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SVMc · Apr 19, 2004, 11:49 pm

Some facts about TV Turn Off

Facts

TV Turn Off site:

tvturnoff.org

Surgeon General Recommends Watching Less TV:

Surgeon General

I'm successfully participating in TV turn off week, but that's largely due to the fact that I don't own a TV and must go to a friends place or local pub to watch one. When I originally got rid of my TV I didn't do it for political or health reasons, I just generally felt unentertained by the thing, and the more I hear about it the more I'm convinced I made the right decision.

So are you participating? Why? Why not?

Do you think this has a valid purpose? What? Why? Why not?

Has the Internet become a similar addiction for the many of us? Is it better or does it harbour the same dangers indicated in the TV articles?

PatrickHenry · Apr 20, 2004, 02:57 am

Internet is interactive. There are areas like this where you get feedback from people. Also areas where you can investigate and turn up the unexpected. It's like the difference between DOOM and Monopoly.
Like this: http://www.newsoftheweird.com/

Impenitent · Apr 20, 2004, 03:00 am

sniper behind the third house on marvin gardens...

game over

harumscarum · Apr 20, 2004, 07:06 am

Hello my name is David and I made it through Day 1.

I am participating because of the consolidation of media. The entire Clarke + 60 minutes=free promo for Viacom thing annoyed the hell out of me. I think that it is the start of a very disturbing trend. Actually a lot of the reasons here: http://www.mediacarta.org/manifesto.html I agree with too.

I like tv more then the next person but 7 days will not kill me. It's kind of funny because I have never been to that official site (tvturnoff.com) until just now. It seems it is really "a nonprofit organization that encourages children and adults to watch much less television in order to promote healthier lives and communities." I guess I can agree with that too. God forbid a parent have to interact with their kid for a week. By the end of the week I hope to be a healthy citizen of my community.

There is no comparison with the internet because you have complete freedom to publish and read what you want. Viacom, Ruport, Turner do not own the internet (but Gore might?)

SVMc · Apr 20, 2004, 08:18 am

Generally I'm quite onside with the not-being able to compare it to the internet. There can be an argument made for the junk on the internet, but then that's a choice.

I was actually reminded by a friend who watches a significant amount of TV that it's TV turnoff, I was quite surprised that he was participating (as was he) but he seemed quite happy and thrilled with the amount of stuff he got done instead.

I remember when I lived with my parents we had a TV for about 4 years, at some point we were asked by our teacher to write down the shows that we watched and how long they were. The average person in the class (I think we were 15 or 16) watched between 3-4 hours per day.... this is of course a class specific finding in Canada in the winter, so I don't know how that compares with other studies, but I have a difficlt time imagining doing anything that involves sitting and staring and nothing but for what is equivilent to half a work day for many.

One more thing, last summer when we had the blackout here, people were forced out of their homes by the lack of TV and central air

For one of the first times in this neighbourhood (which usually keeps to itself and dosen't know it's neighbours as is common in large urban cities) people got together, had large BBQ's introduced children and everyone played with each other... it got me to thinking, why do we only do something which we all enjoyed so much when we have no other option?

Paavo · Apr 20, 2004, 08:41 am

Nice idea, this week thingie!
I never turn on the TV, but my girlfriend watches some - so I'm kindof forced to at least listen to the crap coming from it. I love movies though, so if there's a nice movie on TV, I'll watch it.

As for the internet;
I think it's in a whole other league. You can waste your time watching stupid flash cartoons or playing some online RPGs or something, but you can do so much more. I find it so ironic when people say "he's always sitting by his computer" ... and they're sitting on their couches watching one-way shit from the screen. People tend to think that sitting in front of a PC automatically means gaming. They're just clueless. I design websites (and other graphic design + coding) for a living, so I'm stuck to this screen anyway. One learns what one can do, while others think all you buy an expensive computer for is email and games. Silly people.

EDIT: Sorry for the offtopic, back to the "TV Turn Off Week". Heh.

Catch 22 · Apr 20, 2004, 12:53 pm

I watch a lot of tv, I even have a tivo but I mainly watch tv that's not just fluff. Aside from a few dramas and comedy shows I mainly use the tv for news and documentary programs. Moreover with tivo I can fast forward through commercials if the show’s been pre recorded.

SVMc · Apr 20, 2004, 02:02 pm

What is a tivo?

PatrickHenry · Apr 20, 2004, 02:39 pm

Quote:

Originally posted by SVMc,
What is a tivo?

Proprietary form of digital video recorder. Enormous hard drive for video.

RightThinker · Apr 20, 2004, 03:02 pm

I am participating against my will. I have no TV in the Virgin Islands. It is the worst. No Fox news ever and CNN once a week if I am lucky. As for mindless sitcoms I never watch them anyway. I did want to see at least one episode of The Apprentice and the new Sopranos season.

Catch 22 · Apr 20, 2004, 03:57 pm

Quote:

Originally posted by PatrickHenry,+--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (PatrickHenry,)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin-SVMc,
What is a tivo?

Proprietary form of digital video recorder. Enormous hard drive for video.[/b][/quote]

That and it has some pretty great recording options such season pass where it records every episode of the show picked dependant upon whether you want new episodes, or all of them. Even if the show changes time slot it can find it. Plus there's the guide function that displays every single program within a 14 day period. And there’s a number of others as well but describing them all would take awhile.

rightthinker- you may not have a tv but you have the virgin islands and very cheap alcohol. sounds like a decent trade off.

SVMc · Apr 20, 2004, 04:33 pm

I'm in Canada and I have no TV, I would trade being in the Virgin Islands and having no TV in a second.

Tivo - sounds like a devious little device, nope still not regreting the no-TV thing.

Scribbler1 · Apr 26, 2004, 06:17 pm

Quote:

Originally posted by Catch 22,
I watch a lot of tv, I even have a tivo but I mainly watch tv that's not just fluff. Aside from a few dramas and comedy shows I mainly use the tv for news and documentary programs. Moreover with tivo I can fast forward through commercials if the show’s been pre recorded.

I hardly watch regular TV anyway, so the whole TV turnoff idea is a moot point with me. I'll be damned if I will go without the Discovery Science Channel for a week, or Adult Swim for that matter.

GreatWyrm of Babylon · Apr 26, 2004, 11:01 pm

My TV is in the closet on the balcony, I wonder if it still works?

castille · Apr 27, 2004, 01:14 pm

Sex is the highest-ranked word on any search engine.

So....you were saying? The Internet is beneficial?

Scribbler1 · Apr 29, 2004, 10:18 am

Scribbler1 · Apr 29, 2004, 10:32 am

I've been thinking about this topic in the last week and I notice most of the no TV proponents don't watch that much anyway. I would imagine it won't really catch on with the sofa spuds.

After reading all the reasons for turning off the TV for a time I get the impression this is like the anti-gun argument, in that guns can be used to kill people so ban all guns. Everything on the list is not the fault of television. All of the problems listed is all preventable by the viewer, and in the case of children it is the fault of the parents. Some TV programming is crap and some is good and useful (like everything else) so not watching ANY for a week is pointless. It doesnt address the question why there are so many idiotic sitcoms and repulsive, unreal "reality" shows, and other trash TV on the air these days.

I also don't understand what the mini boycott is supposed to prove in the first place. After a week without TV, the same stuff is there when you turn it back on. If the purpose is to somehow force advertisers and networks to create more "quality" shows then you'll have 24 hrs a day of GOOD stuff you can waste your time on! If the purpose is to hurt the advertisers and networks economically, then this is an unfocused protest and will hurt the smaller outfits which often produce the good TV anyway.

I suggest replacing this with "slap a couch potato and make him cut his grass" day, or when you use the TV as a babysitter all day, "force parents to watch "Teletubbies" and "The Powerpuff Girls" with their eyes taped open and the sound up" week. And for those who think violence on TV is real (or somehow fun), "make them spar with Mike Tyson for a week" week!
These modest proposals should make people rethink what they and their kids watch and how much of it to have on.

SVMc · May 4, 2004, 09:55 am

I don't think the boycott is aimed at improving television programming. It is probably (from my understanding) supposed to encourage people to find other things to do besides watch TV.

And as much as I am find good humour in "slap a couch potato and make him cut the grass day" or "force parents to watch teletubbies day" (personal fav.) I guess this is the less strong armed approach.

Well TV turn off week is long passed now. This is slightly off topic, but the TV turn off week will now always remind me of the black out. Our power was out for 3 days here. I saw and met more of my neighbours than I ever have, people had community BBQ's (mainly so the food didn't go bad), it really developed our community in a really short time. I guess it really makes me wonder if we would all know each other a little better and respect each other much more, if we found a few hours a day to spend with our neighbours rather than in front of the tube.

Scribbler1 · May 4, 2004, 10:51 am

Quote:

Originally posted by SVMc,
I don't think the boycott is aimed at improving television programming. It is probably (from my understanding) supposed to encourage people to find other things to do besides watch TV.

And as much as I am find good humour in "slap a couch potato and make him cut the grass day" or "force parents to watch teletubbies day" (personal fav.) I guess this is the less strong armed approach.

Well TV turn off week is long passed now. This is slightly off topic, but the TV turn off week will now always remind me of the black out. Our power was out for 3 days here. I saw and met more of my neighbours than I ever have, people had community BBQ's (mainly so the food didn't go bad), it really developed our community in a really short time. I guess it really makes me wonder if we would all know each other a little better and respect each other much more, if we found a few hours a day to spend with our neighbours rather than in front of the tube.

That's an excellent example, and it shows what can happen when the average Joe is forced into an unfamiliar situation. I think it speaks well of the American people. I just thought the whole no TV week thing was somewhat pointless. I feel that most of the folks who shut the thing off and do other things were probably predisposed to doing them anyway. It is an interesting question though. Do people embrace TV because they already were couch potatoes or did TV turn them INTO spuds?
As far as TV's hold on people goes, I think it may be too late. I just watched some of the "Today" show and a big segment was with a panel of people discussing "Friends" like they were real people! The morning paper had an article about how popular Jennifer Aniston's hairstyle was. Like there's no real news going on in the country or the world!
We're doomed.

SVMc · May 5, 2004, 11:11 pm

It's almost like the chicken and the egg question. Except for the fact that we know people came before TV, and we invented TV. So did we invent our own social doom?

A personal social experiment: I'm starting a new job (I do contract consulting so I start a lot of new jobs) as always there is the getting to know the co-workers bit. I'm in Canada so the big lament is the leafs lost (yet again), that much I knew from the lack of car honking last night. But I'm still always amazed at how much casual chit-chat occurs not around families, friends, events etc... but around what happened last night on (American Idol, Friends, etc... etc..) TV, in my opinion has become a social medium of which we are all expected to be part. In some ways I'm begining to discover that not being TV literate is somewhat like being cultually illeterate.

Apr 19, 2004, 11:49 pm	#1 (permalink) (top)
SVMc Lazy Sniper Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 513	Some facts about TV Turn Off Facts TV Turn Off site: tvturnoff.org Surgeon General Recommends Watching Less TV: Surgeon General I'm successfully participating in TV turn off week, but that's largely due to the fact that I don't own a TV and must go to a friends place or local pub to watch one. When I originally got rid of my TV I didn't do it for political or health reasons, I just generally felt unentertained by the thing, and the more I hear about it the more I'm convinced I made the right decision. So are you participating? Why? Why not? Do you think this has a valid purpose? What? Why? Why not? Has the Internet become a similar addiction for the many of us? Is it better or does it harbour the same dangers indicated in the TV articles? Capitalism is: Man exploiting man. Socialism is the other way around.

Apr 20, 2004, 02:57 am	#2 (permalink) (top)
PatrickHenry 9/11: Inside Job Location: Hawai'i, Big Island Posts: 10,438	Internet is interactive. There are areas like this where you get feedback from people. Also areas where you can investigate and turn up the unexpected. It's like the difference between DOOM and Monopoly. Like this: http://www.newsoftheweird.com/ "Arms in the hands of the citizens may be used at individual discretion for the defense of the country, the overthrow of tyranny or private self-defense." -- John Adams

Apr 20, 2004, 03:00 am	#3 (permalink) (top)
Impenitent Hot Lava Posts: 1,859	sniper behind the third house on marvin gardens... game over "I really like this jacket, but the sleeves are much too long..." insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results...

Apr 20, 2004, 07:06 am	#4 (permalink) (top)
harumscarum Igneous Magma Posts: 183	Hello my name is David and I made it through Day 1. I am participating because of the consolidation of media. The entire Clarke + 60 minutes=free promo for Viacom thing annoyed the hell out of me. I think that it is the start of a very disturbing trend. Actually a lot of the reasons here: http://www.mediacarta.org/manifesto.html I agree with too. I like tv more then the next person but 7 days will not kill me. It's kind of funny because I have never been to that official site (tvturnoff.com) until just now. It seems it is really "a nonprofit organization that encourages children and adults to watch much less television in order to promote healthier lives and communities." I guess I can agree with that too. God forbid a parent have to interact with their kid for a week. By the end of the week I hope to be a healthy citizen of my community. There is no comparison with the internet because you have complete freedom to publish and read what you want. Viacom, Ruport, Turner do not own the internet (but Gore might?) under construction....

Apr 20, 2004, 08:18 am	#5 (permalink) (top)
SVMc Lazy Sniper Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 513	Generally I'm quite onside with the not-being able to compare it to the internet. There can be an argument made for the junk on the internet, but then that's a choice. I was actually reminded by a friend who watches a significant amount of TV that it's TV turnoff, I was quite surprised that he was participating (as was he) but he seemed quite happy and thrilled with the amount of stuff he got done instead. I remember when I lived with my parents we had a TV for about 4 years, at some point we were asked by our teacher to write down the shows that we watched and how long they were. The average person in the class (I think we were 15 or 16) watched between 3-4 hours per day.... this is of course a class specific finding in Canada in the winter, so I don't know how that compares with other studies, but I have a difficlt time imagining doing anything that involves sitting and staring and nothing but for what is equivilent to half a work day for many. One more thing, last summer when we had the blackout here, people were forced out of their homes by the lack of TV and central air For one of the first times in this neighbourhood (which usually keeps to itself and dosen't know it's neighbours as is common in large urban cities) people got together, had large BBQ's introduced children and everyone played with each other... it got me to thinking, why do we only do something which we all enjoyed so much when we have no other option? Capitalism is: Man exploiting man. Socialism is the other way around.

Apr 20, 2004, 08:41 am	#6 (permalink) (top)
Paavo Location: Finland Posts: 712	Nice idea, this week thingie! I never turn on the TV, but my girlfriend watches some - so I'm kindof forced to at least listen to the crap coming from it. I love movies though, so if there's a nice movie on TV, I'll watch it. As for the internet; I think it's in a whole other league. You can waste your time watching stupid flash cartoons or playing some online RPGs or something, but you can do so much more. I find it so ironic when people say "he's always sitting by his computer" ... and they're sitting on their couches watching one-way shit from the screen. People tend to think that sitting in front of a PC automatically means gaming. They're just clueless. I design websites (and other graphic design + coding) for a living, so I'm stuck to this screen anyway. One learns what one can do, while others think all you buy an expensive computer for is email and games. Silly people. EDIT: Sorry for the offtopic, back to the "TV Turn Off Week". Heh.

Apr 20, 2004, 12:53 pm	#7 (permalink) (top)
Catch 22 Igneous Magma Posts: 374	I watch a lot of tv, I even have a tivo but I mainly watch tv that's not just fluff. Aside from a few dramas and comedy shows I mainly use the tv for news and documentary programs. Moreover with tivo I can fast forward through commercials if the show’s been pre recorded. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, militarism and economic exploitation are incapable of being conquered Martin Luther King Jr.

Apr 20, 2004, 02:02 pm	#8 (permalink) (top)
SVMc Lazy Sniper Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 513	What is a tivo? Capitalism is: Man exploiting man. Socialism is the other way around.

Apr 20, 2004, 03:02 pm	#10 (permalink) (top)
RightThinker Molten Ash Location: St. Thomas U. S. V. I. Posts: 146	I am participating against my will. I have no TV in the Virgin Islands. It is the worst. No Fox news ever and CNN once a week if I am lucky. As for mindless sitcoms I never watch them anyway. I did want to see at least one episode of The Apprentice and the new Sopranos season. "This country was founded and built by people with great dreams and the courage to take great risks." -Ronald Reagan- January 26, 1983

Apr 20, 2004, 04:33 pm	#12 (permalink) (top)
SVMc Lazy Sniper Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 513	I'm in Canada and I have no TV, I would trade being in the Virgin Islands and having no TV in a second. Tivo - sounds like a devious little device, nope still not regreting the no-TV thing. Capitalism is: Man exploiting man. Socialism is the other way around.

Apr 26, 2004, 11:01 pm	#14 (permalink) (top)
GreatWyrm of Babylon Avatar of Tiamut Location: Dallas, Texas (Irving) Posts: 848	My TV is in the closet on the balcony, I wonder if it still works? Logical Fallicies Link

Apr 27, 2004, 01:14 pm	#15 (permalink) (top)
castille Citizen #21521 Posts: 2,599	Sex is the highest-ranked word on any search engine. So....you were saying? The Internet is beneficial? Ideological loyalty is the act of giving your soul to a vague concept, to be manipulated by people smarter than you.

Apr 29, 2004, 10:18 am	#16 (permalink) (top)
Scribbler1 Skeptical Patriot Posts: 7,746	... Not a day goes by that I don't see something that reinforces my belief that people are idiots.

Apr 29, 2004, 10:32 am	#17 (permalink) (top)
Scribbler1 Skeptical Patriot Posts: 7,746	I've been thinking about this topic in the last week and I notice most of the no TV proponents don't watch that much anyway. I would imagine it won't really catch on with the sofa spuds. After reading all the reasons for turning off the TV for a time I get the impression this is like the anti-gun argument, in that guns can be used to kill people so ban all guns. Everything on the list is not the fault of television. All of the problems listed is all preventable by the viewer, and in the case of children it is the fault of the parents. Some TV programming is crap and some is good and useful (like everything else) so not watching ANY for a week is pointless. It doesnt address the question why there are so many idiotic sitcoms and repulsive, unreal "reality" shows, and other trash TV on the air these days. I also don't understand what the mini boycott is supposed to prove in the first place. After a week without TV, the same stuff is there when you turn it back on. If the purpose is to somehow force advertisers and networks to create more "quality" shows then you'll have 24 hrs a day of GOOD stuff you can waste your time on! If the purpose is to hurt the advertisers and networks economically, then this is an unfocused protest and will hurt the smaller outfits which often produce the good TV anyway. I suggest replacing this with "slap a couch potato and make him cut his grass" day, or when you use the TV as a babysitter all day, "force parents to watch "Teletubbies" and "The Powerpuff Girls" with their eyes taped open and the sound up" week. And for those who think violence on TV is real (or somehow fun), "make them spar with Mike Tyson for a week" week! These modest proposals should make people rethink what they and their kids watch and how much of it to have on. Not a day goes by that I don't see something that reinforces my belief that people are idiots.

May 4, 2004, 09:55 am	#18 (permalink) (top)
SVMc Lazy Sniper Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 513	I don't think the boycott is aimed at improving television programming. It is probably (from my understanding) supposed to encourage people to find other things to do besides watch TV. And as much as I am find good humour in "slap a couch potato and make him cut the grass day" or "force parents to watch teletubbies day" (personal fav.) I guess this is the less strong armed approach. Well TV turn off week is long passed now. This is slightly off topic, but the TV turn off week will now always remind me of the black out. Our power was out for 3 days here. I saw and met more of my neighbours than I ever have, people had community BBQ's (mainly so the food didn't go bad), it really developed our community in a really short time. I guess it really makes me wonder if we would all know each other a little better and respect each other much more, if we found a few hours a day to spend with our neighbours rather than in front of the tube. Capitalism is: Man exploiting man. Socialism is the other way around.

May 5, 2004, 11:11 pm	#20 (permalink) (top)
SVMc Lazy Sniper Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 513	It's almost like the chicken and the egg question. Except for the fact that we know people came before TV, and we invented TV. So did we invent our own social doom? A personal social experiment: I'm starting a new job (I do contract consulting so I start a lot of new jobs) as always there is the getting to know the co-workers bit. I'm in Canada so the big lament is the leafs lost (yet again), that much I knew from the lack of car honking last night. But I'm still always amazed at how much casual chit-chat occurs not around families, friends, events etc... but around what happened last night on (American Idol, Friends, etc... etc..) TV, in my opinion has become a social medium of which we are all expected to be part. In some ways I'm begining to discover that not being TV literate is somewhat like being cultually illeterate. Capitalism is: Man exploiting man. Socialism is the other way around.