4 ms·

Try that with kids bombarded from TV and peers to be mindless consumers. It's close to impossible.

by alecco 17y ago

Tichy 17y ago
Don't own a TV.
- alecco 17y ago
  I don't, but I don't have kids. Do you?
  - jimbokun 17y ago
    I have kids, own a TV, but don't get anything more than the basic network channels. Specifically, no Disney, no Nickleodeon, Cartoon Network, etc. When visiting friends and family who do have those channels, I'm constantly reminded this is a good thing. (Ironically, I think channels like Cartoon Network I would recommend more for adults, both for the creativity of some of the shows and for the nostalgia of the old stuff. But I don't think the irony of many of these cartoons translates for many children, who are still naive enough to take them at face value.)
    - alecco 17y ago
      That's cool! How do you deal with peer pressure at school and all that? BTW, like someone else said, I hate to have thousands of episodes of tv trash like Gilligan's Island in my head.
      - jimbokun 17y ago
        It seems like it's really just starting to kick in now (my oldest is in second grade) so we're taking it as it comes. We don't have video games either, and I'm starting to think that's where I would "compromise" first (although I would have to convince my wife). In general, though, I think it's easier to take a pretty hard line to start and then find points to compromise on. We have Netflix, too, so there's lots to choose from as far as things to watch. But we know some of their peers can turn the TV on at any time and watch whatever they want, which I find to be pretty scary. That whole "turn the TV to a 'kids' channel and mindlessly absorb whatever comes on for hours everyday" is the scenario we really want to avoid.
    - alexmat 17y ago
      "for the nostalgia of the old stuff" I don't care for new TV shows, but I sometimes wonder about cutting kids off from a source of pop-culture for their generation. It may not seem like it to us, but for them, the crap that's on now will be the stuff they watch on Cartoon Network in 20 years and laugh about or turn into surreal parodies. Maybe moderation is a better solution?
      - jimbokun 17y ago
        The underlying question is to what extent do you want your children to be passively absorbed into the prevailing culture. There is a lot about the prevailing culture that we don't endorse, and I would hope that's true for most parents. If left to their own devices without a screen in front of them, our kids can get pretty creative with drawing, making little crafts, building stuff with their toys, reading books they picked out on their own from the library, playing outside, etc. etc. I'll take that over some nostalgic cartoon memories any day.
HeyLaughingBoy 17y ago
Believe it or not, as a parent you have more clout than the TV and peers...if you want to. From about the time my son was three years old or so, my reply to "can I have $shiny_thing_on_TV?" was "don't ask for stuff you see on TV, it's mostly junk." That simple! Now he's nine and asks for stuff on TV, but he understands that there's a very high probability he won't get it, so he knows better than to whine about it. Instead it's "maybe I can get it for my birthday" or "how long do I have to save so I can buy that with my own money?" Either of which I think is infinitely better than the kids who nag their parents until they get what they want!

Try that with kids bombarded from TV and peers to be mindless consumers. It's close to impossible.

by alecco 17y ago

Try that with kids bombarded from TV and peers to be mindless consumers. It's close to impossible.

Tichy 17y ago

Don't own a TV.

alecco 17y ago
I don't, but I don't have kids. Do you?
- jimbokun 17y ago
  I have kids, own a TV, but don't get anything more than the basic network channels. Specifically, no Disney, no Nickleodeon, Cartoon Network, etc. When visiting friends and family who do have those channels, I'm constantly reminded this is a good thing. (Ironically, I think channels like Cartoon Network I would recommend more for adults, both for the creativity of some of the shows and for the nostalgia of the old stuff. But I don't think the irony of many of these cartoons translates for many children, who are still naive enough to take them at face value.)
  - alecco 17y ago
    That's cool! How do you deal with peer pressure at school and all that? BTW, like someone else said, I hate to have thousands of episodes of tv trash like Gilligan's Island in my head.
    - jimbokun 17y ago
      It seems like it's really just starting to kick in now (my oldest is in second grade) so we're taking it as it comes. We don't have video games either, and I'm starting to think that's where I would "compromise" first (although I would have to convince my wife). In general, though, I think it's easier to take a pretty hard line to start and then find points to compromise on. We have Netflix, too, so there's lots to choose from as far as things to watch. But we know some of their peers can turn the TV on at any time and watch whatever they want, which I find to be pretty scary. That whole "turn the TV to a 'kids' channel and mindlessly absorb whatever comes on for hours everyday" is the scenario we really want to avoid.
  - alexmat 17y ago
    "for the nostalgia of the old stuff" I don't care for new TV shows, but I sometimes wonder about cutting kids off from a source of pop-culture for their generation. It may not seem like it to us, but for them, the crap that's on now will be the stuff they watch on Cartoon Network in 20 years and laugh about or turn into surreal parodies. Maybe moderation is a better solution?
    - jimbokun 17y ago
      The underlying question is to what extent do you want your children to be passively absorbed into the prevailing culture. There is a lot about the prevailing culture that we don't endorse, and I would hope that's true for most parents. If left to their own devices without a screen in front of them, our kids can get pretty creative with drawing, making little crafts, building stuff with their toys, reading books they picked out on their own from the library, playing outside, etc. etc. I'll take that over some nostalgic cartoon memories any day.

HeyLaughingBoy 17y ago

Believe it or not, as a parent you have more clout than the TV and peers...if you want to. From about the time my son was three years old or so, my reply to "can I have $shiny_thing_on_TV?" was "don't ask for stuff you see on TV, it's mostly junk." That simple! Now he's nine and asks for stuff on TV, but he understands that there's a very high probability he won't get it, so he knows better than to whine about it. Instead it's "maybe I can get it for my birthday" or "how long do I have to save so I can buy that with my own money?" Either of which I think is infinitely better than the kids who nag their parents until they get what they want!