4 ms·

Good list, but what's with the "What 90% Less TV" quip? I get it, TV is an idiot box, there's nothing good on, blah blah. But not all TV is equal. Does this inc

Good list, but what's with the "What 90% Less TV" quip? I get it, TV is an idiot box, there's nothing good on, blah blah. But not all TV is equal. Does this include content you actively seek out on Netflix or some other on-demand service that you happen to view on your TV? This appears as another, "I don't even own a tv" kind of elitism advice. Without a reason as to why I should stop watching so much tv, or even a basis for the seemingly arbitrary 90% number I can't take this advice with any kind of seriousness.

timjahn 14y ago
I can't stand this either. People constantly blame the medium (TV) but in reality, it's (some of) the content that's bad, not the medium. There is plenty of good television out there. I enjoy watching certain TV more than others, for various reasons. Sometimes it's to learn, sometime it's for relaxation. Where does it stop? Are movies bad too? They're just like TV, except (usually) on a bigger screen and longer. What about theatrical plays? Are those making me dumber too? </rant>
- ZanderEarth32 14y ago
  And why even stop with only visual mediums, why is listening to music any more fulfilling or beneficial than watching a 30 minute sitcom? This might really come down to passive viewing versus active viewing,where in the passive case you're just sitting there flipping channels to pass the time, consuming whatever is presented to you. This isn't inherently a bad thing though. If it is relaxing or enjoyable to you, then there is no reason to stop. Not everything you do in life needs to improve you as a person on some deep level. Sometimes, sitting there twiddling your thumbs to relax or recharge is just as beneficial as reading, learning, growing, coding, building, shipping, etc.
  - timjahn 14y ago
    "Sometimes, sitting there twiddling your thumbs to relax or recharge is just as beneficial as reading, learning, growing, coding, building, shipping, etc." Exactly.
  - the_cat_kittles 14y ago
    Absolutely. I've noticed that after days of really hard, fulfilling work, I find even the dumbest tv still kind of entertaining. Its a one of a number of ways to be idle without being asleep, and you can be around other people too. It can be very relaxing. But if I'm not tired, and haven't done a lot of work, I hate it.
cdevroe 14y ago
Point well taken. I should have probably said, don't watch primetime TV or something? I agree though, the medium isn't at fault. Tons of good stuff on TV if you hunt around.
- ZanderEarth32 14y ago
  I still don't think the idea of labeling all of primetime TV as bad is reasonable. TV is a medium for entertainment, and entertainment is subjective. How, when or why you consume it, as long as it isn't hurting anyone, shouldn't be up for judgement. Maybe, better advice would be, to stop watching tv when it is no longer providing you the benefit you were seeking. Like, turn off the TV when you aren't enjoying watching it anymore and find something else enjoyable to do.
  - sp332 14y ago
    Prime-time shows are aimed to appeal to a broad audience, making them much more likely to exacerbate your echo-chamber problem.
ExpiredLink 14y ago
The medium is the message.
philwelch 14y ago
As with any medium, you have to apply filters to experience quality. The basic experience of television goes totally against this, though. You turn it on and get a constant stream of whatever is on at the moment. If you don't like it, you can change streams. It's dazzling and more than a little hypnotic. The radio is like this too, but less engrossing since there's no visual stimulus. I prefer on-demand media to this kind of streaming media. With a record or a film, you get to actually choose what to watch, and this makes all the difference. You can apply filters. If you're just sitting at home channel surfing, you're going to end up watching a lot of crap you wouldn't have bothered to deliberately leave your house for. This isn't to say there's no good TV content, just that the traditional medium of TV is better suited to deliver metric tons of total crap. But this content still ends up on on-demand media, and frankly a lot of TV content is best watched this way anyway. If "no filtering" is the primary problem, this is the solution.

timjahn 14y ago

I can't stand this either. People constantly blame the medium (TV) but in reality, it's (some of) the content that's bad, not the medium. There is plenty of good television out there. I enjoy watching certain TV more than others, for various reasons. Sometimes it's to learn, sometime it's for relaxation. Where does it stop? Are movies bad too? They're just like TV, except (usually) on a bigger screen and longer. What about theatrical plays? Are those making me dumber too? </rant>

ZanderEarth32 14y ago
And why even stop with only visual mediums, why is listening to music any more fulfilling or beneficial than watching a 30 minute sitcom? This might really come down to passive viewing versus active viewing,where in the passive case you're just sitting there flipping channels to pass the time, consuming whatever is presented to you. This isn't inherently a bad thing though. If it is relaxing or enjoyable to you, then there is no reason to stop. Not everything you do in life needs to improve you as a person on some deep level. Sometimes, sitting there twiddling your thumbs to relax or recharge is just as beneficial as reading, learning, growing, coding, building, shipping, etc.
- timjahn 14y ago
  "Sometimes, sitting there twiddling your thumbs to relax or recharge is just as beneficial as reading, learning, growing, coding, building, shipping, etc." Exactly.
- the_cat_kittles 14y ago
  Absolutely. I've noticed that after days of really hard, fulfilling work, I find even the dumbest tv still kind of entertaining. Its a one of a number of ways to be idle without being asleep, and you can be around other people too. It can be very relaxing. But if I'm not tired, and haven't done a lot of work, I hate it.

cdevroe 14y ago

Point well taken. I should have probably said, don't watch primetime TV or something? I agree though, the medium isn't at fault. Tons of good stuff on TV if you hunt around.

ZanderEarth32 14y ago
I still don't think the idea of labeling all of primetime TV as bad is reasonable. TV is a medium for entertainment, and entertainment is subjective. How, when or why you consume it, as long as it isn't hurting anyone, shouldn't be up for judgement. Maybe, better advice would be, to stop watching tv when it is no longer providing you the benefit you were seeking. Like, turn off the TV when you aren't enjoying watching it anymore and find something else enjoyable to do.
- sp332 14y ago
  Prime-time shows are aimed to appeal to a broad audience, making them much more likely to exacerbate your echo-chamber problem.

ExpiredLink 14y ago

The medium is the message.

philwelch 14y ago

As with any medium, you have to apply filters to experience quality. The basic experience of television goes totally against this, though. You turn it on and get a constant stream of whatever is on at the moment. If you don't like it, you can change streams. It's dazzling and more than a little hypnotic. The radio is like this too, but less engrossing since there's no visual stimulus. I prefer on-demand media to this kind of streaming media. With a record or a film, you get to actually choose what to watch, and this makes all the difference. You can apply filters. If you're just sitting at home channel surfing, you're going to end up watching a lot of crap you wouldn't have bothered to deliberately leave your house for. This isn't to say there's no good TV content, just that the traditional medium of TV is better suited to deliver metric tons of total crap. But this content still ends up on on-demand media, and frankly a lot of TV content is best watched this way anyway. If "no filtering" is the primary problem, this is the solution.