We don’t normally watch any TV. Not that I have any particular objection to it. It’s just that there are so many other things to do.
We have guests here this week and the TV has been running infinitely more (really, because compared to zero, any value is infinitely greater) this week. Shelley complained that watching TV makes her grumpy. I don’t think that is too surprising. I think there is something about TV and movies that short-circuits something in the brain and perhaps even damages things in there.
I have read/heard of studies that have shown that any kind of video (TV, movies, computers, video games) should not be allowed for any child under six or seven because it stunts neural development and results in permanent damage. Particularly dangerous are the so-called “educational” videos and games. Even though they supposedly provide some kind of cognitive enhancement and/or interaction, any benefit is far outweighed by the long-term damage.
One of the main problems I see of video-based entertainment, infotainment, informative programs, and education is that it subconsciously trains people to accept everything that is seen. I think there is something about the visual pathway that we automatically grant a kind of integrity and authenticity to, even if it is completely false. Radio only employs the auditory pathway, and we are think about what we hear. Video, in my opinion, appears to bypass many of those gatekeepers. Books, although visual, aren’t pictures so the words get processed differently and we think about what we read.
No comments:
Post a Comment