I’d say not owning a TV is a sign of either not spending much time in the apartment/home, or the guy just reads a lot. TV’s are conducive to idiocy .. and I love tv.

Not having technology does not make one mentally unstable. Perhaps he just enjoys the simpler things, like reading books, as @NaturalMineralWater suggested. Maybe he watches TV shows and movies on his computer. Perhaps he can’t afford a TV? Whatever the circumstances, it certainly doesn’t make him mentally unstable. In fact, based on the majority of programs on TV nowadays, it might very well suggest the opposite.

I only know one family that doesn’t have a television, and it actually shows great insight on behalf of the parents. They can certainly afford a TV, but their kids spend all day playing outside, reading, playing board games, cooking, going out with friends, etc.

In a household of one adult man, not having a TV may be weird, but it does not necessarily make the man a weirdo. Before you judge him like that, you’ll have to think about the other things you know about him.

Maybe its a sign of control, or economical issues. Judging it as “Oh my God he doesn’t even have a tv!” is probably most peoples first instinct, well it was mine at least. But, really thinking about it, not having a tv isn’t a very surprising characteristic I mean the first thing it says to you is “no money” or something. But really, I’m sure that most people don’t have what we really have so there are probably more important things to him or people around the world who don’t have as much as we’re used to.

Turning the question around:
Why would I want a TV? I have no TV.

I don’t personally own a TV either. It’s not because I don’t want one actually right now I can’t really afford one but I don’t watch tv enough to even put it in my budget to buy one. Those around me do and I just watch theirs if I’m that concerned. The internet also has changed enough so that one doesn’t need to own a tv. I’m currently on hulu watching a show on tv that I do like. There are many options that allow people to not own a tv- and exploring them (in my opinion) makes you less of a crazy… especially with all the trashy “reality” tv that’s on nowadays.

There’s not much need for a TV, given how much is available on the internet, on bookshelves, and in your magazine rack, and how little there is worth watching on the ‘tube.

All civilized people went, oh, call it 6,000–10,000 years without a TV, and they gave us the world we have today. Not exactly the best argument, since the woman is referring to the present, but it’ll do in a pinch.

Have we become that conformist that we all have to watch the same TV. It sounds like something out of 1984. Maybe the TV is watching us. I would tell that lady to get a life. I would call not having a television a sign of an intellect. We have one but only watch what we pre-recorded.

I would say that she is working for a very intelligent person.

If it wasn’t for the PS3 I wouldn’t need a TV. Any show I watch ends up on Hulu.

It’s a sign of genius.

There are some people that just do not like television. generally, in their house, you will find rows and rows of book shelves, instead of a television. i went on a police call to this house one time and they had no televisions. in their bedrooms were thousands of books in bookshelves. both were very intellectual people and television was beneath their dignity. they were constant readers and i am okay with that. it takes different folks for different srtokes and if they were happy, so was i.

A good friend of mine doesn’t have a TV, never had one growing up. He’s one of the most creative, intelligent, and witty people I’ve ever met. He reads a lot and has traveled around the world. The shows he really wants to watch are available on the internet, so it’s not like he’s never watched TV before. I think if he had had a TV growing up, he would be a completely different, and less interesting, person. Not having a TV doesn’t mean you’re weird, it just makes room for more opportunities to do other things.

I can’t see how it would be.

If I had faster broadband service so I could watch tennis live on my laptop, I could easily live without it. And believe me, I am completely stable mentally, hehehehhe!

No its a sign of sanity

Well TV has gotten stupid. Ads take up a huge chunk of the programming time and you pay a reduclous amount of premium programming for the 100+ channels in which 95% are ones you don’t watch. I need the TV for sports and educational stuff and thats about all i care about.

The absence of a TV in the home is a sure sign that the home owner does not own a TV – and nothing else about the homeowner. Each of such persons has their own reasons to live without such a device!

That man obviously likes to form his own opinions on things in his life. TV has so little redeeming value. I envy the man.

I’ve never owned a television in my life. Big deal.

“why is not owning a TV a sign of mental instability?”
It’s not. And I never knew anyone who thought it was.

I wouldn’t have one if I lived alone, simply because I can always find something better to do than sit and watch it. Even if it’s just Fluther.

@downtide You are right! After I met my girlfriend I just don’t like the TV as much unless were watching it together. Otherwise I find other things to keep me occupied (mostly spending time with her).