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These guys clearly weren't around for the introduction of television. If ever there was a technology tailor-made to hijack our minds with, it was TV. It wasn't

These guys clearly weren't around for the introduction of television. If ever there was a technology tailor-made to hijack our minds with, it was TV. It wasn't the end of the world.

pls2halp 9y ago
There’s a very solid argument for TV as stunting people’s development. There’s lack of reading, albeit not necessarily due to television (https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/01/the-decline-of-the-american-book-lover/283222/ https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/01/the-dec...) There’s a direct link between television and obesity (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/75/5/807 http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/75/5/807) And more general health dangers (http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/newsplus/prolonged-television-viewing-linked-to-increased-health-risks/ http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/newsplus/prolonged-tel...) Etcetera
- hydrox24 9y ago
  One substantial benefit of Television was that everyone was simultaneously watching the same thing. This increased political homogeneity by providing a shared belief system, or at least some more common ground. Such homogeneity is correlated strongly with stability and prosperity on a nation-state level. This was particularly true from 1950 until 1970 or so, before cable television exploded (it remained true for longer in smaller nations without wide cable TV adoption). I think it matches up with a comparatively bi-partisan period in (mainstream) politics around the western world. Of course, there are disadvantages too, but homogeneity is looking increasingly valuable as legislatures around the Western world succumb to polarisation.
  - pls2halp 9y ago
    But you can also argue that that polarisation is just a step away from homogeneity.
    - hydrox24 9y ago
      I'm arguing precisely this. Perhaps you misread my comment?
  - dredmorbius 9y ago
    Via the medium of radio, that worked just dandy in 1930s Germany.
  - jessaustin 9y ago
    Lots of current problems were created by that unexamined unanimity, so one would have to try much harder to successfully argue it was a "benefit".
    - hydrox24 9y ago
      What problems were created by the unexamined unanimity? I am not trying to argue there were no downsides, only that we should account for the benefits. The comments I responded to seemed to be ommitting the existence of some benefits. Whether the benefits outweigh the damage is a more complex question.
- igravious 9y ago
  Etcetera is not a reason.
dredmorbius 9y ago
Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television, written by ad exec Jerry Mander, 1978. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Arguments_for_the_Elimination_of_Television https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Arguments_for_the_Elimi...

These guys clearly weren't around for the introduction of television. If ever there was a technology tailor-made to hijack our minds with, it was TV. It wasn't the end of the world.

pls2halp 9y ago

There’s a very solid argument for TV as stunting people’s development. There’s lack of reading, albeit not necessarily due to television (https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/01/the-decline-of-the-american-book-lover/283222/ https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/01/the-dec...) There’s a direct link between television and obesity (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/75/5/807 http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/75/5/807) And more general health dangers (http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/newsplus/prolonged-television-viewing-linked-to-increased-health-risks/ http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/newsplus/prolonged-tel...) Etcetera

hydrox24 9y ago
One substantial benefit of Television was that everyone was simultaneously watching the same thing. This increased political homogeneity by providing a shared belief system, or at least some more common ground. Such homogeneity is correlated strongly with stability and prosperity on a nation-state level. This was particularly true from 1950 until 1970 or so, before cable television exploded (it remained true for longer in smaller nations without wide cable TV adoption). I think it matches up with a comparatively bi-partisan period in (mainstream) politics around the western world. Of course, there are disadvantages too, but homogeneity is looking increasingly valuable as legislatures around the Western world succumb to polarisation.
- pls2halp 9y ago
  But you can also argue that that polarisation is just a step away from homogeneity.
  - hydrox24 9y ago
    I'm arguing precisely this. Perhaps you misread my comment?
- dredmorbius 9y ago
  Via the medium of radio, that worked just dandy in 1930s Germany.
- jessaustin 9y ago
  Lots of current problems were created by that unexamined unanimity, so one would have to try much harder to successfully argue it was a "benefit".
  - hydrox24 9y ago
    What problems were created by the unexamined unanimity? I am not trying to argue there were no downsides, only that we should account for the benefits. The comments I responded to seemed to be ommitting the existence of some benefits. Whether the benefits outweigh the damage is a more complex question.
igravious 9y ago
Etcetera is not a reason.

dredmorbius 9y ago

Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television, written by ad exec Jerry Mander, 1978. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Arguments_for_the_Elimination_of_Television https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Arguments_for_the_Elimi...