Why I Love Restaurants Without A Television

I love restaurants without a television because I want to have a conversation without telling myself, over and over, “Do not look at the TV.” I’ve had this problem since childhood. If a television is on, it’s constantly calling to me.

Someone is sitting across from me, talking, and I’m deliberately trying to keep my attention on them. But the screen is right freaking there. Sometimes there are seven of them, and it’s loud. There’s messaging and color everywhere, and I can’t think.

That’s why I love bars without TVs, too. Without a screen pulling at me, it’s easier for me to stay with the person I came to talk to. I don’t have to keep reminding myself where to look.

The distraction wears me down. I leave and try to think, or I go home, and I feel like I’ve just been bathed in content. I’m exhausted by how much I’ve taken in, even while I was trying to ignore it.

For me, that’s a useful thing to pay attention to when thinking about a space: what keeps pulling my attention away from what I want to do? In a restaurant, I want to listen and talk. A television makes that harder for me. I’d rather eat somewhere without one.