Is TV good for us?

[mikebird]

Don't sidestep the question

Thinking of a childhood addiction to square-eyes marketing and the ongoing entertainment you can't avoid

Today, it's nice to have an uplifting feel of false happiness.

As a student, a lot of us avoided TV. Life was about people, out every night, enjoying everything. In 1994 as a fresher, the internet did exist, only on campus. Not public.

I saw a lifestyle of being without TV, but have been sucked back into it as a kid afterwards.

What would you say about TV when raising children? Its social impact started with radio, B&W TV, then colour, now internet.

It portrays an imaginary world beyond your own eyes. Movies. Drama. Terrorism. Romance.

Life is not scripted

We'd have a better life without it. The sun always shines on TV. I see people in towns & cities grimacing at rain. It doesn't hurt! It's water. I dance in it. I put my hand under a big pipe flow from above. There is a real world. Let's discover. Get on a boat. Sail. Safari. Climb a mountain. We shouldn't need TV adverts to encourage people to do things. Read

 

[coyote]

no, watching television will just make you feel inadequate

that's their whole strategy - to make you think you're missing something in your life because you're not as "whatever" as the characters portrayed

but, amazingly, they have just the product you need to purchase to make your life complete...

and they tell you this over and over every fifteen minutes for how many hours a day for how many years?

do yourself a favor and drop an anvil on your television if you want to work on your self-esteem

[/rant]

 

[Opaline]

no, watching television will just make you feel inadequate

that's their whole strategy - to make you think you're missing something in your life because you're not as "whatever" as the characters portrayed

but, amazingly, they have just the product you need to purchase to make your life complete...

and they tell you this over and over every fifteen minutes for how many hours a day for how many years?

do yourself a favor and drop an anvil on your television if you want to work on your self-esteem

[/rant]

*applause*

 

[gustavofring]

Some programs can be beneficial.

Certain talk shows or documentaries can enrichen your life, as in having something to talk about, something to trigger your interests, etc.
Most of TV is absolute bull$hit though.

 

[MikeyC]

I don't think TV is necessarily an evil box of tubes, but limiting TV is best.

Advertisements are not good and coyote is right that it brainwashes you to believe you're not hip or cool until you have whatever product their selling at low low prices.

Everything in moderation, though.

 

[kilojoule]

I love telly. Telly has taught me so much Tv is an old old friend

Having said that I don't currently have tv (says Jewel rocking in corner)

 

[kilojoule]

no, watching television will just make you feel inadequate

that's their whole strategy - to make you think you're missing something in your life because you're not as "whatever" as the characters portrayed

but, amazingly, they have just the product you need to purchase to make your life complete...

and they tell you this over and over every fifteen minutes for how many hours a day for how many years?

do yourself a favor and drop an anvil on your television if you want to work on your self-esteem

[/rant]

But if I don't watch the ads then how will I know what stuff I want?

 

[coyote]

But if I don't watch the ads then how will I know what stuff I want?

you poor thing

i see it's time for an intervention

 

[kilojoule]

but.....Telly....(that's the entirety of my argument)

 

[MikeyC]

My life is incomplete until I know what the Kardashians are up to!!!

 

[kilojoule]

lol see at the heart of every strong relationship is telly appreciation. I bet I can watch more shi.te than you can.

 

[coyote]

was just looking at the WHO's Body Mass Index article you posted, Jewely

and i began to wonder if there is any correlation between television viewing around the world and the rate of obesity worldwide...

and not just because watching TV is a sedentary activity - but because it markets unhealthy food options to the people who have the disposal income to consume them

if obesity kills, and television viewing encourages obesity

then television kills

just a theory

don't quote me

i'm only a coyote

 

[MikeyC]

lol see at the heart of every strong relationship is telly appreciation. I bet I can watch more shi.te than you can.

Haha, I think you could, too.

 

[Pacific_Loner]

I don't have a TV and that's one of the reasons why people think I'm weird
How weird is that.......

 

[Razzlecherry]

Most television programs are crap, but I think the television shows and movies that I watched taught me pretty much everything I know.

 

[MikeyC]

I don't mind watching TV shows, but the advertisements annoy me. I wait for the DVD's.

 

[kilojoule]

if obesity kills, and television viewing encourages obesity

then television kills

just a theory

don't quote me

i'm only a coyote

<covers tellys ears> How could you say this Coyote, taking words that I said and using them to hurt telly, poor telly <consoles telly ....shhh he didn't mean it telly>

 

[BlackPuma]

It's a subjective thing, it's by no means safe territory, but just like with the internet and all other media, you have control of what media/shows you watch.

I've learned plenty of useful things from TV (documentaries) that I might not have learned otherwise. ''How it's Made'' for example, gave me a much greater understand about common and uncommon items.

It can definitely be bad, though. Home shopping channels in particular are dangerous manipulative territory. Same thing with reality TV, general commercials snf hoaxed educative series (''Finding Bigfoot'', for example (what a embarrassment for humanity that show is)).

But if you're a person not sensitive to that, I don't see too much harm in it. I've never been compelled to buy anything I didn't need from commercials/advertisements.

It's well known that TV isn't above manipulating you, that doesn't mean you have to succumb to it blindly, more so it means you'll have to be skeptic and critical. I love certain shows, but that doesn't mean I idolize everything in it. And if someone can't make the distinction between reality and television (this includes exceptions and social behavior), I definitely agree that that person shouldn't watch TV. But I trust that enough can make that distinction.

However, on the subject of kids, I don't think I'd deny it completely, but it would certainly be restricted. Kids look for role models, and if they find them on TV who knows what kind of behavior they adept. If adults are affected by manipulation from TV, then it's definitely not good for kids, whom are prone to behavioral manipulation in effort to learn and grow.

Is it good for ''us''? I don't know, everyone is different, I wouldn't know how to answer a question with so many fractionally different answers. But it needn't be a idiot box if you watch smart. Self control, like always, is key. ;3

 

[Nathália]

I can't even trust TV documentaries anymore. One would think that they actually bring credible people who've done great research on these shows, but they just do these things because they bring in great ratings.

There's a show on TV called ancient aliens and there was one documentary about 2012. They know a lot of people buy into these conspiracies, but instead of educating people about the truth, they rather get people excited.

It does make me mad a bit because there is so much evidence and facts that's not getting to a larger audience.

 

[BlackPuma]

I can't even trust TV documentaries anymore. One would think that they actually bring credible people who've done great research on these shows, but they just do these things because they bring in great ratings.

There's a show on TV called ancient aliens and there was one documentary about 2012. They know a lot of people buy into these conspiracies, but instead of educating people about the truth, they rather get people excited.

It does make me mad a bit because there is so much evidence and facts that's not getting to a larger audience.

Yes, this is something that frustrates me also. I tend to avoid any shows about aliens, ghosts, mythical creatures and conspiracies. These shows are usually interview/narrative heavy, so they're easy to avoid.

I'm much more fond of shows that actually teach practical things and present fact checkable stuff. Like bush craft show with Ray Mears/Les Stroud, or shows like Dirty Jobs which often are convincingly honest.