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10.12.02
TV Rant - why I hate TV
- Because it's such a waste of time. In the time people spend watching TV you could learn an instrument, a foreign language, etc...Just think about it - with 2 hrs a day, you could be pretty good in a foreign language or an instrument in 2 yrs.
- Because it's supposed to be relaxing but it makes you tense. It's like putting perfume in the toilet - it doesn't get rid of the smell - just covers it up temporarily with another smell which usually isn't very nice either. People are always saying things like: "I just want to have some time to relax in front of the TV, it's so nice to just switch off". If filling your head with (usually) mindless rubbish is relaxing and consitutes switching off, then what is it that needs to be switched off - what's going on in their head that they want to block it out so much?
- Because it manipulates your mind. It's full of adverts which people get paid a lot of money for just to make you do things you don't really want to do. See here
- Because it kills childrens' brains and sensitivity. See here for some excellent stuff on the case against TV.
- Because it's addictive.
- Because most of it is bollocks particularly in Italy. See here
- Because most people have it on just to fill a void in their lives
- Because people put it on without considering whether their neighbours want to hear it too. I have developed a special machine (an mp3 on my laptop), which I call "the Rossanitizer" after my neighbour (who BTW is really nice), which plays white noise quite loudly so I don't have to listen to that crap every evening. It's a bit like passive smoking I suppose.
- Because it gives you false expectations of life. For example most people never see inside the lives of other couples because it's kind of private so they form a picture based on movies etc... of what life in a couple should be like. Then they get disappointed when it's not like that and bust up. Sounds a bit cranky but I know so many couples who bust up because they have overly-idealistic expectaions of what it should be like. It might be like that for a bit but every real couple I know goes through tough times and the intense love part inevetably wears off after a year or so.
As for interactive TV, the situation is far worse. Have a read of this and this:
Posted by Giles at 10.12.02 14:07