Reading Amusing Ourselves To Death, I am always thinking about the evolution of technology, mainly entertainment. From the radio, to television, to video games, and so on. Since the majority of the United States population's lives depend on such entertainment, I can't help but wonder what would happen if the treasurable items were taken away from us.
We are so dependent on television, it is ridiculous. According to statistics, the average American in a sixty-five year lifespan will have spent nine years watching TV. And it keeps going up. Isn't that crazy? We will spend nine years of our lives killing brain cells by watching ads, reality shows, cartoons, whatever appeals to our liking. With new add-ons like game consoles, it just gets even more addictive. Take my younger brother for example, he loves his Playstation 3. Especially those first-person shooter games. He seems to never stop playing, as much as I try to convince him otherwise. He is playing right now as I write this. Don't get me wrong, I love video games as much as the next person, but I limit myself. Playing for a certain amount of time has an effect on the way he acts also. In a way, he seems to go through withdrawls, and is more irritable. It's like a drug, and it is contagious. Is there a cure?
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WOW! Nine years of nothing but television. Sounds like alot of wasted time that could've been spent with family and friends. We seem to dismiss it though and go right back to our games, TV, social internet communities (facebook, myspace, twitter...), and cellular devices. Still unaffected by the insane amount of hours we spend rotting our brains in front of our entertainment. It seems like the only cure would be to get rid of it, but it's not going anywhere soon and there are people out there who won't give it up that easily.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Alexis. It is addicting like a drug. We have become so dependent on technology, we can't live without it. I mean, we COULD, but it would be VERY hard. I personally don't play playstation, gameboy, etc. , but I know they are very addicting. I have been trying hard to avoid as much technology as I can this summer.
ReplyDeleteReading "Amusing Ourselves to Death" was a real eye opener for me!
A cure for entertainment. Essentially what this blog asks, or as I see it. I believe that yes, there is a cure for those lost 9 years of brain rotting entertainment. Transform that entertainment into education. Impossible? Not at all. Haven't people learned facts and statistics through television, despite the entertainment value of it? If someone figures out a way to intensify the educational value without losing its "fun", the problem becomes solved. Check out "the Fun Theory" on YouTube. It is a prime example to what I am saying.
ReplyDeleteThat's really interesting, Alexis, and to answer your question, I honestly think there is no cure, other than self-control. When it comes to video games and t.v. I think we're past the point of no return, and I don't think most people care anymore. It's not healthy for our society to be so dependant on technology but with it being such a big part of our lives, we probably won't be taking it away anytime soon. So, I think we have to rely on self control now or on something educational, like the person before me said.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a possibility that there is and isn't a cure for entertainment. Like loyola.andrew said, "[We can] transform that entertainment into education." I mean look at successful programs like Sesame Street, its target is to teach children viewers the basics in education. But for it to be a possible cure, it is entirely up to the viewer on how they intake and percieve the medium of these shows, just as Postman said in chapter 10 of Amusing Ourselves to death.
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