We don't own a tv.

My one and only year living on my own, I decided only to pay for basic cable.  I had two main reasons -- basic cable was $12/month and I like vegging on the couch too much for comfort.  This was pre-laptop days for me so the tv was my constant companion and I was ready to cut back my viewing options in hopes that I would also cut back screen time.  I called the cable company and switched my plan.  I paid $12 a month......and still got all 72 channels.  Did I call to complain about all those free channels?  No.  I happily vegged and felt quietly pleased with the decrease in rates.  Even though I still watched all that television on all those channels, the seed of limiting television was planted in my brain.

Fast-forward a year:  Taylor and I were living together in a rinky-dink apartment with....yep, free cable.  At this point, I was pretty sure the tv gods wanted me to get my fix of reality tv so I never questioned the free cable.  Then, Katrina hit.  A Very Big Deal.  People lost their lives.  People lost their homes.  People lost confidence in the safety of coastal living.  We lost our free cable.  

For the next two years, Taylor and I made do watching 3 channels on a pair of rabbit ears my parents loaned us.  Vanna White and Charlie Sheen became my tv buddies.  I was surprised to learn that 3 channels are more than enough options.  Unlike in the days of 72 channels and the constant search for the 'perfect show,' when you only have 3 channels you choose the best available show and watch it.  Tv viewing simplified.

I liked having 3 channels.  It fulfilled me.  Then, Hen Hen was born and 3 channels became 3 channels too many.  

 A few things I don't like about screen time for kids:

Commercials.

Bad guys in movies.

That zoned-out blank look on Henry's face when he is if front of a screen.

The way Disney Channel portrays life as a teenager and preteen.  

Cartoon fights.

If you are watching tv, you are not playing or reading books.

Soaking up the messages of mainstream America is not the way we want to raise our kids.

So, that's that.  We don't own a television.  Of course, *I* get plenty of screen time because of, you know, my other career as a professional googler but that is a different post for a different day.