The Boob Tube and the Idiot Box

polycarp · Post by **polycarp** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:12 am

By Michael Masterson

Half of U.S. households have a TV on "most of the time," according to a study done by the Kaiser Family Foundation. And if they aren't watching it, the kids are glued to video games or the Internet.

One way or the other, American children spend more than 8 hours a day sitting down, staring at some sort of electronic tube. How healthy does that sound?

African-Americans spend the most time in front of the idiot box, averaging 4.5 hours. Hispanics are next at 3 hours 23 minutes, and Whites spend "only" 2 hours 45 minutes. I wonder if the guys who wrote the book "The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life" took these numbers into consideration.

People who excuse this sort of behavior say that what the children are doing is learning how to operate in a world of media frenzy. That's rubbish. The human body was not designed to spend most of its waking hours in a seated position, head hunched, shoulders rounded, belly flaccid.

We were meant to be up and around, absorbing the sun, using our muscles, moving our legs, stretching and reaching, lifting things. It's bad enough that kids are required to spend so much time at school sitting down. When they come home, it's no longer out to the streets for a game of tag - it's into the bedroom for three hours of video games.

pink princess · Post by **pink princess** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:16 am

i so remember my dad telling me to 'turn off the idiot box'

and he was so right

smithy87 · Post by **smithy87** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:17 am

I agree. I posted something similair on another thread. When I was younger I couldn't wait to get home from school, change out of my uniform and get out. I came home when I was hungry and back out until the street lights came on, then I had to be in. We never hung around shops or anything. We had our bikes or made up games by ourself.

I think when kids are younger, some parents tend to stick them in front of the t.v to keep them quiet and they get into the routine of watching television in their bedrooms all day.

Jives · Post by **Jives** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:31 am

My mother used to kick us out of the house until the streetlights came on. We had to go out and play, besides, there was only one channel in Montana, and it ran the Farm Report most of the day.

Now...I'd really like to discuss this further, but I have to go watch my show.

minks · Post by **minks** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:31 am

how amazingly sad that is, and I have to say if it is not the boob tube it is the computer and how true, we are not made to SIT forever in a day.

Gone are the skills of playing.

Jives · Post by **Jives** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:40 am

minks wrote:

Gone are the skills of playing.

Or are they gone? You should see my videogame skills! I'm a whiz! Maybe it's just a new form of play. One where yo only use your brain and you hands, you don't need your body.

Maybe we'll slowly evolve into bodiless energy beings now.

Either that or little puddles of protoplasm.

minks · Post by **minks** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:50 am

mzsandeestar wrote: If i had to raise a child again ( never going to happen!) I would make sure the TV was on only when there really was something worthwhile watching.

The writer of this article is making a great point. "on most of the time" is not the way a TV should be treated.

I am a retired educator and I have seen children who came from homes where they did not even own a TV and honestly you can tell that it made a positive impact on the children.

Sandee

I have to put my 2 cents in here, Ihaving divorced my childrens father, I have noticed a huge difference in them regarding the TV. He had it on all the time, and now they cuold care less. Young daughter uses the computer a lot and hangs with friends. Old daughter when she comes by is happy to play board games or chit chat or go for a walk outside. where as before they were in the habit of plunking in front of the tube and gapping out to whatever was on. Young daughter has ADHD and belive me the less TV influence on her the nicer she is.

minks · Post by **minks** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 8:07 am

ack do;n't be ashamed your just a kid ahahahaha

minks · Post by **minks** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 8:10 am

canaan wrote: If you think about it...we are ALL here on the internet. :wah:

Shhhhhhh evil one don't point that out

devist8me · Post by **devist8me** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 8:31 am

caanan....how funny....I was just going to post that I don't watch that much TV but I do spend hours on the computer surfing the internet with maybe the TV on in the background. I lost my internet one day last week and I sure got a lot done. I wish working the mind by internet surfing burned calories.

Jives · Post by **Jives** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 9:33 am

mzsandeestar wrote:

I am a retired educator and I have seen children who came from homes where they did not even own a TV and honestly you can tell that it made a positive impact on the children.

Sandee

Yay Sandee! Another teacher! That makes you, me, teach4life, and hotsauce! I'll second the motion, the children from the poorer families and the kids that have told me don't wtch TV are always fitter!

Jives · Post by **Jives** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 9:38 am

mzsandeestar wrote: We have a relative who is a very successul urological surgeon and he swears he was the top of the class in using all the new micro surgical tools because he spent his teen years playing pacman. Every skill really is useful.

And I'll swear that I qualified to be a fighter pilot on the AFOQT by playing flying games on the Nintendo. The gauges on the videogame were exactly like the questions on the test.