Told Enough Already

I don't watch TV. I've never watched much, and "not much" became none once I got more work. I enjoy Modern Family and The Simpsons, but not enough to spend significant quantities of time that could be spent hiking or reading or working or sleeping or tying knots.

But I don't really think it's any of my business how much TV other folks watch. And honestly, I really don't care. I hear-- but can't personally attest to, as my viewing habits are that I don't-- that there's a lot of useless programming on TV. And indeed, I have watched a couple of minutes of Fox "News," which would support this idea. But I imagine there's some good stuff on there too.

It's harder for me to deal with the constant moralizing whine of “parenting experts” and behavioral psychologists and whatnot about how much TV your kid should be watching. I do believe that too much TV makes people stupider. Books just tend to have better, harder content. But it’s the parent’s call. And you really can’t change the kid’s behavior without changing the parent.

And finally, TV is ultimately a medium. It is a box upon which moving pictures and changing sounds are displayed. Although even more impressive than the ubiquitous (perhaps even banal) printed page, a screen is ultimately the same general concept. When people bemoan “screen time” it seems nonsensical. Sure, I spend lots of time on the computer. Much of that time is spent reading news or conducting research. I also spend lots of time reading off pages. And it just doesn’t matter if the page is paper or digital. What matters is the content.

I think humans should strive to be ever improving. I like the renaissance/Ben Franklin model of constant self-critique and refinement. Insofar as TV represents a barrier to that process, it may well be harmful. But if parents want to let their kid watch TV, that’s their prerogative. Leave em alone.