I’ve never been a huge TV watcher. Growing up, we were a one-TV household and only had the basic channels (there were four in the U.K. where I grew up). I never had, or wanted, a TV in my room, even when I got older and realized that was a thing people did.
These days, I feel like it’s unusual to be a one-TV household. Many of my friends have TVs in their bedrooms, as well as one or two in their living/family rooms. In my home, we have one TV in the living room, and one in the basement to distract us from the monotony of treadmill running. I don’t want a TV in my bedroom, and I don’t want my kids to have them, either.
In my opinion, the bedroom is for sleeping, reading in bed, and doing grown-up things (when we’re not too tired and drained from parenting).
There are other reasons to keep the TV out of the bedroom, too. As Becoming Minimalist points out, the average American watches 35 hours of TV each week, or five hours per day. Having one in the bedroom can only make your average go up. And it can disrupt your sleep, as well. You know you should go to sleep so you’re not tired in the morning, but you just want to watch one more episode of your show to follow up from the previous cliffhanger.
Not to mention, the blue light from the screen messes with your sleep cycle, because the light tells your body it’s time to be alert rather than sleepy. That’s why it’s also a good idea to keep smartphones or tablets out of the bedroom, as well (this is something I am bad at). Also, depending on what you watch on TV right before bed, it can affect your ability to go to sleep. If you’re watching the news and a disturbing story comes on, you’ll likely have that in your mind when you’re trying to go to sleep.
Studies have also shown a link between kids with TVs in their bedroom and lower scores on school tests, according to The New York Times. It’s harder to control screen time if your kid has his or her own TV. I know my kid would probably sit in bed watching TV for hours rather than going to sleep. I want her bedroom to primarily be a place for sleeping, not watching TV.
Nixing the TV from your room can set a good example for your kids. I would find it hard to explain that it’s okay for me to have a TV in my room, but it’s not okay for my daughter to have one. By not having one in our bedroom, there’s no expectation that she should have one in hers.
If you have a TV in your room, I’m not trying to shame you. I know everyone is different. I know plenty of people who say that it helps them go to sleep, and to each their own. But as parents, we need to be cognizant of the example we’re setting for our kids. For me, that means no TV in our bedrooms. I’m sure as my kids grow up, they may ask for their own TVs, and I will have to deal with that if and when it happens (and deal with the door slamming and cussing at me when I say no). But I plan to stick to my guns here, even if that paints me as the bad guy when my kids are older.
What are your thoughts on TV in the bedroom? Do you agree with me or do you have a different opinion?
