Is TV dumbing down American society?

whygohome
whygohome Posts: 2,305
edited October 2010 in A Moving Train
Your thoughts?
Post edited by Unknown User on
«13

Comments

  • acrossssSsssshittt
    acrossssSsssshittt Posts: 1,014
    society in general.. to an extent... but in this day and age TV, at times at least, can seem like a fuckin newspaper given the influence of newer crap... seein and hearin of people glued to stuff like xbox and what not shows quite the decline... of the human race...

    guitarhero... what a joke..
  • Wishlist5.1
    Wishlist5.1 Posts: 115
    lets face it TV and internet are addictive. We sit there for hours even when theres nothing on, but what makes it worse is that some of the content thats on (compared to yester years) ie Jersey shore etc...are horrible and violent when they dont have to be. Plus just bad. Theres just not enouph good stuff on out there. If good stuff is on and entertains and also educates us, yes the ratings would go down but it would also in the long run help open up some minds. PBS , dicovery, history, lifetime, halmark movies are pretty cool. We need to step back, get off the internet and facebook, and rather listen to some toons, call a friend, read, go out, and or just do something else thats productive. ANYTHING. Its hard but true. :)
  • _
    _ Posts: 6,657
    Yes. I think it's the #1 contributor to the decline in critical thinking, among other things.
  • whygohome
    whygohome Posts: 2,305
    scb wrote:
    Yes. I think it's the #1 contributor to the decline in critical thinking, among other things.

    Well put - "a decline in critical thinking"
  • whygohome
    whygohome Posts: 2,305
    pearljamorbust wrote:
    lets face it TV and internet are addictive. We sit there for hours even when theres nothing on, but what makes it worse is that some of the content thats on (compared to yester years) ie Jersey shore etc...are horrible and violent when they dont have to be. Plus just bad. Theres just not enouph good stuff on out there. If good stuff is on and entertains and also educates us, yes the ratings would go down but it would also in the long run help open up some minds. PBS , dicovery, history, lifetime, halmark movies are pretty cool. We need to step back, get off the internet and facebook, and rather listen to some toons, call a friend, read, go out, and or just do something else thats productive. ANYTHING. Its hard but true. :)

    "ANYTHING" Yes, please, anything constructive, creative, intelligent, worthwhile, helpful, analytical, philanthropic, educational........ANYTHING.
  • whygohome
    whygohome Posts: 2,305
    acrossOceans wrote:
    society in general.. to an extent... but in this day and age TV, at times at least, can seem like a fuckin newspaper given the influence of newer crap... seein and hearin of people glued to stuff like xbox and what not shows quite the decline... of the human race...

    guitarhero... what a joke..[/quote

    Glued like zombies. It's a depressing joke.
  • catefrances
    catefrances Posts: 29,003
    so i come home yesterday and my daughter is watching rock of love. reality tv makes me shake my head and laugh in equal parts. but this show with its crying, vindictiveness, copious use of the word bitches and the sneaking off to bret to tell him something 'for his own good', has hands down got to be a leading contender for worst show ever.

    what the hell is wrong with women that they would subject themselves to such bullshit.
    hear my name
    take a good look
    this could be the day
    hold my hand
    lie beside me
    i just need to say
  • g under p
    g under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,253
    whygohome wrote:
    acrossOceans wrote:
    society in general.. to an extent... but in this day and age TV, at times at least, can seem like a fuckin newspaper given the influence of newer crap... seein and hearin of people glued to stuff like xbox and what not shows quite the decline... of the human race...

    guitarhero... what a joke..

    Glued like zombies. It's a depressing joke.

    I can remember when there was one TV in a home (...and was actually considered furniture) that was black and white with I think 4 channels. This song right here kind off explains what TV is doing to this nation....


    Written 1992 by Michael Franti when he was with his group Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy...

    Television: Drug Of the Nation

    Peace
    *We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti

    *MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
    .....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti

    *The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)


  • catefrances
    catefrances Posts: 29,003
    but then again tv gave us the wire and 6 feet under and buffy the vampire slayer.

    so dont forget for all the crap it gives us tv does throw up a gem every now and again. probably even more frequently than that if we bother to look.
    hear my name
    take a good look
    this could be the day
    hold my hand
    lie beside me
    i just need to say
  • g under p
    g under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,253
    catefrances wrote:
    but then again tv gave us the wire and 6 feet under and buffy the vampire slayer.

    so dont forget for all the crap it gives us tv does throw up a gem every now and again. probably even more frequently than that if we bother to look.

    I've never watched any of those shows but I'm sure you liked them.

    Peace
    *We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti

    *MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
    .....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti

    *The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)


  • _
    _ Posts: 6,657
    g under p wrote:
    I can remember when there was one TV in a home (...and was actually considered furniture) that was black and white with I think 4 channels. This song right here kind off explains what TV is doing to this nation....


    Written 1992 by Michael Franti when he was with his group Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy...

    Television: Drug Of the Nation

    Peace

    Haha.... Sometimes I think maybe you ARE Michael Franti! ;)
  • g under p
    g under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,253
    scb wrote:
    g under p wrote:
    I can remember when there was one TV in a home (...and was actually considered furniture) that was black and white with I think 4 channels. This song right here kind off explains what TV is doing to this nation....


    Written 1992 by Michael Franti when he was with his group Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy...

    Television: Drug Of the Nation

    Peace

    Haha.... Sometimes I think maybe you ARE Michael Franti! ;)

    :lol: Ha Ha joke of the day, I'm his brother. :D

    Peace
    *We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti

    *MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
    .....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti

    *The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)


  • whygohome
    whygohome Posts: 2,305
    catefrances wrote:
    but then again tv gave us the wire and 6 feet under and buffy the vampire slayer.

    so dont forget for all the crap it gives us tv does throw up a gem every now and again. probably even more frequently than that if we bother to look.

    I agree....now and again, there is a gem. But, what is the ratio? 1:20, 1:30? 1:50, 1:100?
  • stardust1976
    stardust1976 Posts: 1,301
    I tend to think TV, along with the other things mentioned - like XBox or whatever - can be what you make of it. I don't watch an awful lot of tv, but what I do watch I love - yes, I'll admit, shows like Lost and Desperate Housewives, and Bones - I LOVE them. But I know they aren't reality, they're just a bit of escapism for me. (well until I saw the suburbs of Minneapolis, and then I was all like.."ohhh, its sooo pretty, just like in the tv shows!!! Haha, but that's a whole other story!). My point is, is that as long as you recognize that it IS escapism, and not reality (even the reality tv shows), you're fine. My children watch a lot of rubbish on tv - mostly stuff on Disney channel, but that doesn't dumb them down or skew their sense of reality because I don't let it. I turn the channel to discovery or NatGeo or something like that, and if they don't like what's on - they go and find something else to do. I also make sure they understand what they are watching is in NO WAY akin to real life, and it's fine if they enjoy it, but to temper the enjoyment with understanding that it's all fake and made up. We also listen to a lot of music, do a lot of art, and reading, and they play with their toys - everything in moderation - just like chocolate!

    TV can only dumb you down if you let it - and yes, I'll agree - there are a LOT of people who let it.
    http://giventoart.blogspot.com.au
  • Hugh Freaking Dillon
    Hugh Freaking Dillon Posts: 14,010
    I believe it is, to an extent. I'm not going to sit here and say I only watch shows that make me think, I'm as guilty as the next person of watching Family Guy and enjoying it.

    But the real question is, is American (and British, really) society dumbing down TV? I mean, people lap this shit up and FORCE the TV marketing execs to give them more of what they want: Jersey fucking Shore and Nick and Jessica and all that bullshit. For some it's harmless escapism, for many, it's an addiction.

    My wife and I were addicted to Survivor for the first few seasons. Then we stopped having Thursday Drug and Drink Night, and it became much less appealing. :mrgreen:

    Most of what we watch now is Law & Order SVU. But sometimes it's disturbs us. :shock:
    Gimli 1993
    Fargo 2003
    Winnipeg 2005
    Winnipeg 2011
    St. Paul 2014
  • catefrances
    catefrances Posts: 29,003
    for the most part tv bores me. i get excited about a new show watch it twice and lose interest.
    Paul David wrote:
    I believe it is, to an extent. I'm not going to sit here and say I only watch shows that make me think, I'm as guilty as the next person of watching Family Guy and enjoying it. ...

    i too watch family guy. and it makes think... how is it that brian has human girlfriends and is the smartest person in the griffin family? how is it i just described brian as a person? and whats with stewies accent? :lol:
    hear my name
    take a good look
    this could be the day
    hold my hand
    lie beside me
    i just need to say
  • Smellyman
    Smellyman Asia Posts: 4,528
    TV has always had loads of garbage on.

    I think 24 hour news channels in the US are the bigger culprit.
  • _
    _ Posts: 6,657
    Smellyman wrote:
    TV has always had loads of garbage on.

    I think 24 hour news channels in the US are the bigger culprit.

    Yeah, that's primarily what I was referring to. Although I think many of the other shows - like the reality shows - also skew our sense of reality. But I'm not sure that's the same as being dumber.
  • Electric_Delta
    Electric_Delta Posts: 977
    Yes, television is absolutely dumbing us down, among other things.

    The way the American media fawns over celebrities, which has in essence turned them (celebs) into a quasi-royalty, has basically contributed to the notion now commonly held by every American youth that they must, in some way, get famous. Attaining fame is the goal, no matter what the cost.

    We also have garbage like "Jersey Shore" and the Kardashian skanks which have become the modern role model for girls. For boys, they need to become Ultimate Fighting Champions.

    Scb, we've had disagreements in the past, but I agree with you 100% on your analysis. The age of critical thinking is dead, at least among the majority.
    Bristow, VA (5/13/10)
  • Electric_Delta
    Electric_Delta Posts: 977
    By the way, the culture shows it's stage of degeneration when Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian are famous ONLY for putting out sex tapes.
    Bristow, VA (5/13/10)

Categories