Comments on: Better TV

By: John Svoboda

John Svoboda — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 15:09:48 +0000

Of course, as with so many things, parents set the patterns. If the parents have healthy watching habits, it’s likely the kids will too. If the parents read more than watch, so will the kids. If you feel like you need an intervention, you probably do. Cold turkey for a while might not be a bad idea.

But if you don’t get a major newspaper at home and read it regularly, you need to find other means of staying informed- both for your, your kids’ and our democracy’s sake. And the 10 o’clock news is no place to become informed.

So, if we are going to have a TV, which is by no means essential, I just hope we all use it as well as we can.

By: Melonie (Momma & More)

Melonie (Momma & More) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:33:51 +0000

We don’t even need the DVR ourselves – we don’t subscribe to cable, so there’s nothing for us TO record for later. My folks send down a couple of DVDs from time to time of educational shows (History Channel, we miss you!) and we rent from Blockbuster Online. We save time and money, and we still get to “plug in” to certain things that actually do teach us, rather than just vegging out.

Case in point: the whole family sat in AWE as we watched (and re-watched and RE-watched) a recording my folks sent of shows about the 2012 prophecies and a show about what the world would be like without people on it. Then we sent ‘em back so they could be re-used.

Although the one about the Black Plague led to some interesting conversations with other Brownies…… Oops.

By: Kelly A.

Kelly A. — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:38:59 +0000

We love our TIVO. It really helps us control what our kids watch. I especially love being able to fast forward through the commercials. My kids are at an age where they are very interested in the commercials..and want us to buy everything they see!

By: Robert Kesten

Robert Kesten — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:33:32 +0000

As with everything else, with screened media (television, computers, video games and the like) less is always more. DVRs can be a good thing, if used correctly…but too many people do end up watching more, since they miss nothing!

Appointment television is the key, if you are going to watch…but remember everything today is a television, you can watch on a cell phone, computer, or the big screen that dominates your living room.

It is for that reason we hope everyone will take a deep breath and from April 21-27, turnoff ALL the electronic screened media in their lives and join us for (TV) TURNOFF WEEK 2008. This is a chance to examine your relationship with the screen and experience all the other joys life has to offer, being tuned in to the real experiences, with real people, in real time in real space.

Turnoff means ALL recreational use of screens, from the iPod to the cell phone, the television and the hand held gadget, the car monitor and the computer. One week saves a great deal of electricity and gives you back hours of living time.

Have dinner with your family, spend time outside, enjoy your community, family and friends and then let us know how you feel after the week is out.

You can contact us via our website, http://www.screentime.org.

Thanks

By: Mary

Mary — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:39:32 +0000

Do you do interventions? I went without having a tv for years and it has become habit again. We love the DVR function but my daughter now thinks that every tv on the planet has all of her favorites stored and waiting (try telling a preschooler the intracacies of how some tvs in hotels actually just play shows, even if it’s ones you don’t want!)

This is a great reminder of how you can fritter away hours – it’s like empty calories for the brain.