In 2021, after literally spending years trying to sell our apartment in search of more space, the opportunity appeared.
Our apartment was not exceptionally small, although the family had grown since the initial purchase. It was not giant either and in practice it seemed to be smaller than it really was in the harshest moments of the pandemic quarantine.
In the apartment, the TV played an important implicit role in our lives. In fact, in my case, it was one of the first things I did when I woke up, turning on the TV to watch the news. A fundamental part of family breakfasts, lunches and dinners. The TV was always on, known, expected, watched programs and other moments where, with no one paying attention, it continued to be on in the background covering up the silence.
Even before moving, that routine had been making some noise in my mind.
The move was the perfect excuse to test an experiment. The TV was not immediately connected in the new home, it remained in a box. Days, weeks, nothing. Some complaints from the children, especially at lunch or dinner time. At first the answer was ‘we’ll see’ and weeks later a resounding ‘it’s not going to happen’
Today, more than 3 years later, there is only one TV. In the main room where my wife likes to watch some TV series or movies, alone or accompanied by the children. I very rarely join in on that plan. Sometimes I watch a specific movie or TV serie on a streaming service, nothing more.
What do we gain? connection: lunches and dinners with people present. Even if we are in total silence at times or generally talking about everyday scenes but without TV or mobile or any electronic device.
What did we lose? I recognize that not being a fanatic or fan of any particular sport, personally it was easier to ‘disconnect’. In fact at the time what I missed the most in some way was the news.
Today I consult a website to find out or learn about the most important events in my country or the world. But not several times a day, not even every day.
It’s not something that somehow makes me feel special or ‘better’ than anyone else. Definitely far from it. Very personal here, in retrospect I think the biggest benefit was the disconnection from the news. That succession of mainly negative events, mostly without any real power of action on my part. I don’t miss a bit of the anxiety, stress or mental burden that it often generated on me.