What would be the best way to give up television?

give it away.

Read more. Not having cable helps.

The next time you’re watching a sitcom, pay attention to the laugh track. The things the (fake) audience is laughing at will begin to drive you insane and hopefully you’ll feel like a tool for not noticing it all these years.

Seriously get a hobby. This seems to be so underrated now.

I have a TV only for movies and Xbox360.
I don’t have cable or even an antenna.
If I wish to catch a show or something which hardly ever happens, I can get it for free on the internet.

Spend more time on Fluther!>>>>>>SUP BULBA! Great minds think alike.

FLUTHER!

edit – @Hairy You beat me by 0.000000000023 milliseconds!

Oh I am with you here. I watch so much tv. And having fluther on iPhone doesn’t help cause I just do both during commercials

I don’t even use any other apps on my iphone…...and my phone is jailbroken.

There should be a “how much time ticker for time spent on fluther” And it only turns on when you are active. (so you dont just leave your computer on all day)

@Alina1235 You’re not hooked, YET!

@hairy- lol, good point! Develop that.

Just keep switching vices, a new one every two months or so.

I think tv is a drug—and giving it up, you may have to go through withdrawal. But be strong, get rid of the set altogether, so temptation isn’t there. Then, go for a walk, take up painting and dancing. Make some friends and go out for an evening. Books are good. People are good. Take up cooking. Listen to the radio (not a drug, I think) and go for a ride on a ferry—out in the fresh air. What has been missing is “Real Life” with all the fun and pain that is associated with it.

I moved my television somewhere uncomfortable in my house and havent watched in weeks.

bulbatron!!!!!! Totally hooked!!!! I love this place. So many different views and opinions and so many awsome questions you always think about but never find an answer to I love it!

Lent worked for me when I wanted to give up pop.

Unfortunately, you have to wait a little bit… since it just passed and all…

@Alina Since you’re so adamant; Great Answer *!

Throw it out the window!

Step one: get hammer
step two: smash tv monitor
step three: RESIST THE URGE TO BUY A NEW TV AND GO ON FLUTHER!

HUZZAH!

cold turkey.

thats what i did. i haven’t watched anything on my own television since november. i only watch socially.

Set it up with an exercise bike and get a tech geek to make it so that the TV will only be on if you’re pedaling.

until you have TV in your home, you are going to watch it…..so take off the idiot box from your home

I love the creativity of these answers, and it’s a great question.
What no one’s mentioned yet are the reasons we actually watch TV in the first place! Don’t you just get to relax and kind of turn off the mind?

If it didn’t have some benefits, we wouldn’t do it in the first place. But since you want to quit, what could you replace TV with that gives you the same bene’s, but is better for you?

When you figure out what that is, you’ll be more pulled to do that than TV. What do you really like to do – and want to do more often? Remember: since you’re quitting TV, you’ll have more time in your day, every day. Isn’t that cool?

Figure out why you watch TV in the first place. Find something else that satisfies that itch.

as your significant other, I want to say I like skfinkel and delirium’s answers best. I would be happy to get rid of satellite, use the tv only for movie rentals, and have a lot more time to be creative, read, be together, and get to the gym…especially since we are both about to have a lot less free time due to work.

Just get rid of it. Watch DVD’s if you’re really pining for it. But otherwise, read fluth a bit y’know. Whatevs. Just keep yourself busy. :)

Just realize how stupid all those shows are.