by JQ Adams

Created on: July 24, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

As long as I can remember, we've had cable television at home. I can even remember watching news about the Iran-Contra scandal on CNN in the 80's with my parents when I was just a wee child. We've always had cable, and it seems like it's a way of life. As I grew up, I watched all of my favorite Nickelodeon shows as a child, and as I grew up it moved to the big-three networks, CNN, and the Discovery Channel. We've just always had it, and that's the way it was. Naturally when I moved off to college, I went and got cable, because we've just always had it. I never really thought much about it.

As the years moved on, I found that I really don't watch that much television. I might watch the Daily Show and the Colbert Report at 10:00 to unwind a bit before falling asleep, and sometimes something educational on weekends, but all and all, I just don't watch that much television. I watch Lost and Jericho sometimes, but usually I have to watch those online since I'm always busy when they're on. The other day I began to question, just why do I have cable to begin with? I barely ever use it, why waste the $40.00 a month for the cable we pay for?

My fianc and I decided that when we get married this August we're not going to get cable television. We'll still have the big three networks, but that's really about all we need. Having over 100 channels available just enables you to be sedentary and lazy. You can sit down and stare at a television for hours and waste an entire afternoon. Taking out such a distraction forces you to be more creative with your time and makes you spend your time in more useful ways.

If I ever did want to watch television, I could always just watch whichever show I wanted to online, as all of the major networks offer replays of their shows after they air. It's like a free Tivo. There's also plenty of great podcasts and video-podcasts to watch and listen to, so there's plenty of content to keep my brain occupied, the need for cable just isn't there.

There are plenty of alternative medias to cable that can keep my brain focused and help me learn, and most of the television content is available online for free, there's just no reason to keep cable for most families any more. I'd rather save the $40 a month, it's time for cable television to go.

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