Is "Digital" Destroying the Family?

Discussion in Digital & Web TV started by mythman • Apr 30, 2014.

  1. mythman

    mythmanActive Member

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    I see the commercial for

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    --something about 'TV just for ME'--and my first thought is '[CHARGE=undefined]NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!![/CHARGE]' For me, the television was the center of my 'family-time,' sorta the same way 'school,' 'karaoke at the bar' & 'church/Bible-study' are my friend-time (for different 'moods' of friends :cool: )

    Were I a parent & my child were sitting with me during one of those commercials, I (or--hopefully--my child) would ask the characters in the ad, "But then how will you spend time with family?" (I would ask my child 'If you had that, wouldn't we miss our family-time?' but a) I'm perpetuating the myth that 'people on TV are your friends'--which a young person NEEDS sometimes to distract them from painful reality--& b) I'm afraid the child WOULDN'T hate missing family-time :eek: )

    So Is "digital" creating a nation of 'lone recluses'?

    [ALIGN=RIGHT]BTW, I don't know what 'CHARGE' does; but it sounded cool. :cool: )[/ALIGN]
     
    #1Apr 30, 2014
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2014
  2. ohiotom76

    ohiotom76Well-Known Member

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    Younger people are watching less TV these days than their parents ever did. Granted, they're replacing it with going online, playing around on the internet - but I would argue that going online is a lot more engaging than just vegetating on a couch and watching static programming. At least they can pursue their own interests online, on their own schedule for the most part.

    In addition, when we are all online so much throughout the day, we are also connected digitally. I can only imagine this is going to result in more and more parent's being in touch with their kids while they are at work. It's easier for you to shoot them a message and vice versa, on your computer than calling them in front of all your other co-workers.

    When I first got online back in the mid 90's I didn't watch TV for several years, and spent several years learning web design since it piqued my interest.
     
  3. Denis Hard

    Denis HardWell-Known Member

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    A functional family will always have family time. They could go out for a picnic or something like that every weekend. And there's dinner time. You can catch up on what's going in on and have some small before or after dinner when the TV is off. The internet IMO, has served to free people from fulfilling obligations they didn't like. If you want to spend time with someone, I'm sure you'll find time to be with them.

    p.s By the way, one good thing the internet is doing is making us give other people to prove themselves as being real friends than banking on a family member who may not even like you though you share the same genes.
     
  4. deansaliba

    deansalibaActive Member

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    No it isn't, I believe people are looking at this through rose-tinted glasses. When I was a kid in the early 80s there was only four channels, no mobile phones, VHS was only owned by the rich, but we rarely ate a meal at a table together apart from at Christmas.

    It is the same as people saying how you could leave your doors open in the old days without beinf robbed and kids could play out without being abducted. Burglaries and child abduction DID happen, it just didn't get as widely reported as it does today.
     
  5. mythman

    mythmanActive Member

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    I think we're missing the point I'm trying to make: When I talk about 'time together' or 'being together' or 'togetherness,' I'm NOT talking about "people focusing on EACH OTHER"; I'm talking about them BOTH FOCUSING ON THE SAME THING (focusing on television or a movie or a stage-play or ... heck ... even a video-game).

    It's like when we pledged Allegiance to The Flag in elementary(/middle/high)-school. Sure, very-few of us knew the full weight of the words we were chanting; but Reality doesn't hear the words any different if you don't mean them ... they mean the same thing no matter WHAT you're thinking-of when you say them! (And they're basically saying, "Everything I do, I do it only if it's okay with everybody involved ;) )

    TV's also like "public-school" itself: sure, we each try/tried to earn good grades, and we were each mostly only doing that for our own personal satisfaction (& maybe for our parents/grandparents/aunts-&-uncles); but we are 'together' in that we all went through "school," which is why many Powers-that-Be want schools to stick to The Standard Lesson-Plan---because--in the eyes of future-history--all that matters is that all Americans climbed the same mountain.

    TV provides another mountain for all citizens within its broadcast-area to climb together, which is a much more-satisfying climb.

    I guess that's what I'm trying to remind people---Though you can climb 'the mountains' (new attractions & current events) ALONE, you (& everyone around you) are much more-useful to everyone around you (& to you) if you all 'climb the mountains' together!