What about Television?

brian relly · Post by **brian relly** » 16 Apr 2004 14:53

What do you all think of TV?

Is it a horrible, horrible, waste of time that rots your brain and urges you to buy, buy, buy, or is it a great wealth of information that can entertain your for hours on end?

Share what you think!

Tsiangkun · Post by **Tsiangkun** » 16 Apr 2004 15:04

The TV can sometimes be a great way to get ideas of things to read about on the internet. Often times a reporter will say something, and not give any context or follow up statements. A quick search of the web will often reveal a whole lot of details the rest of the world knows, but are withheld from the american audience.

--Tsiangkun "I voted other, but you can vote me for pres in 2016"

Chris Holden · Post by **Chris Holden** » 16 Apr 2004 15:08

I love it, but then, I'm in entertainment and whats on the TV is my livelyhood. Everything on television is designed to sell products, listen to your tv, buy these products, so I get paid!

I only watch educational/comedy/cartoons.

FlexThis · Post by **FlexThis** » 16 Apr 2004 15:26

I love the TV. If Homer Simpson gets taken off the air I will die.

carl winslow · Post by **carl winslow** » 16 Apr 2004 15:42

if i am in a room with a tv it is probobly on.
cable is kinda expensive but i cant go without it.
my favorite form of media is the internet though

Muffinman · Post by **Muffinman** » 16 Apr 2004 16:52

i think its really creative. i cant remember the last time i turned on my tv, though. i dont think its a good idea to take anything you dont see for yourself too seriously though. the news is just another series on tv.

shredj · Post by **shredj** » 16 Apr 2004 17:04

FlexThis wrote:I love the TV. If Homer Simpson gets taken off the air I will die.

werd

tv is awesome unless your totally addicted to it and all you do is WATCH TV, i think. i know a family that doesnt have a tv. they simply dont want one, they resort to books etc. to entertain themselves instead of the boob toob. more and more men inbetween the ages of 20-30 are resorting to the internet for substitution of tv/entertainment. hah, i heard that fact on TV the other day..whaddya know

Brad Harold · Post by **Brad Harold** » 18 Apr 2004 23:35

Don't have time for it. Think it causes brain damage in children. Blame it for my own ADD.

Some studies seem to back me up

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/suza ... 0419.shtml

http://www.bangornews.com/editorialnews ... /ID/420827

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 18 Apr 2004 23:40

Yeah - I grew up without TV until I was 9 or 10. Not including myself and my inflated ego - all the other people I know who grew up without TV are much more creative than those that watched tv their whole life.

These days I watch the News - on at least 3 different stations. As well as Current Affairs shows - but only if they are about something I think is important - which means nothing on commercial tv (leaving only two stations). I watch some documentaries and the odd sport. And I've just started to watch "Late Night Poker" and will organise some games at worlds if I can

I probably watch about 0-5 hours a week - there are plenty of days when I don't watch any tv at all.

C-Fan · Post by **C-Fan** » 18 Apr 2004 23:41

I never watched much back home, but it helps me learn Japanese now that I live in Japan.

Senor Grommet · Post by **Senor Grommet** » 18 Apr 2004 23:51

I dont own a TV. Im in Grad School.

brian relly · Post by **brian relly** » 19 Apr 2004 04:15

You're the coolest Jeremy.

mc · Post by mc » 19 Apr 2004 07:32

i'm 22 and I don't own a TV. I live alone, and I tend to use my computer as my media inlet. I download movies and TV shows sometimes, but only the ones I really want to watch, and I like that the commercials are edited out. I think TV, by and large, is another manifestation of human nature's desire to be slothful, and provides a much too easy occupation of the average human mind that's too weak (or weakened) to even realize that it's rendering itself practically worthless.

did it ever occur to anyone that maybe the recent prevalence of ADD, a condition whose symptoms are often described as watching a TV that's changing channels constantly, could be caused (in part or in whole) by constantly sitting in front of the TV, changing the channels? Our brains simply aren't conditioned by the fixture around which most people spend all their leisure time to concentrate on anything for more than 30 seconds to a minute at a time before the scene changes, or the focus of the news changes, or a different commercial comes on with a different product that you need RIGHT NOW. We've been given the option, as a society, to do something that's really easy for our lazy brains to get into, but that is destroying us from the inside out by our own volition. It's like a really bad drug addiction. And it's entirely socially acceptable. Horrendous.

To those of you living in a nuclear family living situation... take a step into your living room, or den, or family room, or whatever you call it. I'd be willing to bet that if you looked at it for a second with some fresh eyes, you'll realize that your living room is just a shrine to your television. All the furniture is pointed at it. Everyone watches it. The lights are arranged optimally for minimal TV glare...

Sooner or later, some of us are going to have to realize that neither society nor human nature have our best interests in mind, and that it's going to take some effort on our parts to not fall victim to our own lifestyles.

Brad Harold · Post by **Brad Harold** » 19 Apr 2004 09:55

matthewl329 wrote:did it ever occur to anyone that maybe the recent prevalence of ADD, a condition whose symptoms are often described as watching a TV that's changing channels constantly, could be caused (in part or in whole) by constantly sitting in front of the TV, changing the channels? .

It occured to me. Did it occur to you to read posts other than your own?

That's harsher sounding than I want it to be, but I am too lazy and stupid to fix it right now.

mc · Post by mc » 19 Apr 2004 10:10

Brad Harold wrote: It occured to me. Did it occur to you to read posts other than your own?

That's harsher sounding than I want it to be, but I am too lazy and stupid to fix it right now.

i was going to object to this, or counter it, or something, but that whole "too lazy and stupid" line took care if it for me.

That's actually a pretty good, system, I think.

anyone who wants is welcome to unreasonably object to anything I say, or respond with undue harshness to their hearts' content, as long as they're willing to throw in a "too lazy and stupid" clause at the end of it.

hmmm... too lazy and stupid... maybe you ARE a living example of the dangers of TV, as you suggested... in your first post... which I *did* read. the first time.

Seath · Post by **Seath** » 19 Apr 2004 11:09

I don't find much time for TV, minus hockey.. actually I watch more TV during the playoffs (now) than I do throughout the whole year. Sometimes movies keep me glued to the TV but in general I don't just sit there and waste time with it. I always have a certain reason other than that to be watching.

To those of you living in a nuclear family living situation... take a step into your living room, or den, or family room, or whatever you call it. I'd be willing to bet that if you looked at it for a second with some fresh eyes, you'll realize that your living room is just a shrine to your television. All the furniture is pointed at it. Everyone watches it. The lights are arranged optimally for minimal TV glare...

This is true, most living rooms, etc do use the TV as a focal point but i wouldn't be as blunt as to generalizing all nuclear family situations as building a "shrine" around their TV. You can use a TV as a focus point in a room without being a TV junkie.

pips · Post by **pips** » 19 Apr 2004 11:58

I don't really care for the tv anymore. If I am in a room with it on and it seems interesting, yeah I will watch, but I don't think I've really turned it on myself in a long time. Except for watching listening to videos in the morning while getting ready or for watching movies.

mc · Post by mc » 19 Apr 2004 15:06

Seath wrote:This is true, most living rooms, etc do use the TV as a focal point but i wouldn't be as blunt as to generalizing all nuclear family situations as building a "shrine" around their TV. You can use a TV as a focus point in a room without being a TV junkie.

Dude, maybe in Canadia, or wherever it is you say you're from, you guys are still burning twigs and leaves for fuel, and you can only power a TV for 5 minutes a day, but the average American watches somewhere between 3 and 4 hours a day. Maybe it's possible to use a TV as a focal point in a room without being addicted, but I think the statistics and the culture speak for itself in this respect.

I'm glad that you're not a TV junkie, and I'm glad I'm not either, so props to us in that respect, but take a look around, homes.

m

TrueBalance · Post by **TrueBalance** » 19 Apr 2004 15:33

I believe it's spelled holmes.

brian relly · Post by **brian relly** » 19 Apr 2004 15:34

The average American watches about 5-6 hours, approximately one third of their waking day, watching television... :-\

http://www.mala.bc.ca/~soules/media112/zine/stephen/