"Television is a chewing gum for the eyes," architect Frank Lloyd Wright once sneered. I suspect he didn't watch very much, and he got a lot accomplished in his 92 years. "Turn Off Your Television" week begins Monday, April 23rd. Whatever your circumstances--married, single, kids, no kids--now is a great time to turn off your glowing box. (You may even want to start your prohibition sooner, given the distressing quality of this week's news). I have a friend in Western Massachusetts who routinely covers his television and computer monitor (when not in use) with beautiful pieces of fabric that neutralize what he calls "the distortion" these appliances bring into our lives. The fabric makes his living space quite a bit prettier too.
If I hadn't married a media junkie, if I'd put my children into a Waldorf school (where parents agree as a community to virtually prohibit television), I would have given away our TV years ago. I think I'd do fine without it. I like radio. But given that my destiny seems tied to the real world's (do I sound like I'm making excuses?), I currently have many disagreements with my children (now 10 and 12) about when television is appropriate.
Here's something I've discovered along the way, though: Parents must provide their children with something else to do. You can't just say, "No TV. Go play." I'd wager that parents whose kids aren't watching TV spend more money than others on books, modeling wax, yarn, paint, old radio shows and board games.
You have to "work" your job as parent harder when you're not falling back on the boxy babysitter (which has such a stunning ability to silence kids for hours). It's your show, not Sponge Bob's.
If you need more support, here's the TV Turn-Off website. Chinaberry, the terrific book and audio tape company, was smart to put out a list of toys, books, and tapes they sell that might help kids suffering from TV withdrawal. And here's what I feel is the best-ever written family media policy, a definition of what constitues healthy family TV viewing, by my penpal Nell Minow, a.k.a. "Movie Mom," a Yahoo movie critic. She begins her treatise with, "Watching television or videos is a treat, not a right." And she plows on from there. I think you'll quickly install her beliefs as your ultimate rules of the house.
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"TV rotts your brain!" Im sure everyone has heard that. Its true . . . kind of. "Sugar rotts your teeth!" . . . well . . . brush your teeth, and your brain so to speek. Now if all you eat is sugar, and only sometimes brush your teeth, your teeth will begin to rot. And so, if you mostly watch TV and only sometimes excercise and clean your brain it will rot too, so to speak. TV like sugar is also addictive, and mind/body altering. Our sences get accoustimed to the sweetness and glitter, but its empty . . . it cant nourish us . . . yet it is a real experience, it evokes sensation, thought, and emotion. And because each experience each of us has leaves and impression on us that becomes part of what makes us into who we are (how ever small it is, it is there with each experience)what we see on TV becomes part of us, even if we dont believe or agree with it, want whats being advertised or not. Its planted a seed, of sort, in us that will try to grow, to influance our thoughts, emotions, and behavior. Hours and hours of this bombardment of spoon fed, pre-digested information and glittered up psyco-babble cannot be good for maintaining a healthy, well functioning, loving, thoughtful, and synergy minded society, community, or family. "They only tell you what they want you to hear. They only tell you what they want you to fear." -KK One experiment for anyone to try: For 15 to 60 minutes, observe the reactions of young children (ages 3-8 or so)watching new 'Cartoon Network' cartoons and then observe their reactions to watching 'old-school' cartoons like Popeye, old Loony Toons, even the Three Stooges etc . . . Do you see what I see?
I didn't intend to imply that All - TV - Is - Bad - And - So - Are - People - Who - Watch - It. I enjoyed my satellite and cable when I had it, my gripe still is about the repetitiveness of it (I had 17 or 18 Jewelry / Home Shopping channels on my satellite alone). And on news coverage, I think I watched 10 minutes tops of the VT shootings and knew all I needed. Back on 9/11, I learned more from a half hour of watching CBC'S coverage than I ever did from the hours - on - end US networks. So, TV's useful, it can be fun and educational, but there's just so much crap you got to wade through to get to it.
Why in the world can't Everyone just decide for themselves!?? I agree there is Much to be desired on TV, (with or without cable/dish), these days and WAY Too Many commercials, violence and exaggeration in the news, But as adult humans, many whom are parents, rules should be made in each individual home as with use of a computer! Certainly just not watching it won't change those who release All the rubish onto our screens, and it'll Still be there when we turn TV on again. To say nothing of those who will Still do violent acts against society, wether they see it on TV, read it or are just insane! There was Always some sort of craziness in the world, or we'd not have had any wars!!
I heard the average kid sees 20,000 murders on tv while they grow up. And this doesn't count video games, MTV, or movie violence. We are at a saturation point. To me, this is the main reason to shut it off. All the other shows (some good, some bad) are benign as compared to the violent trash!
I'm always very wary of black & white statements such as "TV is bad. Turn it off!" Such an oversimplification! TV is simply a tool, like radio or computers. How you use them, and how often, determines whether they are harmful or helpful in your life.