Are Computers the New Television?
Lately; as in the last 5 years, I find that my computer is turning into what I most disliked about television. I mean I spend hours MSN'ing, or playing poker, or surfing, etc... Just like TV I could look at something meaningful or educational or topical and eventful. But I don't.
The biggest criticism of TV(besides all the ads) is that it "rots your brain". You sit there and do nothing and waste your life away in front of the "idiot box". Nowadays most people I know don't watch that much TV, not like we used to when we were kids anyway. For a while I thought that we'd improved, or grown up, or just maybe seen the light. Myself, and most people I know are watching less TV and watching better TV.
But now I realize we never eliminated anything. We just transplanted it. The same mind numbing garbage that spews from TV comes from computers too. It just seems we(or maybe just me) have tricked ourselves into thinking this revolutionary tool that can accomplish so much has actually improved our lives just because it has taken over for TV.
If I got home from work and watched 7 hours of TV I think I'd feel like a low-life, or maybe not that bad but just a little lazy and guilty the next day. Plus the ads would kill me. Then why don't I feel as bad about wasting a whole night here?? Its trickery, perpetrated by ourselves on ourselves. And mark my words, the ads are on their way. All we've done is switch from one screen to another. It honestly feels like I need to be connected to something with a monitor at all times. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like just to go completely lo-tech. No comp, no TV, record player, books, newspaper, etc... Would it be so bad?
I think computers are the new TV, anyone agree?
The biggest criticism of TV(besides all the ads) is that it "rots your brain". You sit there and do nothing and waste your life away in front of the "idiot box". Nowadays most people I know don't watch that much TV, not like we used to when we were kids anyway. For a while I thought that we'd improved, or grown up, or just maybe seen the light. Myself, and most people I know are watching less TV and watching better TV.
But now I realize we never eliminated anything. We just transplanted it. The same mind numbing garbage that spews from TV comes from computers too. It just seems we(or maybe just me) have tricked ourselves into thinking this revolutionary tool that can accomplish so much has actually improved our lives just because it has taken over for TV.
If I got home from work and watched 7 hours of TV I think I'd feel like a low-life, or maybe not that bad but just a little lazy and guilty the next day. Plus the ads would kill me. Then why don't I feel as bad about wasting a whole night here?? Its trickery, perpetrated by ourselves on ourselves. And mark my words, the ads are on their way. All we've done is switch from one screen to another. It honestly feels like I need to be connected to something with a monitor at all times. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like just to go completely lo-tech. No comp, no TV, record player, books, newspaper, etc... Would it be so bad?
I think computers are the new TV, anyone agree?
posted by jcorn @ 7:46 PM
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