Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Does Television Control You ?
After reading Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves Death I think one of the main things he was pointing out is how television controls our lives. To me watching television is something I do not do very often. Watching television just does not fit in to my schedule. I don't have the time of day to sit in front of my T.V. doing nothing unless there is some kind of sports event going on. Watching television all day is just a waste of time you can be doing way more productive things than watching T.V. Like Postman explained in the book there are no rules saying you have to watch television. But for the people that do watch it all day it takes over their lives and I've seen it happen. Also I can't stand all of the commercials right when a show I am watching gets interesting. All the advertisements and cheesy commercials just get on my nerves.
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In contrast to you, television is a great part of my life. I am one of those people who would actually watch television all day. Yes, television seems like a waste of time and some people might not have time for it, but because I like it so much, I make time for it. I love watching well-written television shows. I wouldn't go as far as to say that television controls me, but I do watch it often. Although, when I was reading Postman's novel, I didn't associate his idea of television to my idea of television. His idea of television was things shown on an actual television, such as the news, sports, and educational or religious programs. My idea of television is mainly Netflix, or a program with television shows that have actual plots and storylines. There's a difference between watching the news all day just because you are compelled to, rather than binge watching a show all day because the storyline is so good. It's different in a way.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jasmine. We are reading this book in 2016 and most of us when we think of the word television we think of Netflix and TV shows. Back when the book was written in 1985, while there were television shows like the Simpsons, Sesame Street, and Full House, a lot of people watched things like the news and talk shows like Good Morning America. The news is very powerful and can get out opinions to a mass audience due to the growth of television. The news and some talk shows talk about sensitive topics like politics, religion, and wars going on in the world. When you flick on the news these days, it is always about our two presidential candidates. Some news stations will show a bad topic about a candidate while another one will be talking about the same candidate in a better perspective. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but if a news station talks bad about a candidate, a lot of their followers can be swayed by the news sations opinions. Considering that there were not nearly as many TV shows back then compared to now, a lot of people watched news, resulting in people following what they say, almost like they are being brainwashed
ReplyDeleteI feel like this is the reason many had a lot of trouble with this book because most of us have a different view of television than what was mentioned in the book. There are surely those of us that have no interest in news broadcasts or any networks similar to that because the content may not interest us. There are those of us that only have any interest in television for stories and plot lines in movies and tv shows. So it's destined for there to be struggles while reading a book that references a generation we no longer live in.
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ReplyDeleteJust as you, I don't have the time to watch television on the daily, however when I can squeeze in a few episodes of a show I enjoy the time I have to relax. I don't believe I am being controlled or wasting time because this is my way of relaxing just as maybe drawing or reading is someone else's way of relaxation. You have made some valid point but I believe television does not control us.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, television is much different than the 1980s. People of the 1980s were limited to a few channels, and the news was one of the most entertaining feautures during that time. As Steven said, it is like they were brainwashed by the opinions of the news anchors. In today's age of television, most people are more interested in Netflix, movies, and TV shows. They seem to
ReplyDeletebe much more entertaining than the news and allows people to relax. If people are happy watching television all day, I don't think it is a waste of time i they are enjoying it.
Television is practically dead at this point, and now people rely on Netflix, YouTube, and other medias to entertain themselves. I have also seen many people being consumed by technology. What I will say though is, and this is beyond dark, but isn't everything considered a waste of time? Sure, a lot of people are working for the better of our lives, but you have to realize there is a point where our race will go extinct. As sad as it may seem, it is the truth, so I'd say yes television is a waste of time. We only watch it because it makes us relax and forget about our realities for a short amount of time, or in some cases, a very long time.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I don't really watch television. However I wouldn't say it's a waste of time. People have their own opinions about things. If they enjoy a show, they can't really call it a waste of time because they found it entertaining. Like Lawrence said, people watch TV to pull themselves away from reality. People need breaks from the real world sometimes. I personally go on Youtube every once in a while because the shows on TV do not really interest me.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely agree with Jasmine and Javen's statements because television is not like it used to be. Back then, it was I Love Lucy and The Brady Bunch, but now there are so many good movies and tv shoes that are so well written. I would have to say that I am also a big fan of movies and tv shows and I make time for them because it is something that I enjoy. Even though there is so many television outlets, I love Netflix, but I wouldn't say that it controls me. I know my limits but I choose to watch the movies and tv shows that compel me to watch them. I am guilty of watching tv shows but I am either the binge watcher, or I will start a show and finish it. The list would be so long for me to name the shows that I have watched and finished but I digress. My point being, even though many people could be addicted to television, I watch tv when time is available. Us teens may watch a lot of television, but it does not control us because we choose to watch what we want to watch. For example, I HATE the news because it is nothing but negativity. It irks me to think that people could watch the news and be interested because it just makes me sad. The only thing I would watch the news for would be for the weather, thats it. In conclusion, television can be used to our advantage and for our entertainment but that does not mean you are watching it 24/7. Limit screen time so that it does not come to the point where tv controlling you.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, we are currently upon a new era of media. It is no longer the television, as Postman wrote about. Today, it is the smartphone that controls the average person. Televisions seem old-fashioned, outdated. They are out-classed by the super-convenient devices that are able to, not only show the same programs as televisions, but also do a variety of other functions. Take the iPad, for example. An iPad can show television programs on an app, while also being able to: play games, write notes, or even pull up cooking guides. These new devices simply outclass the old-fashioned Television.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, the said devices also give access to social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the like. By allowing people to access the media at much faster speeds than before, fresh information can be seen within minutes of its release. That, combined with the people's lust for knowledge causes people to be glued to their devices, basically allowing the devices to have full control over their lives.