My Information Possessions: Living Without Television in the Digital Age


My Information Possessions: Living Without Television in the Digital Age

Linda Dabo

For more than twenty years, I have lived without a television—by choice, not by deprivation. I was never a couch-potato watcher, never someone who found comfort in the passive glow of a screen that talked at me. Instead, I have always been drawn to tools that invite participation, discovery, and creation.

As the digital world expanded, I found something that fit my personality in a way television never could: a universe of platforms that allow me to gather knowledge, shape information, express ideas, and remain engaged with the world on my own terms.

Today, I inhabit a landscape made up of tools that have become my information possessions—my personal library, studio, and workshop combined. Wikipedia, Wikicommons, YouTube, ChatGPT, X/Twitter, CapCut, WhatsApp, Telegram, e-books, Facebook, and Kindle publishing are all part of an integrated ecosystem that fuels my curiosity and creativity.

They are not distractions. They are instruments.

Wikipedia gives me a place to research, contribute, and uphold the integrity of shared knowledge. YouTube opens windows into global culture, music, history, and ideas. ChatGPT offers dialogue that deepens my thinking and helps refine my writing. X/Twitter delivers immediacy—a pulse of the world’s conversations. CapCut allows me to craft stories visually; Kindle publishing lets me transform ideas into books; and the messaging platforms give me community and continuity.

Instead of passively receiving information as television demands, I engage with information as a participant. I search, read, question, create, publish, and share. I explore my own thoughts and the thoughts of others. These are not merely apps on a device—they are extensions of my intellectual life.

This “new reality,” as some might call it, is not new to me. It is simply a modern expression of what I have always been: a seeker, a builder, a curator, and a storyteller. Where television asked me to sit still, these tools ask me to explore.

They fit my temperament, my curiosity, and my lifelong desire to understand, create, and share. They are my companions in knowledge, and they have replaced the television with something far more stimulating: a living, evolving digital world that I shape and that shapes me in return.



CHILDREN’S STORY VERSION


Linda’s Treasure Chest of Knowledge

A children’s story for ages 8–10


Linda didn’t have a television in her house.

Not one.

While other homes glowed blue in the evenings, her house glowed with something different—curiosity.


Linda had a treasure chest, but not the kind filled with gold or jewels.

Her treasure chest was filled with information tools—magical ones!

Each one helped her explore the world in a new way.


One day, Linda opened her treasure chest and whispered,

“Let’s see where I will travel today!”


First, she picked up Wikipedia, a shiny silver globe.

When she touched it, it spun fast, and stories from every country floated into the air.

She learned about history, music, animals, and people all around the world.


Next, she reached for YouTube, a bright red book that played moving pictures on its pages.

It showed her how to cook, how to sing, how to dance, and how to travel—even when she stayed home.


Then came ChatGPT, a friendly talking notebook.

“Hello, Linda!” it said. “What would you like to think about today?”

They talked about stories, ideas, mysteries, and dreams.


She lifted CapCut, a rainbow pair of scissors that made videos sparkle.

With a snip and a click, she could create movies from her imagination.


X/Twitter was a fast little bird that carried news from all over the world.

WhatsApp and Telegram were two magical messengers who helped Linda talk to people near and far.

Facebook was a scrapbook that remembered friends and celebrations.


And her favorite treasure of all was her Kindle, a tiny book that held a whole library inside.

She could write her own stories and share them with children everywhere.


Linda didn’t need a television because her treasure chest gave her something better—

a way to explore, create, learn, and share.


Every day, she opened her information tools and said,

“Let’s see what I can discover today!”


And with that, she traveled the world—

not by sitting on a couch,

but by opening her mind.





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