The Poet's Perspective

Pulling The Plug- Life Without Television

Pulling the Plug- Life without TV

About ten years ago I made a momentous decision- to cut the cable and thus remove television from my life and the life of my children. To some this step may seem extreme, even untenable, but I am here to make a case for the benefits of pulling the plug.

      I always felt that TV violence created bad examples for children in their formative years. I also saw that commercial influences were a prime motivator for many economic decisions, and that removing those influences made one more likely to form independent thoughts and thus arrive at independent solutions. In addition TV seems to skew our political perceptions based as much on visual imagery as actual substantive analysis.

  After abstaining from television for 10 years, several thoughts come to the forefront when I encounter bits of TV in waiting rooms. One is its patently annoying nature. It positively puts my hair on end to see the way people interact on television. If any of us actually spoke to each other the way they do on television  the world would be a very weird place, where folks look sternly, furrowing their brows as they try to convince us of the latest threat, scolding anyone who disagrees, retorting with insulting one-liners every three seconds, putting forth the notion that camera-friendly equals correct.

   Also the bright colors and turbo-fast dazzling images seem so very unnatural when we haven't been fed them year after year. They are actually a source of great distress for those who abstain over long periods.

    I am also taken by the way in which network news (opinion) is so often put forth as fact. It is all so contrived. The newscasters are all dolled up, with perfect hair and perfect cheekbones, playing to our prejudices about attractiveness and trustworthiness.

       Though I peruse the internet quite often, and the net is also plagued with know-it-alls, at least opposing views are given some space. Here we are one click away from showing our distaste, whereas TV seems so much more tenacious and one-sided.

     The effects of TV violence on children are readily apparent when I see children at play at local playgrounds. All too often their play revolves around violence, good guy/ bad  guy arguments, killing play. I was with my own kids at the playground at Nickerson State Park when two young brothers started throwing punches at one another. One punched the other full-on in the face when I spoke up. I said "No hitting! That's called assault and battery! If you keep it up I will call the police and you will have to speak to an officer!"

    One might be tempted to say that this is normal kids stuff, but I don't observe this behavior in my own children or my children's friends. I have no doubt that in some instances, home life plays into this behavior, but I also feel that TV reinforces the idea that physical strength and force makes one correct, winning is everything, and anyone who disagrees deserves a healthy beating.

      The absence of TV in my children's lives has shown me the flip side. My children are far more inclined to build something, make a drawing, take something apart and maybe even inconvenience us with extra mess and clutter, but that only confirms that the process is proactive and interactive.

    Also, pulling the plug does not mean total lack of ‘moving pictures". We do use a VCR/DVD player to watch movies, documentaries, etc. but this again is far different from TV, since it is closely regulated, has far less commercial presence, and there are few surprises.

      Raising children with fewer commercial influences reaps many benefits. They are far less likely to whine for the latest fad items and tend to choose hobbies and preferences that spring directly from what they observe in the outside world, through the filter of their personalities rather than the twisted perceptions so often relied upon by Madison Avenue.

Without TV, children are far more likely to read, far more likely to ask questions , more likely to move around.

      I know that in the vast sea of programming there are gems. Certain programs can prove educational, inspiring, and truly worth watching. I see this as 1-2% of all programming. I guess that's why Youtube and DVD's were invented!

   I also believe that political manipulation is far less prevalent when one abstains from TV. When we are no longer manipulated by pretty images we can perhaps more readily assess the words that are spoken by political candidates, devoid of the makeup, posturing and spin.

    I encourage new parents to cut the cable and spend that money on art supplies, microscopes, musical instruments, books and other interactive items. You will find that your children will excel in creative areas and have far more focus on academics.

      I suspect the world will continue its love affair with television but I am glad to be free from the "Chattering Cyclops".

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