April 05, 2004
tv
during my freshman year of college I did a research paper on how TV affects our brains -- not necessarly the content (which is bad enough), but the medium. I leaned heavily on the Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death, which I highly recommend to anyone interested.
today on the cnn site, I found this article about the link of TV and ADD in little kids. basically is says it fries their helpless little brains.
for a long time I had a disdain for the devil's box, but we've had one in the house for over a year now (thru our computer, thanks to a groovy ati video card from jake). we watched lots of home-improvement type shows for a while, as well as wheel-of-fortune, but now all we really look at is alias, baby story, and a bit of sports now and then.
but we're hoping to avoid turning to the digital babysitter when our kid comes along. it's got to be a big temptation, since it certainly mesmerizes. but at what cost?
"this is your brain...this is your brain on tv....any questions?"
Posted by bobw at April 5, 2004 11:48 AM
At the same time, though, you will find polemic on both sides of the issue. There is compelling "scientific" evidence for and against the use of TV in a child's developmental stage. I'm not a big fan of the big box. Even though, we just got an antenna, I still don't watch it, because I don't know what's on. Like anything I think a TV can be used responsibly and irresponsibly.
What about movies? How do they figure into your reasoning?
I'd be interested in studies defending the tube.
Actually my biggest beef with TV is the content. There's precious little on that's worth watching, and I get mad when the commercials during something relatively harmless like a baseball game depict murders, rapes and other such crapola.
Believe it or not, movies are usually a bit different b/c the camera angle usually doesnt change every 3 seconds like on most TV stuff (especially the commercials). when I wrote my paper, I actually sat down with a stopwatch in front of the evening news. It's been a while, but I'm pretty sure I never made it to 5 seconds for a single shot.
Amen !! I wonder what would happen to the content of the media if all the concerned people instead of "protesting" its content would just do the simple thing - turn it off. But TV tends to be one of those love/hate addictions - we hate them but we cannot find in ourselves the strength to throw it out.
Did you ever see the movie "Cable Guy"?
no I didnt see the cable guy. what's it about?
and now that I think about it, "international tv turnoff week" is soon. stay tuned.
I haven't really read stuff for TV except for hearing about how certain educational programs are designed to enhance particular synapses in the brain or something like that. But it would be interesting to read anything pro-TV, just to see what kind of argument they would make.
I was just wondering if it was the physcial screen in contact with your eyes in addition to the content that you were objecting to, wh. would rule out movies.
I'm totally with you. I just can't take watching most TV because it does move way too fast. I feel like I've just been through the dryer (or how I imagine I would feel if I've been tumbling through the dryer) after watching TV. We watch a lot of movies, but you should see me around TV, I'm like a zombie. It's literally impossible for me to tune out any TV that is on in any room.
"Cable Guy" has several themes running through it, but the theme I am referring to is the semi-insane character Chip's childhood of TV. His single-mother "chained" him to the TV for his entire life and the line between reality and TV got smudged. Funny and sad at the same time.
|
