There is a lot of truth in your comment about perceptions overseas. Television and film are two of the main sources for misconceptions and mischaracterizations of Westerns by non-Westerns; and the less contact between the two, the greater the misconceptions.
Thus 'all western women are sexually immoral' and 'all western men are violent', and the conflicting 'America is Satan' with 'everyone should go to America'. Not everyone believes these but I have met enough people who do to lend credence to your statement.
Kimberly
· 1 year ago
What has struck me on this theme most recently, as NPR and the other news sources have been reporting on the soap opera ban in Afghanistan (b/c the values in the programs do not reflect the values of Islam), is the observation:
"Traffic in the crowded capital Kabul eases each evening and the streets empty as Afghans scurry home to watch their favourite soap operas; the glamorous lives of the Indian elite a welcome escape for many in a country that has seen 30 years of civil war."
apathy... escapism... sloth... et al
I am, quite too often, the chief of sinners.
joe_turner
· 1 year ago
Is TV the cause or just the symptom of apathy though?
MariaDrews
· 1 year ago
Sam, I love this post! After a few months of debating, my husband and I finally brought our TV to the Chicago recycling center two weeks ago. It's been two weeks of more sleep, much more reading, walks around the neighborhood, cooking in the kitchen, and frisbee in the park. We knew we needed to be set free from the consumerism, apathy, and laziness the TV brings. We feel just as connected to the world, but it's because we listen to more NPR in the evenings. And yes, I have watched the last two episodes of The Office online, but the temptation to turn on the Today Show while I am getting ready or the Tonight Show as we wind-down for the day is gone. We even had family visit last weekend, and we ended up playing games all night because there was no box in our living room to turn to at the end of the day. It's a risky and sometimes difficult leap to get rid of your TV, but I am loving it.
jason
· 1 year ago
when i first got real with God...I threw out my television because I was sick of the garbage that had helped keep me in bondage to the world[in hind site i also see how it keeps us trapped in the empire mentality as well], went years without it...then started having kids and it ended up back in the home....now here recently it went back into the trash heap...one cannot win with trying to only watch what is "good"...the filth is everywhere now....
awesome post
J. Ted Voigt
· 1 year ago
well said! Thank you for that!
TV feels like the default for our culture... and though we don't have cable, my wife and I still tweak the bunny ears when we want to just veg out. But we gave it up for lent and it really changed our lives. I read more, wrote more, I think I might even have lost some weight. But I agree with you and most of the comments as well- if we're serious about following Christ, we should probably think about "recycling" our television...
Daniel
· 1 year ago
While we do have a TV in our house, the only thing we use it for is movies. I realized one day the extreme waste of time it was and we threw away the bunny ears. I refuse to pay for cable so that's not a temptation either. My in-laws have 1 HUGE TV and 1 medium TV in their house, one or the other is ALWAYS on, They are on their way to a divorce mainly because they do not communicate with each other on any level other than to talk about TV or food. It is very sad.
I do believe that on some level, TV is a tool used to distract us from our mission and purpose in life. If we are concentrating on our "programs" and what we absolutely must buy, we miss the relationships, and the conversations with real people about real needs and real hurts and real questions.
Daniel
· 1 year ago
Oh yea, I love NPR!
Joel
· 1 year ago
I turned off my cable tv about 4 or 5 years ago and we don't have an antenna either. We still have a tv, but it is only used for those times when we get movies to watch from the library or my wife wants to play a video game. I don't think that the tv has been turned on once in the last month. We don't own a cell phone either and my family jokes around that we are their "Amish relatives" which is kind of funny since I know that many of the Amish that live in this area actually have cell phones. I don't think that they are supposed to, but they try to keep it a secret. Not having all those technological distractions allows us more time to actually have a relationship and get more work done around the house. I do find, however, that the internet has taken the place of the tv in many ways. And there are much worse things on the internet than there are on tv.
Michael Cline
· 1 year ago
Can something be both a cause for one, and symptom for another? For some people, I think their television addiction (consumerist mindset, etc...) is a symptom of a deeper, underlying problem. But for others, television is the starting line of a long journey towards apathy.
Sam's Mom
· 1 year ago
Great writing! Absolutely right and righteous. I am so blessed to read your article Sam and to read the other comments posted that show there are others out there who are in agreement with the gentle stirring of God's call to more sustaining and relational lifestyles. In my opinion, the development of strong character and fortitude are stunted by Internet entertainment and television. When a crisis hits a life I wonder if they can find the proper emotion within themselves to initiate an internal stability and strength to bear up under it. As believers in Jesus Christ, we have the ability to partner our strengths and our weaknesses with the Holy Spirit who's strength is made perfect in our weakness. Taking the T.V. out of the home graces the family members with more time to draw nearer To Jesus Christ. and develop as we should Spiritually, emotionally, and physically..
Levi
· 1 year ago
I think you make a valid point... Of course I say this as my wife share this moment together to individually explore the web. But, our tv is off. Is this better? At least I just thought a little. And now I am dealing with what I read and responding. I might even talk to my wife about this... or not... she is kind of busy surfing.
Emily Curley
· 1 year ago
couldn't agree more Sam! not to mention that this addiction to the 'boob-tube' also keeps one from simply enjoying God's creation and/or creating something of their own! ;) two very beautiful things.
sam
· 1 year ago
thanks mom.
Jeremiah
· 1 year ago
Television is mind rot
J Ted Voigt
· 1 year ago
I suppose one could make the argument that TV is actually BETTER then the internet, as you can find infinitely more negative media sources online. So maybe the conversation should be broader than just TV. Although it seems everyone who uses this website would say there is at least one positive thing on the internet, and that we shouldn't "throw the baby out with the bath water". so then the same argument could be used for TV... I'm sort of going in circles here. I guess it all comes back to self control and discipline.
markvans
· 1 year ago
It isn't so much having a TV or Internet that are bad...it is that none of us were probably ever discipled in such a way that we have the virtue to handle TV or Internet. The question is: how can we be spiritually formed in such a way to properly handle these technologies? How can we foster techno-ethics in our communities, families, and individual lives?
sam
· 1 year ago
yeah, this is where I am always trying to strive towards... this ideal of properly handling the technology we have in order to "simplify our lives", make tasks more efficient, save time, find information fast, et cetera.... though isn't it ironic that technology is always hailed as 'the great simplifier' but it seems our lives are so complicated and layered within the web of technology?
Steven Johnson discusses why we are actually smarter because of television, video games and other media in Everything Bad is Good for You... a good read on the other side of the argument, mainly talking about multi-threads (think Lost), and multi-tasking (think world of warcraft)...
It is as J says, it goes back to self-control. Living a life of temperance.
Adam
· 1 year ago
I'm thinking more than a few here have heard about Adbuster's Mental Detox Week (formerly TV Turn-Off Week). If not, check it out (http://www.adbusters.org/metas/psycho/mdw/).
I will add one more "hurrah" here for not owning a TV (& watching The Office online), joining the elite 1% of American households without one..
B-Ray
· 1 year ago
Well done my Brother-of course setting in Venezuela i feel it takes on a whole different look. I could not agree more-but would raise one question-Is there more to do, than un-pluging our own TV's?
joet
· 1 year ago
Hey, I'm sorry, I tried to read the whole post but LOST was coming on. Maybe I'll come back to this... after Scrubs... or Family Guy.
While I agree with this post, I struggle to just throw the baby out with the bathwater. I feel as though we blame television, shows, the Internet, talk shows, yadda yadda, instead of actually saying that maybe we just are terrible at filtering what we see, read, etc. Instead of getting rid of television, the Internet, entirely, maybe we should make a commitment first to filter what we watch, what not to watch, etc. We scream and yell about television, yet most of us go flippin crazy in our churches for the Super Bowl parties. What message does this send? Television is terrible, except for those great ads during the big game? Is this consistent to our arguments?
I like television. I watch the History Channel, Discovery Channel, CNN, ESPN, and yes, sometimes I watch cartoons. They make me laugh. Does this mean I am now a mindless drone, addicted to channel-surfing and The View? No. I just have to remember that I am also walking a tightrope between educational programming, the White Sox (the ONLY Chicago team, by the way), and that of coming across smut, mindless violence, and time-wasters. I think that education on this topic is important, and maybe if enough people stop watching Flava Flav and the Real World corporations will stop producing that garbage.
hewhocutsdown
· 1 year ago
Some of us have just moved to different means of controlling what is watched. My TV hasn't been hooked up in years, but I watch things online and I (was) a Netflix/Blockbuster subscriber for a while, the bulk of which was for certain TV show DVD sets.
But it took less time because
a) I didn't have to organize my life around a show: I controlled it. So when things got a little hectic with the baby, it was a good two or three weeks between episodes at one stage. b) No commercials. :)
Yes, there is still the issue of discernment, but I think a mere everything/nothing is not discernment so much as abdication.
Harry Caray
· 1 year ago
I wanted to make a rational and civilized response to this JasonD, but instead I find myself in a ball of rage and fury, so I will leave you only with,
If you don't like the cubs......your a communist.
Niedermeyer
· 1 year ago
I have to agree with much of the points you make here Brother Duregger---though I would like to see the sources for a few of these statistics---but I have to ask you, "how much time was wasted here on your computer, when you could've been out doing more productive things?" You rant about staring at the screen as you stare at a screen, when children are starving and the world is being destroyed. Why don't you go to Indonesia or something and pick up some tree branches.
El Capitan
· 1 year ago
Ignore this jerk Sam. I thought it was a lovely post. I don't really understand it because I don't read so good, but it sounded very smart. I love you.
markvans
· 1 year ago
I'm not sure your accusative tone is warranted. And there is something intrinsically silly about a person who leaves a message on a blog challenging another person who wrote an article for a blog about how they spend their time.
Here's the thing. There is a profound difference between writing and reading Jesus Manifesto and watching television. There is only one activity one can do with a television: sit and watch. Computers are much more complicated. They can be tools for good, tools for evil, and they can also perform the same sort of functions as a television.
So, if someone uses their computer to do research, it is more apt to compare that function to reading books.
If they use it for communication, it is more apt to compare it to using the phone or writing letters.
If they use it for entertainment, well then it is worth comparing it to the Babylonian Idiot Box (TV).
Jesus Manifesto fits into the first two categories. And it is possible to spent a lot of time here and still help alleviate suffering in the world. To do one doesn't mean that you can't do the other.
jasond
· 1 year ago
haha.....i love chicago rivalry! God bless you for your patience in the Cubs...i do admire that about Cubs fans.
hewhocutsdown
· 1 year ago
No, everyone here is damned for their computer use.
All Comments
Thus 'all western women are sexually immoral' and 'all western men are violent', and the conflicting 'America is Satan' with 'everyone should go to America'. Not everyone believes these but I have met enough people who do to lend credence to your statement.
"Traffic in the crowded capital Kabul eases each evening and the streets empty as Afghans scurry home to watch their favourite soap operas; the glamorous lives of the Indian elite a welcome escape for many in a country that has seen 30 years of civil war."
apathy... escapism... sloth... et al
I am, quite too often, the chief of sinners.
awesome post
TV feels like the default for our culture... and though we don't have cable, my wife and I still tweak the bunny ears when we want to just veg out. But we gave it up for lent and it really changed our lives. I read more, wrote more, I think I might even have lost some weight. But I agree with you and most of the comments as well- if we're serious about following Christ, we should probably think about "recycling" our television...
I do believe that on some level, TV is a tool used to distract us from our mission and purpose in life. If we are concentrating on our "programs" and what we absolutely must buy, we miss the relationships, and the conversations with real people about real needs and real hurts and real questions.
Steven Johnson discusses why we are actually smarter because of television, video games and other media in Everything Bad is Good for You... a good read on the other side of the argument, mainly talking about multi-threads (think Lost), and multi-tasking (think world of warcraft)...
It is as J says, it goes back to self-control. Living a life of temperance.
I will add one more "hurrah" here for not owning a TV (& watching The Office online), joining the elite 1% of American households without one..
I like television. I watch the History Channel, Discovery Channel, CNN, ESPN, and yes, sometimes I watch cartoons. They make me laugh. Does this mean I am now a mindless drone, addicted to channel-surfing and The View? No. I just have to remember that I am also walking a tightrope between educational programming, the White Sox (the ONLY Chicago team, by the way), and that of coming across smut, mindless violence, and time-wasters. I think that education on this topic is important, and maybe if enough people stop watching Flava Flav and the Real World corporations will stop producing that garbage.
But it took less time because
a) I didn't have to organize my life around a show: I controlled it. So when things got a little hectic with the baby, it was a good two or three weeks between episodes at one stage.
b) No commercials. :)
Yes, there is still the issue of discernment, but I think a mere everything/nothing is not discernment so much as abdication.
If you don't like the cubs......your a communist.
Here's the thing. There is a profound difference between writing and reading Jesus Manifesto and watching television. There is only one activity one can do with a television: sit and watch. Computers are much more complicated. They can be tools for good, tools for evil, and they can also perform the same sort of functions as a television.
So, if someone uses their computer to do research, it is more apt to compare that function to reading books.
If they use it for communication, it is more apt to compare it to using the phone or writing letters.
If they use it for entertainment, well then it is worth comparing it to the Babylonian Idiot Box (TV).
Jesus Manifesto fits into the first two categories. And it is possible to spent a lot of time here and still help alleviate suffering in the world. To do one doesn't mean that you can't do the other.
Cubs...i do admire that about Cubs fans.
Just had to get it out there. :)