My opinion isn't as educated and researched as some when it comes to TV and the media but I feel it makes enough sence to share. I tend to stay away from television, and refuse to read magazines. I see it as propaganda and a distraction. Every magazine i've ever picked up has been full of the same old emaciated models that have been airbrushed to hide imperfections and signs of eating disorders. The majority of magazines have sex in big letters and diet information as the cover stories. TV is riden with sex, swaring, and immoral characters that in the end become the most famous because they are most entertaining to watch. I'll assume you all know this already so i'll move on. It bothers me to think that this kind of entertainment is starting to become normal in everydaylife. It bothers me that what should be funny in a rediculous way isn't seen as such. It bothers me that people are so gullable to think that TV tells the whole truth (mainly refering to reality TV) when there is knowledge of how all shows are edited and usually cut out what is really being said/done/implied. It bothers me that my 4 nephews, as well as their entire generation, are growing up in a time of immorality and an economy being monoploized by sexual advertising. I know that it is often argued that people make their own decisions and if their smart they won't imitate everything they see on TV. But what happens when this generation and all of the following are raised around these kinds of things? Whose to say that a 6 year old growing up seeing and hearing and reading these types of things is going to grow up knowing it's not OK? Culture, chivalry, tradition, and values are rapidly becoming less commen in the everyday household leaving us less to adhear to when it comes to what makes us who we are, leaving us with an ignorant idea of what the world is. Education has been dumbing down for years giving us less history to refer to and draw conclusions from. And i'm not saying we should all be robots under dictation by our educaters but in order to educate yourself you need to be educated in english and history is very important. People are more concerned about themselves then their community leaving us with no unity whatsoever. (P.S. i'm not bashing uniqueness or individuality, just selfishness)The point is the less we know the more we believe and TV and magazines provide many with their daily information making all future parents shallow, misguided, and more ignorant than what should be considered normal. I avoid the media because I strongly believe most of the shows and almost every magazine is like suicide to anyones personality. The redundant cover stories and low reading levels only stunt our creativity, mislead the meaning of individuality, and promise of future of ignorant, shallow, body-obsessed, disrespectful, unmoral monkeys. I wonder what the counterculture would have thought or think of today as a lot, and I don't think that they would be too happy to see that we've regressed into selfish, uncaring, disreputable son-of-a-bitches with no minds of our own. Now before I finish I will say this is not to offend anyone on this site nor am I saying that i'm an exeption to what i'm saying. This is my opinion. What is everyone else's?
i completely agree with your post! I too try to avoid being contaminated by the media, and it saddens me knowing today's generation are been spoon-fed with these poor values and shallowness.... when i look around and see veryone, wearing the same clothes, same hairstyle, same attitudes towards things in life, it makes me really sad...It feels like there arent that many people who actually resist media's influence...it makes me angry too.
I (almost) completely disagree with your post. I think TV and magazines are very good and that they boost the imagination and creativity of people (I am living proof). I also think that it is unfair how people attack TV when books are basically the same (with less commercials) I think it is people like you (and those super-politically correct liberals) that make TV less real by calling for cencorship. The swearing, sex, and violence is what is real and censcorship crushes that. You act like TV is supposed to model how we should act but, it is a form of entertainment (and sometimes enlightenment) I think the worst part is how young you two are, you sound like old cranky bitches (not meant offensivley; just a comparison) P.S. Reality shows do suck, and have nothing to do with reality
hehehehehe... let me just say that i dont care if you say i'm being a cranky old bitch or whatever...but anyway...Tv does suck and doesnt boost your imagination at all!!! just spend a few minutes watching tv and you'll feel so dumb afterwards...it sorts of hymnotises (sp?) you...same with magazines...they're full of crap (i'm talking about maintream magazines and tv programmes) if there's sex on tv, well, sex is everywhere, but media seems to exploit sex as a tool to get more viewers and what do viewers want??? media presents sex as something cheap (most of the time) and doesnt educate children or young people in any way, but rather present a distortioned image of something so normal... i dont wanna get too into it cos i've a lot to do now, but i still think most maintream media is pure and utter SHIT.
Thanks sanelycrazy. It's nice to know that not everyone is dependant on the box. As far as statements like: I (almost) want to fall out of my chair in hysterical laughter. There's actually evidence backing up the fact that TV inhibits creativity because of a phase shift in the brain. As far as books being the same as tv? Well here's a good book: Fahrenheit 451, read it. It's about books and tv.
I hated Fahrenheit 451 (even though I like Bradbury) but, I understand where you're coming from. I know for a fact that TV boosts imagination because I watch it constantly and I have developed an extremely good imagination. I have very visual ideas and thoughts. I actually picture what people are saying when they talk to me (with no control). I can have vivid daydreams and even control them to a pretty high extent. I barely ever read anything but Maxim (best magazine ever) and GameInformer (although I am starting to read books more) and do little other than, just sit around and watch TV. Instead of going to preschool like a normal kid I just sat around and watched TV all day. I don't need scientists to tell me TV is good for the imagination, I know it is. Also, media presents sex as what it is... SEX. Sex can be for purely pleasure or it can be more about intimacy and pasion, and media potrays both of those.
I totally agree. I have great respect for you that you have the control to remove yourself from these things. I do still watch some tv but I mostly have videos of very old movies. I love old movies. But, I do agree with the violence and uncaring manner that most movies and tv programs display. If I wasn't married, I probably wouldn't watch that much tv at all, since my husband loves it. But he has admitted too, that the current and newish shows are nothing but trash. So we both tend to watch oldies but goodies. I myself, like to involve myself with hobbies and such, that keeps my mind fresh with ideas of creation. My new thing is that I'm going back to macrame. Can't wait to get started.
I honestly do not have a problem with tv, as long as you are aware of what you're watching.. not everyone is an open blank slate
people act like television is some sort of guidbook for damning yourself. people take shit too seriously. but then, im not a big fan of television either, and i hate most magazines and i never listen to the radio.
I have not connected my tv since I moved to this apartment 7 1/2 yrs. ago. Cuz its 99% shite. So I guess I disagree with ya. They kill imagination in my view, tv especially. Books are basically the same as tv the way a house is basically the same as a home. There is little difference, but that difference is everything. I was raised on tv, and even today some shows I catch when over at others who have tv are very good. I love Trailer Park Boys. tv requires zero thought, it is all done for you. At least with a book, you use your imagination. I don't consider mags books either, they are inane fluff with the rare useful tidbit. If something is really news, someone will tell me, I don't miss tv one bit.
you are always thinking you just don't realize it. If anything books stop you from really thinking about what's going on because you are so busy reading. Also if you watch more emotional, dramatic, suspenseful, or even intelligent TV you will think more about it. If you want to actually learn about stuff (or are just slightly interested) TV helps you learn about it much faster. Because of the History channel my thinking six guns are cool turned into knowing all kinds of shit about the west.
I don't know how to quote things, but I want to reply to the last thing you said Duck. The thing is TV can teach you things and you can learn them faster, but its a proven fact that more information is retained through reading. Its also a proven fact that if you don't go over what you've heard/been taught within 24 hours, you lose the majority of what you learned. Reading stimulates and expands your mind because in order to understand what your reading your mind has to make connections over and over again and the more you read the easier it becomes to understand and make other connections based on what you read. On the contrary I do like educational programming, I just wish there was more of it. I get so angry about it because I have 4 nephews that I've taken a big part in raising and I believe one must worry about a world they will never see. I heard this proverb once, a chinese proverb I think, that said "The next generation will reap what this one sows" or something along those lines.
Angry old bitch here. Today's mainstream media sucks. I used to get panic attacks reading the Sunday papers because everything in it was about how to improve your looks, your body, your personality, or you must buy this! You must buy that! Now that I've stopped reading that crap my life is easier. I've also stopped reading the daily newspapers which are a waste of time - you can hear the news on the radio. I have never been one to buy fashion or celebrity magazines - in five minutes you've just spent your five bucks because that's how long it takes to flick through one. What a waste. TV is full of garbage. I assure you now that I have not expanded my imagination from watching TV. If anything I have less of an imagination. Talking of sex and violence in the media: when there are so many sexual images out there, what's left to imagine anymore? Society is becoming desensitised towards sex and violence. We are becoming jaded, not many things are all that shocking or titillating nowadays. Yes sex and violence are part of reality but I believe we need the ability to be shocked in order to really see what's going on. I still listen to the radio but my patience is sorely being tested there too. Every station plays the same 50 songs over and over each day which drives me around the twist. I couldn't agree more with everything the original poster said.
As far as the first qoute goes: bullshit, give me a link to an article or something expanding upon that And for the second: I know I make more connections when watching TV cause when i'm reading it takes up more of my thought and my mind can't multitask as well. plus you don't have to make connections to understand what you're reading all the time, and you have to make connections when watching TV also.
I am so aggrivatingly in the middle on this topic. I am an avid television watcher. I am not a fan of reality shows. My television choices are based on something to entertain (sitcoms, Howard Stern) or things that interest me that I would like to learn more about (I am a strait male that admits to watching Trading Spaces). I can't agree with sanelycrazy or Duck... sanelycrazy: when I think of sex and violence in the media, I try to think of how it originated. The media didn't create sex and violence, humans did. The media, of course, is not trying to discourage these things for the most part, but as an entertainment tool, it's job is not to be a parent, either. Back before television, people would go to arenas and see people fight eachother to the death. I am sure you could track humans' fascination with violence to the beginning of time. You also cannot say that all television is shit, because there is plenty of stuff that is meant to educate. Duck: the only thing that I can really think of to say that hasn't already been said in this thread is that you most likely do not have a better imagination because of television, but despite it. There is no doubt that most television numbs the brain, there is little to no imagination needed when watching television (which has been said already in this thread). As a regular television and movie watcher, I am not one to preach in either direction, but I think that both of you are a little bit too far in your respective directions. No offense to any posters, but the point is that television, radio, and magazines are meant to entertain those who want to be entertained by them, and parents must keep in mind that while one thing is glorifying sex and violence to their kids, they need to take the initiative to show them the other side of the arguement.
What Sunday papers do you read? They must really suck. Pittsburgh post ain't like that. If anything getting shocked would mean you have less of an understanding of what's really going on. And as far as, "Society is becoming desensitised towards sex and violence." if it truly was so many people wouldn't be saying that shit. I do kinda agree, though (I'm a little back and forth on the subject) but, you can't solely blame TV the big budget movie and the music stars are more to blame for that. Get Sirius satellite radio or something
I don't watch TV. I do, however, pick out movies that look like they'll make me think. Terry Gilliam is good for that.
