Not really. I don't see ads on monitor (thank you UBlock Origin and Pi Hole) and don't see news either.

On monitor I choose what to watch, on TV I am forced to watch what someone else chosen.

I didn't own a TV ever (well, since I went to college), I see it only in my parents house when I visit.

That’s what I meant by it’s the same thing. All TVs are just monitors with small embedded computers with your standard streaming apps.

Well, the difference between TVs and computer monitors is about as big today as it was in the 90s, right?

Back then, they were also essentially the same technology (cathode ray tubes), but the TV had tuner and some analog circuitry to decode the signal.

The TV in the 90s didn’t have a computer built in where you could download apps nor did have an internet connection. You unfortunately can’t buy a TV today that isn’t “smart”. The same video sources that you watch on your computer, are usually available on TVs - YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, etc.