Is T.V. worth it?
Since moving away to college, I haven't had a T.V. While this was hard at first, it has become progressively easier (except during the US Open). I still love watching DVD movies on my laptop, but I think most TV is useless.
From an educational perspective, think about the war in Iraq. After all the news on Iraq, how much does the average American know about Iraq, Saddam Hussein, and the people that live there? Most people don't know much beyond that Saddam is a crazy, evil dictator of a country in the Middle East and that he may have been somehow how connected to 9/11 and therefore needed to be overthrown. Use yourself as an example. In the end, What do you actually know about Iraq? Do you have enough information to make an informed decision about whether what our country did was right? Let's say you've seen 50 hours of T.V. coverage. In that amount of time, you could have read 10 books on the subject and been an expert.
From an entertainment/relaxing perspective, I think the TV is pretty good. It is easy, passive, and there is usually something on that is at least somewhat interesting. At the same time, why not find ways to be entertained AND grow as an individual?
A great book I would recommend on the topic is Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman, a NYU professor.
Comments
Hi Michael,
Just saying you have some great stuff going here... I saw the link on your website... cause I was checking my web stats like I usually do!!
Well send me an email sometime.
Thanks
Chris Barrett
Posted by: Chris | September 21, 2003 05:19 PM
That's cool. I broke the TV habit at University too. I got suspicious when I realised I had 50 hours of taped TV to watch in one weekend. Then I realised I didn't care anymore what happened on any of those shows and I was having more fun hanging out with friends, talking, than watching someone else's life.
Posted by: Paul Zagoridis | September 22, 2003 11:56 AM