Debate: Why are people so impressed with those who don't watch TV?
- Thread starter playahaitian
- Start date
I cut the cord from cable almost 10 years ago. I've got other hobbies like music and art to keep me occupied if need be. I use the internet and a computer more than a television. I got an LCD in the living room just sitting there. I also have a mini library with a few books I haven't gotten around to reading yet.
The reality is TV has nothing of interest for me outside of football, the NBA Finals, The Daily Show and a few documentaries. I don't think it makes me smart but the time I'm not watching TV I'm reading a lot of articles and doing my own personal research on shit that makes my life easy.
The reality is TV has nothing of interest for me outside of football, the NBA Finals, The Daily Show and a few documentaries. I don't think it makes me smart but the time I'm not watching TV I'm reading a lot of articles and doing my own personal research on shit that makes my life easy.
I don't think so. I guess it all depends on what you define as excess. There are a lot of people who can't be in their home without a tv on. And they watch whats on that tv for the majority of the time they are in their home (minus sleep). That's excessive television watching to me no matter what you are watching.
Moderation is the keys.. Sure you can watch some TV but according to most studies, watching too much TV does reduce your learning capacity...
But to understand how this works you have to actually abstain from TV for about a month and you will see first hand.
Personally I respect those who regulate their viewing because it shows they have discipline and restraint, the same way not eating or working out does.
Dose not watching tv make you smarter, probably not.
However, I think what you do during the time you usually watch tv has a greater impact towards how smart you gain. I do know one thing, that is, watching too much tv tends to makes you dumber.
But to understand how this works you have to actually abstain from TV for about a month and you will see first hand.
Personally I respect those who regulate their viewing because it shows they have discipline and restraint, the same way not eating or working out does.
Dose not watching tv make you smarter, probably not.
However, I think what you do during the time you usually watch tv has a greater impact towards how smart you gain. I do know one thing, that is, watching too much tv tends to makes you dumber.
i'm just saying...
too much of ANYTHING is bad.
period.
Of course we need to limit our consuption of TV
but that INCLUDES the net, porn, etc....
I dont watch as much as I used to, only watching a SET list of shows on the regular and I think I will start a thread about that soon...
I think my point was I dont see how not watching TV at all somehow makes you a better person...
I am an adult TV doesnt rule me or my family ...
since the kids...
I read 4 books simultaneously constantly ...
especially cause they free
go to the library, Broadway shows, plays, art exhibits, recitals, museums, sporting events and take trips to visit historical spots...
but I do get my Mad Men and Justified and Breaking Bad and Avengers, Star Wars Clone Wars on the regular...
I having conversations with those who do choose that lifestyles I am far from impressed...
I commend their discipline in a way...
but broadcasting your personal life choices especially ones as meaningless as
"I DON'T WATCH TV"
is whatever to me.
I am more impressed by well rounded diverse individuals who are able to appreciate art in all its forms.
I dont judge someone cause they dont watch TV or do...
but if you didn't like the WIRE???
then your a fucking imbecile.
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^^^
So shows like Roots, NOVA, Breaking Bad, The Wire, Deadwood,any documentary by Ken Burns...is for DUMMIES???
I would even argue classic sit-com like All in the Family were VERY SMART, shit Community is so damn well written I am shocked its still on TV...
of course 85% of TV is crap but the radio is crap...
movies are crap...
Broadway/stage plays...
modern art is crap!
and every book that is released aint the Autobiography of Malcolm X...
come on of course advertisements and cable and politics and agenda are BLASTED at u on the tube but to see it is DESIGNED to make us dumb and to imply it is devoid of redeeming value?
the millions that watched President Obama's inauguration would disagree with you.
I wouldn't necessarily call it an upgrade but a shift. It could be argued the internet more exposes you to more just on the sheer volume of information that is on the web. With TV at least there is a rating as to what content can be shown with internet pretty much anything goes. However, you do have some control and maybe even more so than TV on what type of content you come across on the internet. There are various filters and search options available to block certain web content.
Misinformation is out there but with the internet there are a variety of alternative sources to choose from. With TV there is only a few news channels that disseminate the truth they want you to believe.
Hold up. Internet could be an upgrade because when online you do a lot more reading than sitting in front of the TV. I've read a whole lot more in my time being on the internet than sitting in front of TV right here on this forum as well. Just seeing the range of perspectives from posters on this forum has opened up my mind to being a lot more objective about things. Allowed me to see and play with different sides of arguments.
And we all know reading is fundamental.
Maybe some of us don't watch it because most of the shit on it fucking sucks.
How many hospital, ER, cop, law office based shows can you possibly have with the rest being filled with throw against the wall and see if it sticks reality shows?
Even the good educational networks (Discovery/TLC/A&E/etc.) have to cater to the LCD with paranormal shows to generate ad revenue to survive.
I remember a time when TV had less than 12 channels and used to make this weird "Doooooommmmmmm" noise after the National Anthem played followed by static until 5/6AM the next morning.
I'll take that back. It's not TV that's sucks, it's American TV that sucks. For me, nothing has worked better over the course of the last year, pussywise, than introducing females and getting them addicted to Korean romcoms. The tears start flowing and the panties come tumbling down. They have a cat looking like this dude.
How many hospital, ER, cop, law office based shows can you possibly have with the rest being filled with throw against the wall and see if it sticks reality shows?
Even the good educational networks (Discovery/TLC/A&E/etc.) have to cater to the LCD with paranormal shows to generate ad revenue to survive.
I remember a time when TV had less than 12 channels and used to make this weird "Doooooommmmmmm" noise after the National Anthem played followed by static until 5/6AM the next morning.
I'll take that back. It's not TV that's sucks, it's American TV that sucks. For me, nothing has worked better over the course of the last year, pussywise, than introducing females and getting them addicted to Korean romcoms. The tears start flowing and the panties come tumbling down. They have a cat looking like this dude.
I'm more focused when I turn it off but I consider the same waste of time as browsing the Internet and not using the computer for a certain purpose to get work done.
For instance if I sit and browse bgol or any forum for about 1 hour ill get tired and stay home but when everything is off and I'm doing push ups and listening to music I'm focused on going out.
I consider browsing the net with a purpose the same as tv. I don't mind watching tv if I have company but I can't watch tv alone at all. It's not my thing.
For instance if I sit and browse bgol or any forum for about 1 hour ill get tired and stay home but when everything is off and I'm doing push ups and listening to music I'm focused on going out.
I consider browsing the net with a purpose the same as tv. I don't mind watching tv if I have company but I can't watch tv alone at all. It's not my thing.
Thought this was interesting to bump cause its like if I tell a white person I like Homeland I get big ole smiles and actually got free dessert at a restaurant
but THEY dont consider watching Homeland...watching "TV" like the rest of us
but THEY dont consider watching Homeland...watching "TV" like the rest of us
TV is just another thing that needs balance.....
its simply another form of media and communication....
its simply another form of media and communication....
I don't watch TV at all. I limit my daughter watching it as well. Our TV is off unless we are playing a game or watching some subtitles Japanese anime. We don't even have cable. We just have the internet.
Truthmuthafuckin.com & to manipulate you.
I barely watch TV now, got a couple nice ones too WATCH MOVIES I HAVE ALREADY SEEN & sports, news to decipher. Documentaries love, sitcoms by recommendation, and even then I cant deal with phony network shit.
It does have redeeming values. But most programming is tripe. And most is GARBAGE that satisfies our soulless souls.
Its either, cater to ego's or our insecurities. We are a Programmed people. Its a lot of power in this naturally dry arid Mediterranean almost desert like landscape of Hollywood & all other imitators.
Some of these folks would sell kiddie porn on Sesame street if it was legal & made a profit. A Lot of soulless scumbags.
Be careful.
i agree with ALL comments but to say it is completely devoid of value is false.
I would argue the mini-series Roots, Cosby Show, Nova, Sesame Street. Little House on the Prairie, Reading Rainbow, Star Trek etc. had a lot of positive formative influence.
I let my little ones watch PBS and Nick Jr. on occasion.
I dont really see shielding them COMPLETELY from TV as a positive and especially if the argument is I let them o the INTERNET.
That right there is just confounding alternative.
I am FAR from defending TV but I dont think shunning it completely is good. I think all of these mediums radio, internet TV etc. are all teaching opportunities and whatever works for YOUR family is the best way.
but it doesn't IMPRESS me that you dont watch TV BUT you watch Homeland
Many dudes on the board have full time jobs, side hustles, families, exercise, read novels, watch foreign films and documentaries listen to hip hop country jazz AND classical music and post on BGOL.
now THAT impresses me.
I would argue the mini-series Roots, Cosby Show, Nova, Sesame Street. Little House on the Prairie, Reading Rainbow, Star Trek etc. had a lot of positive formative influence.
I let my little ones watch PBS and Nick Jr. on occasion.
I dont really see shielding them COMPLETELY from TV as a positive and especially if the argument is I let them o the INTERNET.
That right there is just confounding alternative.
I am FAR from defending TV but I dont think shunning it completely is good. I think all of these mediums radio, internet TV etc. are all teaching opportunities and whatever works for YOUR family is the best way.
but it doesn't IMPRESS me that you dont watch TV BUT you watch Homeland
Many dudes on the board have full time jobs, side hustles, families, exercise, read novels, watch foreign films and documentaries listen to hip hop country jazz AND classical music and post on BGOL.
now THAT impresses me.
Pretty much.
You can watch shit tv or you can watch something worthwhile. You can come to BGOL for just the porn or you can get the information found here too.
before the net sure
now not really
sittin in front of a tv channel surfin is a waste of time and not watchin tv every chance u get keeps u from bein influenced by this worlds fuckery and gives ya time to learn useful shit
everything of value u can get outta tv can be gotten from the net
minus the mindfuck
u can tell who been dumbed down by tv just by the commits
i used to be one of those "dont watch tv" types but now i see the value the retards have
Adults who put in their hours at work shouldn't have to feel shame about what they do with their free time. As long as it isn't hurting them, who cares?
no idea
i watch a lot of tv
and i read a lot too
you can do both.
i watch a lot of tv
and i read a lot too
you can do both.
I don't watch tv as much as I actually listen to tv. I often have the tv on, while doing other things like surfing the web, writing or even reading. The most valuable skill I've acquired through watching television is multitasking. I recently wrote a paper on something similar to this topic. The second screen is making tv programming more interactive now. When we watch television, nearly every program has a link to some form of internet media. Show's have hashtags, websites, twitter handles etc. Nearly ever news person and sports figure publicly displays their twitter handles on television.
Television has be explicitly evolving because television industrialist understand that television cannot compete with the internet. The availability of media and information online is nearly instantaneous. Physically, you may not be watching television, but in reality, you're just as likely to be exposed to similar things online than on television. But at an even faster rate. Which opens up an entire new issue of instant gratification.
Television has be explicitly evolving because television industrialist understand that television cannot compete with the internet. The availability of media and information online is nearly instantaneous. Physically, you may not be watching television, but in reality, you're just as likely to be exposed to similar things online than on television. But at an even faster rate. Which opens up an entire new issue of instant gratification.
TV is just as informative as the internet
people hang out on youtube all day...some learning a lot of shit
some watching fights
some making poop vids (kids)
on tv
many watching "reality" tv or steve wilkos (my girl)
many catching the news or documentary stuff
...but everything has the same message which is connection...understanding connection helps vs just watching shit just because
people hang out on youtube all day...some learning a lot of shit
some watching fights
some making poop vids (kids)
on tv
many watching "reality" tv or steve wilkos (my girl)
many catching the news or documentary stuff
...but everything has the same message which is connection...understanding connection helps vs just watching shit just because
I am FAR from defending TV but I dont think shunning it completely is good. I think all of these mediums radio, internet TV etc. are all teaching opportunities and whatever works for YOUR family is the best way.
but it doesn't IMPRESS me that you dont watch TV BUT you watch Homeland
Many dudes on the board have full time jobs, side hustles, families, exercise, read novels, watch foreign films and documentaries listen to hip hop country jazz AND classical music and post on BGOL.
now THAT impresses me.
Very well said. Agree 100%
15-20 years ago yes
Today no. I assume most people only watch the news, a few favorite tv shows and sports. The rest of time is spent at work, with kids, on the phone, and the on the internet.
If you have a job that requires you to work 12 hours a day whether commuting, or working at home for a bit after work then you only got a few hours to watch tv a week. So you will probably watch the news in the morning for 30 mins the news in the evening for 30 mins and maybe a random tv show in the evening for 1 hour or 2. If you work 8 hours then add 1 more hour. And what if you workout or go out to eat then you start subtracting hours. In the end I assume the average person is watching much less than 4 hours of tv a day and most of that is probably white noise(on the phone/internet).
Today no. I assume most people only watch the news, a few favorite tv shows and sports. The rest of time is spent at work, with kids, on the phone, and the on the internet.
If you have a job that requires you to work 12 hours a day whether commuting, or working at home for a bit after work then you only got a few hours to watch tv a week. So you will probably watch the news in the morning for 30 mins the news in the evening for 30 mins and maybe a random tv show in the evening for 1 hour or 2. If you work 8 hours then add 1 more hour. And what if you workout or go out to eat then you start subtracting hours. In the end I assume the average person is watching much less than 4 hours of tv a day and most of that is probably white noise(on the phone/internet).
^^^^
* thanks thoughtone
How watching TV lowers self-esteem levels in children - except young white boys
*Young white boys are influenced by the 'powerful' and 'prestigious' men they often see portrayed on TV
*Young girls and black children are influenced by characters who appear to be less empowered
Watching TV helps to improve self-esteem levels in young white boys - but lowers those in white girls and black children, a new study has showed.
Researchers at Indiana University and the University Of Michigan found that children tend to compare themselves to the characters they watch on the tube.
The study stated that young white males are influenced by older white male characters who are successful, while young females are influenced by often 'one-dimensional' white female characters.
Over a one year period, the study looked at a group of 400 black and white preadolescence students from communities throughout the Midwest.
The results, which were published in the June 2012 edition of Communication Research, found that young white boys are offered generally positive ideals of their older selves.
Nicole Martins, an assistant professor of telecommunications in the Indiana University's College of Arts and Sciences who led the research, said: 'Regardless of what show you're watching, if you're a white male, things in life are pretty good for you.
'You tend to be in positions of power, you have prestigious occupations, high education, glamorous houses, a beautiful wife, with very little portrayals of how hard you worked to get there,' she continued.
Young girls are offered very different versions of their older selves.
Dr Martins said: 'If you are a girl or a woman, what you see is that women on television are not given a variety of roles '
The roles that they see are pretty simplistic,' she added. 'They're almost always one-dimensional and focused on the success they have because of how they look, not what they do or what they think or how they got there.
'Young black children were singled out due to the fact they were found to watch an extra ten hours of TV per week than white children.
The study found that black men are often portrayed as negative characters such as hoodlums and hard criminals.
Dr Martins said: 'Young black boys are getting the opposite message: that there is not lots of good things that you can aspire to.
'If we think just about the sheer amount of time they're spending [watching TV], and not the messages, these kids are spending so much time with the media that they're not given a chance to explore other things they're good at that could boost their self-esteem.
'Researchers said they looked at schools in the Midwest due to their diversity but African-Americans were the predominant minority group.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/a...esteem-levels-children--young-white-boys.html
How watching TV lowers self-esteem levels in children - except young white boys
*Young white boys are influenced by the 'powerful' and 'prestigious' men they often see portrayed on TV
*Young girls and black children are influenced by characters who appear to be less empowered
Watching TV helps to improve self-esteem levels in young white boys - but lowers those in white girls and black children, a new study has showed.
Researchers at Indiana University and the University Of Michigan found that children tend to compare themselves to the characters they watch on the tube.
The study stated that young white males are influenced by older white male characters who are successful, while young females are influenced by often 'one-dimensional' white female characters.
Over a one year period, the study looked at a group of 400 black and white preadolescence students from communities throughout the Midwest.
The results, which were published in the June 2012 edition of Communication Research, found that young white boys are offered generally positive ideals of their older selves.
Nicole Martins, an assistant professor of telecommunications in the Indiana University's College of Arts and Sciences who led the research, said: 'Regardless of what show you're watching, if you're a white male, things in life are pretty good for you.
'You tend to be in positions of power, you have prestigious occupations, high education, glamorous houses, a beautiful wife, with very little portrayals of how hard you worked to get there,' she continued.
Young girls are offered very different versions of their older selves.
Dr Martins said: 'If you are a girl or a woman, what you see is that women on television are not given a variety of roles '
The roles that they see are pretty simplistic,' she added. 'They're almost always one-dimensional and focused on the success they have because of how they look, not what they do or what they think or how they got there.
'Young black children were singled out due to the fact they were found to watch an extra ten hours of TV per week than white children.
The study found that black men are often portrayed as negative characters such as hoodlums and hard criminals.
Dr Martins said: 'Young black boys are getting the opposite message: that there is not lots of good things that you can aspire to.
'If we think just about the sheer amount of time they're spending [watching TV], and not the messages, these kids are spending so much time with the media that they're not given a chance to explore other things they're good at that could boost their self-esteem.
'Researchers said they looked at schools in the Midwest due to their diversity but African-Americans were the predominant minority group.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/a...esteem-levels-children--young-white-boys.html
People who don't watch TV aren't necessarily smarter, but they do tend to make better use of their time. IMO it's okay for watching sports and Breaking Bad, but reruns and channel surfing is boring and wasteful.
I have cut down and yes, I do read a lot more now. I find that taking my eyes away from a screen (I use a computer in all three of my jobs) and into a book engages my imagination and gives me a better sleep.
That being said, some of the smartest hardest working people I know watch a LOT of TV during their downtime. It can be a good way to turn off your brain and relax since it requires almost no active participation whatsoever.
I have cut down and yes, I do read a lot more now. I find that taking my eyes away from a screen (I use a computer in all three of my jobs) and into a book engages my imagination and gives me a better sleep.
That being said, some of the smartest hardest working people I know watch a LOT of TV during their downtime. It can be a good way to turn off your brain and relax since it requires almost no active participation whatsoever.
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