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Sharp says he's too busy to be tempted by the tube. His list of favorite pursuits includes canoeing, running, biking and reading.
Ed Sharp, 68, of Stafford has lived without TV for about 35 years. He often eats while listening to the radio and reading the newspaper.
Ed Sharp participates in canoe races most weekends and practices several times a week at Abel Lake in Stafford. |
By KIM BAER
About 35 years ago, Ed Sharp's TV broke down.
He took the 15-inch black and white set to the repair shop, then forgot to pick it up.
A couple of months later, Sharp's nephew was going off to college and mentioned that he didn't have a TV.
"I have one that's in the shop," Sharp told his nephew. "I'll give it to you."
He picked up the TV, paid the $30 bill and gave it to him.
The Stafford County resident hasn't had a TV since.
He's so busy canoeing, biking, running and reading that he doesn't miss it.
"When I was growing up, we didn't have a TV at home," said Sharp, 68. "So I never really got into TV."
Going against the grain
Sharp and others like him are part of a small group.
Only about 1 percent of people nationwide don't own a TV, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Most Americans have at least two TVs, Nielsen has found.
The television is typically on for more than eight hours a day, according to Nielsen, with most people watching for more than four hours a day.
Too much TV has been linked to many of society's troubles, such as rising obesity rates and increases in attention deficit disorder.
Because of these potential negative effects, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting TV to one to two hours a day for children.
To be sure, watching TV has benefits, says Elayne Rapping, a professor at the University of Buffalo who studies television and pop culture.
Since the end of World War II, she said, TV has been the main source for "educating and socializing new generations."
Those who don't watch are "out of the loop."
"In a country that's increasingly fragmented," she said, "television is really our common ground."
OUT OF THE TV LOOP
Those who don't watch admit to sometimes feeling disconnected.
Every once in awhile, Jonathan Sjordal or his wife will hear about an upcoming documentary or election event and wish they had cable service.
Sharp notices the difference when doing crossword puzzles. He has trouble finding ones that don't ask questions about sports figures or TV shows.
Families with young children can feel the peer pressure pinch more strongly.
One Stafford mom said her two high school-aged children are sometimes teased by classmates because they don't know who's on "American Idol" or "Dancing with the Stars."
They've started going online to learn about these hit shows, she said.
Others said their children are OK with being out of the mainstream.
Chris Murphy of Stafford said his 9-year-old daughter is occasionally left out of conversations about the latest shows.
"She has no clue what they are and really doesn't care," he said.
REAPING REWARDS
Other Fredericksburg-area residents say going without TV has given them more time to read, play music and spend time outdoors.
One Spotsylvania County resident said his wife taught herself to play the fiddle after giving up TV.
Beth Blanton of King George County has made four quilts in the six months since she threw away her TV, canceled her cell phone and got rid of her family's electronic games and iPods.
Sjordal said he was talking recently with his kids about how they could fit in an hour of TV a day.
His five children couldn't figure out a way.
The Ruckersville family spends their free time reading, playing and gardening, and they don't want to give up those hobbies.
"We're not so much anti-TV," Sjordal said, "as we have other things that are keeping us busy."
He said most people applaud the decision.
Others, however, look at him as if his family is somehow deprived--and offer to give him a television.
"I just smile and say, 'no thank you.'"
Other non-TV watchers say they are met with disbelief.
"People really don't believe us," said Anne Shepard of Stafford, who hasn't had TV for 11 years.
"They'll say 'really, you don't have one in some room?'"
Many said giving up TV wasn't difficult.
But not everyone has an easy transition.
Murphy compared giving up TV to quitting smoking.
"It was very difficult at first," he said.
He and his wife, Kristen, and their four children haven't had television service for five years.
They decided to pull the plug after they were watching the news one night and a racy commercial came on.
They both jumped up to change the channel, but they weren't quite fast enough to keep their 1-year-old son from seeing it.
Giving up the Food Network was the hardest.
"Kristen and I were addicted to Food TV," he admitted. "Especially Alton Brown."
They still have a television they use to watch videos. But they don't get any network or cable channels.
Murphy said he has "converted" his brother to the TV-free lifestyle--and he's working on his sister.
He predicts the number of TV-free households will grow, particularly among parents who want to avoid potential negative effects.
Although it was difficult to give up, Murphy said that now he can't imagine going back.
When he catches a glimpse of news shows with their scroll-filled screens, his first thought is "wow."
"My life is way too complicated as it is to pay attention to all of that."
| Millions of Americans might end up unintentionally give up TV service when the country moves to all-digital broadcasting.
More than 13 million households have sets that can receive only analog broadcasts, according to a press release from Nielsen Media Research. The move to digital is scheduled to take place Feb. 17, according to a press release from the Federal Communications Commission. Those who have analog televisions will need a digital-to-analog set top converter box, according to the FCC release. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is giving out coupons worth $40 toward the purchase of the box. For more information, visit the administration's Web site at dtv2009.gov. |
