Last October, we got rid of cable, internet, and phone at our house. The great deal we had originally gotten on bundled service had gotten increasingly more expensive (making it NOT a good deal), and we were finally fed up enough with how much we were paying and how little (we thought) we were using it that we finally just cancelled service. We vowed to live with cell phones as our only connection to the electronic world and just knew we would be like others before us, who cut off their service and claimed that they “never missed it!”
Well. We missed it. A lot.
We did without until our big move to Houston, where we found another great deal on the cable/internet bundle. We couldn’t sign on the dotted line fast enough, y’all. Once ESPN, Disney, and TLC finally popped up on our television, we all four sighed contentedly as one. Ahhhh… welcome back, old friends!
(And I won’t even tell you how the reunion with the internet went. There may have been tears involved. Ahem.)
I can make a lot of excuses about why I need media in my life right now. I can’t tell you how many college friends I’ve reconnected with online since moving back here and how many of them I’ve been able to meet up with IN REAL LIFE because of it. I can tell you that the schools start so early here that the only way to drag Ana out of bed in the morning is to turn Phineas and Ferb up as high as it will go in an attempt to lure her downstairs. I can tell you that I was perfectly willing to give it all up — television, internet, books, movies — for a week until Wes got us tickets for the opening night of The Hunger Games, and well… I couldn’t tell him that I wasn’t going to go, right? Right?!
All this said, I’ve given it all up before. And though it would hurt, I’m pretty sure I could do it again. Honestly, though? I don’t feel the need to. And while I do love it more than I probably should, I think these things can be handled in moderation, maybe with an occasional fast from them when it becomes too consuming. I know I was convicted this week when reading 7 that I sometimes miss opportunities here at home with Emma especially because I’m checking my phone or letting her watch yet another episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Maybe the big challenge here is to figure out how to live with all of this media without letting it replace the important things in life.
Anyone out there already figured out how to do that?
Jenn Faulk 
Love this last part “Maybe the big challenge here is to figure out how to live with all of this media without letting it replace the important things in life.” I too, miss opportunities with my 4 year old because I am checking my media. So thanks for this challenge!
LikeLike
Thanks for the admission that you missed it! Funny but true, prior to reading this chapter I had become fed up with my girls watching too much TV and reduced our cable down to almost zilch. It was great! They played together and outside!! All was good until I realized that we had no ESPN and we were in the midst of March Madness and I love me some college basketball. What was I thinking? I immediately went online and paid the fee to get ESPN back on our TV. I think we will work on the moderation aspect as you noted but I am up for reducing it again, at least until next March.
LikeLike
the only time we miss cable is when the hubby's college team is on ESPN and he makes me trek cross-county with him so we can watch it at our rental cabin (try being on a nightly rental program disconnected – not gonna happen!)
*disclaimer* we will always NEED internet at home for my husband's business. its the little things isn't it? 😉
LikeLike