>It's healthy for people to discuss this and similar topics such as unplugging. I agree that people should discuss it as long as it's genuine conversation. Th

>It's healthy for people to discuss this and similar topics such as unplugging. I agree that people should discuss it as long as it's genuine conversation. The negatives of tv have been discussed for a long time. Neil Postman's 1985 "Amusing Ourselfs to Death" talks about unplugging from tv. The 1953 Ray Bradbury book "Fahrenheit 451" has been often analyzed for its themes of censorship and burning books but the author has stated the larger theme was television and its effect on dumbing down society. Yes, it's healthy to have an ongoing dialogue about this subject. >People should be able to do so without fear of being ridiculed and accused of "Virtue Signalling. The "Virtual Signaling" is a good label because it helps separate the meaningful from the superficial. Many people who don't watch tv (or have other strong beliefs such as "not eating meat", etc) lack self-awareness as to how it's perceived by others when it comes to advertising their positions. They think it enhances their appeal when in fact, the opposite happens: the people roll their eyes at the smugness. If "virtue signaling" as a meme helps people become more self-aware, that's a good thing. >Openly seeking some validation This is reasonable and possible, but in my observations, I've never seen it. >Why be so quick to judge? I'm not judging. I was clarifying to the poster (odiroot) that it's not about the "owning" -- it's the "signaling".