4 ms·

When I was a kid (in the 80s-90s), my parents severely limited my television viewing, to the point that I more or less only watched on weekends, and even then n

by llimos 4y ago

When I was a kid (in the 80s-90s), my parents severely limited my television viewing, to the point that I more or less only watched on weekends, and even then not much. They said "You'll thank us later". And you know what? I did. Pretty sure it's going to be the same story with smartphones.

nunez 4y ago
curious as to why? I have some opinions (i also dislike TV), but interested in your viewpoint
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- llimos 4y ago
  Their reasons, or my reasons for thanking them? I think their reason was that watching TV is a brainless activity, and they preferred me to use my brain. They were fine with me, say, teaching myself BASIC. It wasn't an aversion to technology in general. They also carefully monitored the content, there was plenty of stuff they'd rather we didn't see. Why did I thank them? Because they gave me an appreciation that life is to be lived, not wasted away watching some idiot spouting nonsense that isn't relevant 5 seconds later (if it ever was). I wasn't the only one in my class like that (though we were a minority). But you could see the difference in those who did and those who didn't - in intelligence, manners, energy levels, and generally being better human beings.
  - exodust 4y ago
    It's possible you're compensating for being denied the enjoyment of highly entertaining 80s and 90s TV. You missed out. Your friends probably talked about things they watched, and you couldn't join in. Decades later, you sound jaded and bitterly overconfident in the idea that television sucks the life out of people and renders them simple minded lesser humans. > "Because they gave me an appreciation that life is to be lived" Denying a kid television doesn't automatically fill the void with quality life experiences. Kids will get bored, and throw a ball against a wall for hours. Nothing was learnt that day. The brain did some low-level hand-eye coordination, that's it. There's rubbish on TV but also quality shows, including educational shows. Even when confined to entertainment, it's enriching for children to see actors, characters and stories that communicate ideas.
    - jka 4y ago
      > Your friends probably talked about things they watched, and you couldn't join in. Is that a situation you have worried about during your own life? It seems unusual for you to push that apparent observation onto someone else. (you may have a point that some parents can be overly-protective; I'm just not sure that you chose the most effective way to communicate that)
      - exodust 4y ago
        FOMO is a thing. Kids like to join in. I'm not sure what you're finding unusual with what I said. I was responding to someone who claims watching TV makes you a lesser human than if you had been denied the choice to watch TV.
    - hulitu 4y ago
      " It's possible you're compensating for being denied the enjoyment of highly entertaining 80s and 90s TV. You missed out. Your friends probably talked about things they watched, and you couldn't join in." To call propaganda "highly entertaining" is a bit overstreched.
      - exodust 4y ago
        Inspector Gadget was propaganda? Get Smart. The 80s had great TV shows, lots of Goodies like Black Adder. 90s gave us South Park, Simpsons, and many other highly entertaining gems.
blacksmith_tb 4y ago
When I was a kid (in the 70s-80s) I watched staggering amounts of the most random TV, especially given that was before cable TV (for me, at least), so it was "whatever was on": sitcoms, ads for things I couldn't fathom wanting or needing, etc. It didn't prevent me from reading, or exploring the neighborhood. It doesn't appear to have caused significant damage (though who can tell...) Obviously many apps are worse, in the sense that they try harder to manipulate you, but I'd like to think teens can see through at least some of that still?

by llimos 4y ago

nunez 4y ago

curious as to why? I have some opinions (i also dislike TV), but interested in your viewpoint

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
llimos 4y ago
Their reasons, or my reasons for thanking them? I think their reason was that watching TV is a brainless activity, and they preferred me to use my brain. They were fine with me, say, teaching myself BASIC. It wasn't an aversion to technology in general. They also carefully monitored the content, there was plenty of stuff they'd rather we didn't see. Why did I thank them? Because they gave me an appreciation that life is to be lived, not wasted away watching some idiot spouting nonsense that isn't relevant 5 seconds later (if it ever was). I wasn't the only one in my class like that (though we were a minority). But you could see the difference in those who did and those who didn't - in intelligence, manners, energy levels, and generally being better human beings.
- exodust 4y ago
  It's possible you're compensating for being denied the enjoyment of highly entertaining 80s and 90s TV. You missed out. Your friends probably talked about things they watched, and you couldn't join in. Decades later, you sound jaded and bitterly overconfident in the idea that television sucks the life out of people and renders them simple minded lesser humans. > "Because they gave me an appreciation that life is to be lived" Denying a kid television doesn't automatically fill the void with quality life experiences. Kids will get bored, and throw a ball against a wall for hours. Nothing was learnt that day. The brain did some low-level hand-eye coordination, that's it. There's rubbish on TV but also quality shows, including educational shows. Even when confined to entertainment, it's enriching for children to see actors, characters and stories that communicate ideas.
  - jka 4y ago
    > Your friends probably talked about things they watched, and you couldn't join in. Is that a situation you have worried about during your own life? It seems unusual for you to push that apparent observation onto someone else. (you may have a point that some parents can be overly-protective; I'm just not sure that you chose the most effective way to communicate that)
    - exodust 4y ago
      FOMO is a thing. Kids like to join in. I'm not sure what you're finding unusual with what I said. I was responding to someone who claims watching TV makes you a lesser human than if you had been denied the choice to watch TV.
  - hulitu 4y ago
    " It's possible you're compensating for being denied the enjoyment of highly entertaining 80s and 90s TV. You missed out. Your friends probably talked about things they watched, and you couldn't join in." To call propaganda "highly entertaining" is a bit overstreched.
    - exodust 4y ago
      Inspector Gadget was propaganda? Get Smart. The 80s had great TV shows, lots of Goodies like Black Adder. 90s gave us South Park, Simpsons, and many other highly entertaining gems.

blacksmith_tb 4y ago

When I was a kid (in the 70s-80s) I watched staggering amounts of the most random TV, especially given that was before cable TV (for me, at least), so it was "whatever was on": sitcoms, ads for things I couldn't fathom wanting or needing, etc. It didn't prevent me from reading, or exploring the neighborhood. It doesn't appear to have caused significant damage (though who can tell...) Obviously many apps are worse, in the sense that they try harder to manipulate you, but I'd like to think teens can see through at least some of that still?