cable network provider to leave the premises…ASAP!
1. I can think of a hundred things to do with the $600 per year we are saving. No, we didn’t have the most “desirable” channel package available but we certainly had more channels than we could ever watch. And even then it was costing $49 a month. Hmm, I wonder what I should buy my wife?
2. I got tired of watching television with my kids, holding the remote control at the ready. There is just too much garbage on television these days. If it isn’t the questionable language then the images are the problem. The commercials. Too often I would have to move like Superman to change the channel if a naughty commercial came on, or I just wasn’t pleased with the program’s content or language.
3. I personally love watching TV, all the time! I like sitting on the couch and being entertained. It is easy to watch TV. I will miss a great many of the programs I was used to watching but, at the moment, I can’t remember their names. 😉
4. The Bible ought to garner that much of my attention! Ouch. I would have the holiest family on planet Earth if we read the Bible as a family as much as we watched TV. There have also been too many times when family devotions got postponed because…well…the game still had five minutes left to go.
5. Bedtime prayers with my kids weren’t what they should have been. Again, ouch. I love saying good night to my children each night. I pray with them and sometimes tell them a story. But I also know there have been times when our prayers were cut short because my program was just about to come on. (I’m such a wretched sinner!)
6. My creativity was suffering big time! I like to blog and I’m also writing two books at the moment. One is now in the editing stage with my editor and I’m about 1/3 finished with the first draft of my second book. Imagine how much writing I could have accomplished had I not been watching so much television each day.
7. Because I miss wrestling and playing with my kids. “No, I can’t play catch with you right now, son. The football game is just about to start.” “I’m sorry sweetie, but I can’t play with you right now. Daddy wants to watch HGTV so that he can see some stranger he will never meet renovate a home he’ll never sit in. You’ll just have to play second fiddle, my dear.”
8. Because my wife wants her husband back. I can be a pretty productive guy when I want to be. I can knock out a project or two. But I haven’t done as much around the house because the TV leach snagged me first.
Ugh. There’s probably fifty more reasons why I shut off the TV off for good, but these stand out at the moment.
Don’t get me wrong. We can still watch an occasional DVD now and then, or play the Wii every once in a while. But I’ve chopped off the leach’s head for good.
Good bye, Mr. Television. You won’t be missed.
PS: Remember this loose paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 10:31 the next time you are tempted to watch too much television.
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink [or watch TV], or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
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* Image credit: Matt Gruber (Creation Swap)
Have you ever thought about getting rid of your television? If you have already turned it off, what have you learned from the experience?
Pastor, stopped watching years ago. It was a huge lesson my mentor taught me. With TV gone it left me more time for reading, listening to educational CDs and developing relationships. Now that I’m married my wife and I are on the same page. We have a TV that sits in the corner for movies. Our time is better invested in each other without sitting in front of it all day. I feel if we are to be truly transformed by the renewing of our minds then that means less of the world programming and more of Gods word.
Not sure why it posted as anonymous but it’s from Brandon Perry
We got rid of ours a month or so ago. It was a great decision. Most of the time it was just on as back ground noise. I haven’t missed it. We do still have netflix through my son’s Wii in case we want to watch something. But watching it is more deliberate and intentional now.
I like how you said, “But watching it is more deliberate and intentional now.” I think that’s the key. Too much of almost anything is not a good thing. It all comes down to self-control, doesn’t it?
The TV was background noise at our house a lot as well. It is quieter now. More relaxed.
{ PS: Have you made any other changes at your house or your life? Becoming more minimalistic in any way? }
Thanks for stopping by, Eileen!
hello, Charles! i just discovered your blog right now, and i enjoyed the first few articles that i’m reading.
i’m Raymund from the Philippines. you can read more about me on our blog at http://plainhaven.blogspot.com/ or on my personal blog at http://www.raymundtamayo.blogspot.com/.
to answer your question, our family have cut out our cable TV since January 2010, and we’ve never been so happy. it’s not just about being frugal, but because TV seemed to run our lives back then. now, we have more time to really be with each other, just like what you said above.
great post, Charles!
Raymund, that is awesome! I’m glad to hear that you and your wife and making significant changes in your life…liking kissing the TV goodbye for good!
Have you cut anything else out of your “lifestyle” in order to become more minimalistic?
Thanks for stopping by!
yes, we’ve done a lot as a family, and i myself as an individual.
for example, we also began to stop having midnight snacks. with that we became healthier. we also started living within our means and cut out our family debt to zero.
i pared down my possession into less than 100. http://www.raymundtamayo.blogspot.com/2012/06/60-things-i-own.html
got that idea from blogger Dave Bruno.
there are many more, and we documented them in my blog. >>> http://www.raymundtamayo.blogspot.com/2012/05/our-story.html
I’m all about cutting out the evening snacking. It is amazing how much weight we add on by doing this. And rarely do we ever snack on healthy things, such as fruits and vegetables. Good for you guys, Raymund!
WOW! 100 possessions is pretty thin. Great job with that one!
Good for your Charles. I’m TV-less too, and loving it. I can watch episodes online if I really want.
Yes, there are other ways to view media…and I’m still trying to figure out how to detach. Like detach my hand from my iPhone, for instance. LOL.
Thanks for stopping by, friend!
Thanks for the total honesty in this blog post! Wow, such great reasons! I really appreciate all this coming from a father. Thanks!
Thanks Amanda! The time for ego has come and gone. I personally learn a lot from other people’s mistakes (and their victories!) so, Lord willing, others will be blessed from this short story.
And as a father, this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are lots of things we dads need to change, tweak, and improve. Praise God that He is the Lord of second chances!
amen to that, brother Charles,
Dear Charles,
My hat is off to you. I have not had a TV service for 8 years now and I do not miss it one single bit. Yes, I watch my DVD chick flicks, but none of this mindless, spineless stuff they’re dishing out (pun intended) to us. Thanks for your leadership by example. I hope other fathers of young families wake up and turn off their service before it’s too late. So many of our little ones are way overstimulated by all the overwhelming garbage to their nervous systems as well as cut off to normal relationships with family members. Hooray for the Spechts!
ps-I’m Kristy Aston’s mom.
Ann, thanks for stopping by. Sorry it took a few days to reply. Your comment somehow got sent to my spam folder.
Anyway, I appreciate your comment! I thought the same thing. Imagine how our families might (would!) change if we Christians turned off the TV, focused on each other and our God. Just imagine…
I also believe that turning off the TV is causing my kids to have less stress, too. They are forced to be more creative and go outside to play more, thus exercising more. There are just too many positives to list.
And wow, 8 years is a long time. So glad you found turning the TV off for good to be a wise choice for your family. Tell Kristy and Dennis I said hello. God bless!
I thought about breaking my tv and then sell all the movies, the wii, nintendo ds’s, ipod, cell phone, laptop everything that gets in the way between anything and God.
We all have to prune sometimes. Those things aren’t evil in or of themselves, but they can stop us from living how we ought to live, for the glory of God. Keep on, brother Marco.
Great post brother!!! :0)
😉
Good for you! I turned off all but basic cable and keep that on for my room mate but I never watch it. I have noticed I’m on the computer the same amount of time I was watching TV so watch out for that but I can monitor 90% of what I see on the computer. There are still the occasional pop up ads on fb or yahoo but I control which sites I visit, etc. I was very easily negatively influenced as a youngster about body image and learned all about relationships through 7 years of soap operas so renewing my mind daily! So glad you made that decision for you family 🙂
Hey, thanks Deanna. Yes, the challenge now is to fill the “time void” with things that are good and profitable.
I’m glad you were able to cut off those bad influences. Personally, I have internet accountability software on all the computers I use, to monitor what is viewed. Being held accountable to and by other people (like my wife!) is a very good thing.
Blessings to you!
i mentioned this on facebook, but our family has been tv-free for a couple of years now, and it is awesome. we also got rid of our landline a long time ago (though that seems a bit the opposite), but i still write in an old fashioned notebook. we are definitely happier.
That’s awesome, Renee. I think we are going to try to consolidate our phones, etc. and see how that works. Have you made any other changes around the house to become more “minimal” minded?
PS: I prefer writing on paper rather than typing, as well. 😉
Shutting off cable may be a good thing to do, but from my experience, I’m guessing that as far as things that take time away from family, the Internet is probably a worse sin. Writing your blog and your books probably monopolizes you more than watching TV, in main part because they are solitary activities, while watching TV is often a family or group activity. The internet is way more demanding of focus and attention, and is way more addictive. It is also totally non-scheduled, so it is happening ALL the time, not just at certain hours. The nice thing about cable is the DVR – just pause it when your attention is needed elsewhere. It seems to me that ultimately, all of these, and books too, are just tools and the tools are not the problem. It’s us.
John, that’s a great point. We can’t let one thing rule over us, whether that is the TV, or the internet, or whatever. We need to be diligent with our time, money and resources, making sure they don’t interfere with our relationship with God or family.
For my family, we don’t look at TV as sinful. Though there is plenty of sinful stuff on the TV. We (that is, I) felt it was best to remove the temptation rather than attempt to harness it. But every person and family is different. You need to do what is best for your own family.
Thanks for the reminder!
I have cable but make sure it does not control me or cause me to wast a lot of time. I make sure to control it and not have it control me. Great points and post.
That’s a great use of self-control, Dan. Many people don’t have that when it comes to things like television, internet, iPhones, etc. If you can control it then I’m glad you’re able to enjoy it!
Me…on the other hand…I’d sit on the couch all day watching that thing if I was able to. That’s why I felt we needed to get rid of it. LOL.
Great read. I rarely watch TV (football (soccer) accounts for the most time I spend on TV) which is less than 3hrs a week on average. I have to say, it allows creativity to thrive when one does not go for the easy sit and watch.
However, I spend an ‘insane’ amount of time on the computer.. like 15hrs/day. Most of my work is PC based…. but at the same time I always try to be productive… which means catching a film or sitcom series here or there.
For kids, I think parents can do a bit more by shutting off the TV and allowing the kids to develop different areas of their creativity, writing, reading, playing instrument, sport.. etc.
Thanks
That’s awesome insight, Ibukun! And I know what you mean about the computer and the internet. Blogging can take up all the time we save from not having a television. We need to try to moderate these electronic devices so that they don’t rule over us. At least I need to do more of that.
Have you been able to come up with a way minimize your time on the internet? I’m trying to figure that one out for myself. 😉
Thanks for sharing! This is my favorite quote:
Daddy wants to watch HGTV so that he can see some stranger he will never meet renovate a home he’ll never sit in. You’ll just have to play second fiddle, my dear.
Psalm 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes… Most of the stuff on on TV is garbage anyway, great post!
I agree, Chris. There was some good stuff available to watch, but usually there was too much trash.
I did the same last August, im much happy. Able to spend much time with kids. Play with them and getting to understand them. We have more quality family time.
what if u reduce the number of hours u watch t.v,cant it be ok?
We did a media fast 6 years ago and it was the best thing for my family. My kids didn’t even miss it. We have slowly let the “one eyed monster” creep back in and steal our valuable family time. So thanks for the inspiration. Goodbye TV! I only have a short time to parent my kids. I’m not gonna waste it.
I was thinking about cancelling my tv cable subscription. I enjoy watching PBS cartoons and Fox news along with the weather channel, but one reason that I want to cancel it is because my mother wants to date someone and no one wants to date her, so it seems the only way she can feel good about herself is to watch the Haalmark Channel and stupid love shows. She also watches TBN(Trinity Broadcasting Network) and while I agree that channel has a “few” and again I’ll say, a few good preachers who are not WOF(Word of Faith) preachers: there are just too many. Right now if I cancel cable, they say that I’ll have to pay a $50 one time cancellation fee because I am in a contract for another year and right now, I’m paying $109 for both cable and interment. I was planning on keeping the internet as I use the internet for my job.
What a great post! It’s really inspiring. My husband and I are still not parents so TV for us is more of a relaxing after-work activity that doesn’t require so much screening and channel changing. In fact, we both feel the same way about most of the trash on TV so we actually just DVR our favorite sitcoms and Food Network programs (maybe a movie or two) and watch those when we can. Otherwise, we have Netflix and DVDs for movies. I’ll be honest, though, he’s much quicker to turn the TV on. I can really do without it for days. Sometimes I complain to him about it bc like your wife – I miss him too!
Truthfully, I can’t see us canceling our service altogether anytime soon (we enjoy watching a basketball and hockey game every so often) but you’ve inspired me to suggest keeping it off (and putting phones, laptops, and tablets away) a few nights per week! How much more relaxing would that be?! 🙂 We can read, or play board games (we love board games!) and try to connect with each other and have real conversations. The habits we break, and new ones we form now, we can successfully pass on to our kids when we do start a family.
Congratulations to the Specht household.
My husband and I have never had cable in our home and the last time we watched TV was before those high definition converter boxes became necessary. Remember those?
We’ve never missed it. Most of the things I thought I had to watch ever week have been long since forgotten. We watch a video (usually from our own collection and very carefully selected each week), and that’s it.
It has been a great liberator.
Best wishes to all of you. You’ll come to wonder how you ever survived with the TV blaring!
Carrie Lynn Lewis