Before we made the decision to intentionally live with less, we were just a typical family of four living in the suburbs. But since finding a rational approach to minimalism, our lives have changed in countless ways – some big, some small.
One change that seemed small at the time actually had a profound impact on the quality of our lives, marriage, and family. We removed the television from our bedroom. At first, it was just a 30-day experiment. But given the overwhelming benefits that accompanied its removal, it is a change we look back on with great fondness.
Consider the benefits:
1. More/Better sleep. The same statistics that tell us Americans watch over 35 hours of television/week are the same statistics that make it clear the lure of the screen is just too strong to turn off. No one sets out to spend 5 hours/day watching television. The temptation is too great… especially when we are tired. Not only does television in the bedroom keep us up later at night, but there are also studies that indicate watching television before bed actually disrupts sleep cycles. Removing the television from your bedroom results in more sleep and better sleep… which means you’ll have a better rested, more productive day.
2. What you think about last matters. The evening provides valuable opportunity to meditate, evaluate, and assess your day. This examination leads to learning from our mistakes and growing as humans. Unfortunately, many people will sacrifice this opportunity for the sake of entertainment.
3. What you think about first matters. Every morning begins with a clean slate and brand new opportunities. Allowing your television to guide your morning thoughts takes that blank canvas and begins painting. We would be wise to choose carefully who/what directs our morning thoughts rather than blindly allowing television producers to do it for us. After all, it sets the stage for the rest of the day.
4. Example for your kids. Children with televisions in their bedrooms score lower on school tests and are more likely to have sleep problems. Also, having a television in the bedroom is strongly associated with being overweight and a higher risk for smoking. And that’s a pretty strong argument to remove theirs and yours.
5. More conversation. As a married couple, some of your most important, intimate conversations will take place in your bedroom during the waning hours of the day… unless of course, the television is on instead.
6. More/Better sex. Couples who keep a TV in the bedroom have sex half as often as those who don’t. Probably because there are over a million things more stimulating than a man watching ESPN SportsCenter. And if you ask me, that should be reason enough…
7. Less clutter. Your television takes up space (even when hidden). And I haven’t met anybody who actually enjoys more clutter in their homes.
8. Less advertisements at your weakest. Studies reveal what we already know to be true: Consumers are more susceptible to advertisements when they are tired. Depletion leads us to feel as if we’ve been more thorough and thoughtful in our processing and therefore, we become more certain in our attitudes.
9. Realistic expectations on your marriage. In almost all regards, television rarely depicts the world and life accurately. As a result, too much television results in disillusionment about what to expect from the world around us. This can be most detrimental to our relationships when the unrealistic expectations are applied to our marriage, family, love, romance, and sexuality.
10. Rooms serve purposes. Kitchens are for cooking… Dining Rooms are for eating… Toy Rooms are for playing… Offices are for working… Rooms serve purposes. The better we define those rooms and their purposes, the more productive they become. Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex by taking work materials, computers, and televisions out of the sleeping environment.
11. Televisions attract dust. All electronics attract and trap dust… something about static electricity. While I don’t understand the physics, I see the result. And isn’t there enough dust already in your bedroom… why would you want to attract more?
12. Get ready faster. Having the television on while getting ready in the morning adds extra time to the process. And who wants to spend more time getting ready?
13. More reading. Light reading in the evening helps many fall asleep faster. But even if it doesn’t help you sleep, the benefits of reading still far outweigh the benefits of television. Removing the television from your bedroom will almost always encourage more reading in your life.
14. Going to sleep together. While some couples have successfully navigated the television schedule and actually go to sleep together (We watch the King of Queens every night and then fall asleep), we never could. Perhaps we’re less disciplined… but more likely, she liked watching TLC far more than I did. Removing the television helps foster intimacy by not just going to bed at the same time, but by falling asleep at the same time as well.
15. Less electricity/energy use. Household electronics continue to use energy and electricity even when powered off. It’s called standby-power and it amounts to 5-10% of your total electricity bill. One less television means one less financial drain on your checkbook.
16. Your attention is far too valuable. There are very important people in your life who need your attention every single day. Removing the television from your bedroom will help you give it to the people who need it the most.
17. Masking problems in your marriage. When two imperfect people come together to form an intimate union that shares everything, there are bound to be some problems along the way. Successful couples notice them, discuss them, and find compromise that makes both sides better. Unsuccessful couples don’t. Our marriages require us to be intentional and thoughtful. And that rarely happens when the television is on.
18. Watch less television. Inherent in each of these reasons above is the reality that removing the television from your bedroom means that you will watch less television. And there are all sorts of good reasons for that: 11 Reasons to Ditch Your Television, 10 Reasons to Watch Less Television.
If words on a page aren’t quite enough for you or your partner, commit to try it out as a 30 day experimentation. Unplugging the television and moving it into a different room will take less than 3 minutes. There is an end in sight. You’ve got nothing to lose. And maybe, just maybe, a whole lot to gain.
Again, I’m not saying you have to remove the television from your bedroom. I’m just saying your life will be better if you do.
Rogers George says
I found the link to this post on Google+.
I haven’t turned on a TV for more than a decade, though my family watches. (I think I’ll forward this link to them.) I sure don’t miss it; get more done and more read.
If it’s okay with you, I’ll put a link to this post on a website I’m developing, Good Health After 60. It already mentions getting rid of the TV, but this’ll reinforce the idea.
Jess says
Hi Joshua! I know this is a bit late to respond, but I read your post almost a year ago, shortly before my roommate and I cancelled our cable, and it really spoke to me. Even before we cancelled the cable, I tried to actively avoid turning on the TV just to have some “background noise” when I got home from work. But lately I’ve found something has taken the tv’s former place in my bedroom: my laptop.
It plays DVDs, it streams movies, it downloads (legally) tv shows! I think my actual viewing has gone up from when I used to just have the damn cable box. Now I’m stuck considering solutions. Do I set a “screen time timer” for myself at home? Do I buy a digital converter and only watch shows I can get on my tv? (I’m less likely to sit up late watching network tv than I am to lay about my bed watching Gangland on Netflix until 2am.)
Do you have any suggestions or experience with reducing overall screen time? I know a lot of this comes down to willpower and choice. I probably have only 2 or 3 currently airing shows that I follow, and the rest is just time filler/suck.
Thanks again for this great piece! It certainly inspired me to turn the tv off and keep it out of the bedroom. Now if only I was having as easy a job with my other electronics… :)
Mark says
The stats are there for making the case against
having TV,in ones bedroom. I am convinced that
One. can also find arguments for having a TV
In your bedroom. It is an individual choice, the right
to choose must be the decider, not someone telling
you why its so great to not have one. More sex is
not convincing enough of an argument.
Carollida says
I have been fallowing your blog for a while, and I love it. It has helped us become minimalist. We still have a ways to go, but we are working on it. I think this is the first post I disagree with you on. I love my TV in my bedroom. My husband and I have been married for 12 years and together for 15. years. There is nothing wrong with our sex life. Our bedroom is our retreat. We spend our day so involved with the kids and homeschooling, it is nice to climb in and watch the news. We have a lot of moderation on our tv though. I can see where it can become a problem if it is on all the time. Ours is off more than it is on, but it is nice to have the option. On the flip side, I could just be in denial and not willing to give that up yet. HAHA!
mark says
my only problem with no tv (I have had my tv away in the closet for a year now) is that when it is champions league matchday or any other important football match I drink, eat, and spend too much at the pub
but at least it is easier to meet friends, since nobody wanted to watch my little 20″ tube tv anyways, with HD on the market, even though it is colour and everything!
I spend much more time playing now and less just sitting on my ass watching. with the money I saved on cable I bought a world cup matchball last year and I play with it almost every day (there is a ucl starball under the tree… ;)))
JenEm says
Would love to get ride of my television and have a real time life. Such a waste of time watching the never ending story.
Holly says
TV in the bedroom = Just say NO. Perhaps a person’s view on this has to do with how they’re raised. My parents didn’t have what I’d call the “perfect marriage,” but they never had a TV in their bedroom. (My dad is passed away now.) None of us kids did either. Maybe this is part of why I find the idea of a TV in a bedroom completely absurd… ESPECIALLY if you are an adult and have any kind of “adult relations” in your bedroom. Why would someone want TV there to distract them? In my opinion, if someone feels they “need” a TV in their bedroom… it says something bad about the relationship that resides in that bedroom. It says that the couple needs something to distract them from each other. To give some context to my opinion, I am 28 years old… so it’s not like I’m an old “fuddy duddy.” (No offense to anyone here, lol.) It’s just common sense, imo…
Holly says
Allow me to add… I actually got rid of TV altogether in my place. I still do watch things sometimes. I use my computer. However, I have found that watching things on the computer as opposed to TV makes you drastically more picky and aware of what it is you’re watching. Generally if you are watching something on your computer, it’s something that you specifically chose to watch and sought out. In contrast, people just have the TV on all the time… for no reason. They just watch whatever is on. They don’t have control over what media is being put into their space and into their brain. Well maybe I shouldn’t say they don’t have control. They do have control, but they relinquish that control by just watching whatever happens to be on. I feel that TV generally takes power over the media people consume, whereas on a computer people generally take power over which media they CHOOSE to consume… if that makes sense.
Keith says
Why would somebody think you’re an old “fuddy-duddy” just beacuse you’re not into the technology of TV, Computers and such? Hey, that’s your choice if you choose not to watch TV, you want to go out and experience life and see what’s happening in the world! And that’s a good thing! Have Fun!
Tammy says
I just bought an hdtv. I stumbled upon this blog to look for tips where to put my tv. I was battling whether to put it in my bedroom or in my livingroom. I bought the tv for the reason that I live in the country side where there’s not much amusement or parks around. The mall is about 150 miles if you ever want to watch a movie. So I decided to get a tv (I used to just watch in my laptop but I didn’t want to overuse my laptop and use it for long hours just to watch movies..). I am just glad I found this page. And yes indeed the bedroom is for sleeping ( I always make sure I get 6-8 hours of sleep everyday..I am conscious about that..) and I don’t want that one-eyed monster to interrupt my sleeping schedule. I will control my tv and not let the tv control me. So the verdict is ‘it stays in the living room. Period.’ Nice blog. Thank you very much.
Casa e Cose says
Hi! Great Post. We never had a TV in the bedroom. But having it in the living room with a big cosy sofa is a good idea and a bad. A bad cuase we end up sitting there after the day is done and sometime sleeping too. Especially my husband. He allways falls a sleep on the sofa. Allways. Since he was a kid. Its like a bad routine. When we lived in florens we didnt have a tv for about 6 months. That was soooooooooooooo good!
Noob Mommy says
It’s funny that I wandered upon this article as coming from the opposite side. We don’t have a TV in our bedroom, and we’ve been discussing purchasing one for the bedroom. After reading this, I feel like that is a discussion we can table for awhile. Thank you for the much needed reminder that the bedroom should be a place for peace, meditation, unwinding, and sleep!