Anyone addicted to TV?

I was just cruising around some empty spaces in this forum and thought I would address this issue.

I have always been addicted to TV and shows way before the internet. I didn't think it was an addiction, but I remember that every waking moment the TV was always on in my childhood and more into adulthood.

And as I got older BINGE watching became a thing? I thought anything one binges would be a bad thing? Thoughts on this?

Anybody else think they are addicted to TV?

I don’t see it as addiction. But the tv is normally running in the background. Since I don’t have streaming I can’t binge watch and really I’ve rarely watched more than two or three shows when they run them back to back. Mostly it’s just background candy. I rarely have the sound on and use the movement to rest or refocus my eyes from my iPad or book. There are some shows I do want to see every episode of, but I don’t stop living or do life altering behaviors just to insure that I see them.

I think it’s only addiction if it messes up with other aspects of your life. Like you are late to work daily because you have to finish a tv show. Or you don’t get enough sleep because you watch tv all night. Otherwise it’s just something you enjoy.

I don’t like tv on unless I am physically sitting down for a movie. I like quiet. But I don’t think it’s any different than people having music in the background or listening to podcasts or radio or old records throughout the day. Tv is no different

Even though I don’t like tv playing in the background if I don’t watch it, I do watch quite a bit of tv. Mainly because there’s a lot of good tv lately.

Also my husband and I have very emotionally draining jobs. So watching a good tv show is a great way to relax.

Binge watching is fine too as long as it doesn’t stop you from doing other things in life. Binging would be bad if you neglect important duties in order to binge tv show. But if not, who cares @LadyShadow

On the Sanity Score questionnaire they have (used to have?) on here, it asks how often you watch TV, use electronics… and my response always got me a high score as too much with recommendations to use less for better mental health.

When I got together with my husband he always had the TV on. This was prior to internet. Once we had iPhones, he always had on both. Yes, he was able to function to do his daily work, but he was so engrossed in the media watching, he contributed nothing to our personal life. The best times we had were when we were on vacation, interacting personally, unplugged.

For me, it was not good to have to be constantly watching and listening to the TV he was using. I had to be in the same house with it, couldn’t get away from it. Now that I’m without him, I only turn on the TV to watch the specific shows I like to watch. Yes, I watch TV all evening, but leave it off now during the day when I am home. I read books more in quiet, and just really enjoy not having to constantly hear him watching what he did.

It was often movies with lots of explosions going off.

He retired, and it was the pandemic. It was the two of us spending all our time together, not knowing what to do with ourselves. I was the only one who kept saying this wasn’t healthy and suggesting we do other things, or I should do other things. But it was just something that pulled me down into depression and frustration with him for being resigned to this way of life. That is what he wanted.

I was too dependent, couldn’t pull myself out and away while letting him sit there lost within himself and vacant to me. Without him here now, I have to take responsibility for my own actions. There’s no one to blame but myself if I can’t motivate.

That’s my take on what happened that I do allege he has an addiction.

Plus it was so bad for our kids. They grew up with media and video games. They are addicts too. I could go on but don’t want to go there or upset anybody.