unplug the signal

[karika]

Mods did not post this in tv free as I am not tv free, but if it belongs there let me know and I will move it

http://pupaganda.com/originals/Unplug_the_signal.html

I believe the same as this article. I have read much on the subject. It is hard to live tv free when in the same house as an avid watcher. dd1's father turns it on when he wakes up, and it stays on almost continuously until he goes to bed. I had to work on him for a long time to convince him to mute the commercials, and not watch news around children, though he still does both occasionally.

I am a watcher too. It is hard when it is here and on. I watch the scientific shows mostly however. I record things from PBS, History Channel and Documentary Channel and fast forward through the commercials. I have a few sitcoms I still watch like 2 1/2 men, big bang theory... and I like david letterman and tonight show, though I have definitely noticed the thought of themes...
like you see something on a show about a lost item for instance, then 3 more shows that night will be about someone losing something.

I keep thinking the best thing is to just unplug the tv, but I can't do that here. Does anyone else have the same issues with another person in the home?

what do you all think about the article?

[Nazsmum]

[annettemarie]

I thought it read like a bunch of propaganda, which is kind of ironic since that's what it's accusing television of being. I take things a lot more seriously when they don't make hysterical statements like "America is in a state of enlightened despotism where most individuals live only to satisfy selfish inner desires and remain ignorant of the state of the world around them" and quote Goebbels using giant blocks o' text and hard to read fonts.

If you want to work to find a solution that involves limiting television around children when sharing living space, I understand that. But I wouldn't try to use that article to make my point. I found it shrill and annoying, to be honest, and we have very limited screen time in our home.

[tinybutterfly]

The article was interesting, but I agree with Annette that it was shrill.

You might like Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television by Jerry Mander. It's not as intense, but still full of tons of info.

For a long time my best solution was only one television in our house and limited time for the kids. I would have loved to have no t.v. in our house, but dh LOVES the t.v.

When we moved here about 10 years ago, I finally broke-down and agreed to 2 televisions. We now have one downstairs in the family room and one upstairs in the living room. Dh turns his on as soon as he goes downstairs for the evening. The upstairs t.v. is mostly used to watch DVDs and is rarely on otherwise ( except on Saturday nights if I am watching the Sci-Fi channel's 9:00 movie.)

Oddly enough having the two t.v.s has worked out well for us because the upstairs area of our home of is quieter now without the constant drone of the television all night. At first I really hated having the two t.v.s and there were some issues in that now if dh was watching t.v. and the kids wanted to see something now they could just turn on the upstairs t.v. where before they had to go find something else to do ( or they ended up watching whatever dh had turned on.)

Personally, I am having lots of thoughts about not just t.v. time, but screen time in general and wondering if my computer is any different from the t.v. Different screen, more choices, same issues.

It's hard having kids and a partner who is not on the same page with regards to the television, but you can find ways to work around it.

AND on the plus side...limited viewing or some exposure to t.v. affords plenty of opportunities to talk about advertising, programming, how what is on t.v. is not "real" and all that stuff. Then you end up with a kid who has been taught to look at t.v. and the content on the television with a more critical eye.

Good luck!

[Arduinna]

I used to have this issue with dh. He would leave the tv on 24/7 and it drove me nuts. When we got tivo years ago it really resulted in a big change in how the tv was used. I finally got him into the habit of only turning it on when we were sitting down to watch something and then we turn it off. We watch recorded programs 95+% of the time and FF past all commercials. As a result, I don't see political ads during election time, I miss the PSA's, the drug company ads ect. I don't have the same cultural frame of reference as friends when I talk with them. Which is fine.

I agree with the article that tv is used, just like all media to further the agenda of groups and government. But it isn't unique to tv, it's up to each of us to use our critical thinking skills. Personally, I spend more time when watching news pointing out the spin and propaganda than I do nodding in agreement but it results in some great discussions in our house.

As far as tv free vs screen free it is going to depend on what your goal is. Even movies result in indoctrination to a world view. So I personally don't see any benefit to being cable free but watching movies and tv on a computer. I'd say that tv and movies and media in general have a huge influence on world view, especially if one has never thought about it and isn't looking for it.

[tinybutterfly]

Originally Posted by Arduinna

As far as tv free vs screen free it is going to depend on what your goal is. Even movies result in indoctrination to a world view. So I personally don't see any benefit to being cable free but watching movies and tv on a computer. I'd say that tv and movies and media in general have a huge influence on world view, especially if one has never thought about it and isn't looking for it.

True.

Personally, I just would rather read more books and have a cleaner house. Oh, and get out in the garden.

Movies are big time vehicles for indoctrination...but so much fun. I especially love B-grade sci-fi. My fave.

[annettemarie]

Yeah, it always kind of makes me go "Huh?" when people are all "We limit television because it's evil" and then their kids spend hours on the computer, video games, movies, etc. That's one reason we call it "screen time" rather than "tv time". They get a half an hour a day (mostly so mama can get a nap, LOL!) and they can choose where they spend it. I do not limit my own screen time nearly as much as I should.

On the other hand, I think good things can come out of screen time too. We just used on-demand to watch Babies as a family, and it was wonderful.

My fave book, btw, is The Plug-In Drug.

[Arduinna]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

Yeah, it always kind of makes me go "Huh?" when people are all "We limit television because it's evil" and then their kids spend hours on the computer, video games, movies, etc. That's one reason we call it "screen time" rather than "tv time".

That makes me go Huh? too. In some ways movies are much more insidious in their propaganda than tv. The average person realizes that commercials are there to sell you a product and even the news discussing health topics can be pretty obvious in their bias, just listen to the way the newscaster frames the questions they ask. Movies though tend to sell you a world view with a heart tugging story and sympathetic characters and mainstream movies are pretty consistent in the world view they are trying to promote as correct.

I've noticed that what I find acceptable programming has changed dramatically as my personal views have changed. And I don't have much left to watch as a result.

[annettemarie]

It does get interesting and a little uncomfortable when you start looking at your viewing habits critically. I know for me, I'm pretty strict with what the kids can watch, and it's strongly based in our spiritual beliefs. I've actually vetoed things on the basis that, if it's against God's law, we're not going to find entertainment in it. And yet after they go to bed, I'll watch any manner of shoot 'em up, murder mysteries, etc. It's hypocritical and I know it, and it's something I am struggling with.

[Arduinna]

I had a similar discussion with dh recently regarding programming. We had the whole " are they glamourizing a sin, or is it being presented as something to be overcome?". Some shows I just flat out couldn't watch anymore because they offend me now, which is easy to quit watching but others I am not sure. Most of the show is fine, with parts that are over the top in being graphic or immoral. DH says to fast forward past those parts and watch the rest. I don't know. I'm still thinking about what the right thing to do is.

[annettemarie]

Yeah, I'm still kind of in the discerning process as well.

My hubbie, who is a pastor, has actually spoken out from the pulpit against reality television. He feels like the whole thing is just a set-up for people to gossip, lie, and backstab, and that watching it as entertainment is wrong.

Karika, sorry if this is too far off topic!

[karika]

screen time

I saw someone say they include all screen time as the same thing. I am curious from those of you that do. From what I understand on the scientific level, the television emits an alpha (or is it beta) wave that puts the brain into a hypnotic state. I thought the computer did not do this? I recently learned about the danger of the WI FI waves...and we use a wireless modem... I want to unplug everything, but that would take the whole family's commitment, and frankly, the independent news sources online are the ones I get my information from.

[annettemarie]

Well, we include screen time as all one thing. I don't do it so much out of health/medical concerns as I do because I think there a billion things a kid can be doing with their time other than staring at a screen, even if they're interacting with it. So they get a half hour a day of television, computer, video game, whatever. And I freely admit I have a different standard for myself than for my children, especially since I'm on restricted activity pregnant with twins. I figure I'm already ruined, but there's still hope for them.