[cool09]

I don't know. TV has gotten so in-the-gutter and undermines the values/morals that we're brought up on. I mean every sitcom involving a family focuses on what a pain marriage is, what a pain children are, how divorce can be funny, etc. And the number of sexual innuendos you hear in one night can't be counted on two hands. It's no wonder that Eastern Countries don't like us.

I've read lots of comments from European athletes (especially German) that play in this Country that say that they don't get American humor at all. And the Boston bomber had written a text that said he didn't have any American friends because he "didn't get them". I'm starting to see where they're coming from (and I'm 49).

I enjoy Saturday nights and old movies or decent romantic comedies, 1970 sitcoms. Enjoyable and I don't have to worry about lame/vapid references to sex, self-centered characters, etc.

George Harrison wrote a song called "I, Me, Mine" which kind of sums up of selfishness in Modern Life and taking instead of giving. We should be focused on these things or we really won't make any progress as a Culture.

I'm not watching much TV, but I do watch some sitcoms/movies/documentaries online. It always depends what you choose to watch. Some shows really are overly superficial but there are a lot of good programs as well. Too much TV is probably never good though.
Germans have a different humor compared to Americans but that's a cultural thing. There are many shows focussed on sex on German TV as well. And there are plenty of foreigners who do get 'American' humor and manage to integrate into the American lifestyle. In my view it has nothing to do with TV (or video games or the internet ) - it depends on what each individual decides to make out of his life.

[spondiferous]

I agree. Depends on what I watch. I haven't owned a tv in years because I can't stand commercials.

[healingme4me]

I cut the cable cord. Was never much of a TV watcher to begin with. My kids are surviving through streamlined shows, through Netflix and Hulu, etc. Life, without commercials has been great. They actually like some youtube shows, that relate to some of their video games. And they like watching music videos on youtube...remember the days when MTV was actually all video, less, talk...nostalgic like that for me. haha.

And, yeah...about not getting American Culture...hmmm, yep. I read non-fiction, so I get what you mean about certain sitcoms and similar.

[yellowted]

some TV is ok, especially when i am not well and stuck at home or in bed, it breaks up the monotomy of talking to myself or my gerbils. though watching tv all day when well enough to be doing other things is certainly not good at all. my TV is on all night, but mainly so there is something for me to focus on until i am able to turn myself over when i wake up spasming in the middle of the night! so i suppose it does have a purpose and will always have a place in my bedroom!
just for the record i do not and will not ever pay for channels, I strongly believe that paying for a tv licence as i do In the UK should allow you to watch it for free so only have free channels on my tv! I do not see the point of buying more rubbish when there is plenty on freeview!

[jadzea]

We moved 4 years ago. We now live out in the country and cable does not come to our house. We will not pay for a dish so we have no commercial TV. We get netflix and watch DVD's we either rent or buy. I can honestly say I do not miss television. When we did have it there was nothing worth watching and I understand things have gotten worse. Plus, we used to argue over what we were going to watch. Now, no more arguments. I love to read so I can always entertain myself. We also do jigsaw puzzles and have other hobbies to keep us busy. Try going without TV for awhile. You might like it.

[Nicks_Nose]

TV as a media system is a wonderful thing for communication and information as is the internet and radio. The problem is marketing and what the media people choose to use tv to present to the viewers. Its recent content is not worthy. Also, the tv service providers force us to buy packages of tons of channels we don't want, to get the few channels we do want. For that reason, I have cut the cord. TV in itself it good, the way they have chosen to present it to us, is crappy.

If you don't mind sitting through 10 to 15 minutes of sales pitches per hour and you're easily amused/entertained then tv is great. Otherwise... not so much. I gave my tv away several years ago and haven't missed it much.

[lizardlady]

TV in itself isn't good or bad. It's a tool we use. I think it depends on one's preference whether the programing offered is good or bad. Based on ratings, a lot of the stuff I think stinks is very popular. On the other hand there are some programs I enjoy that aren't so popular. I saw a great program about the formation of the Australian continent a few weeks ago. I saw a bio of Johnny Carson lasty week.

Like someone else said, I live out in the boonies. It will be a cold day in Hades when they run cable out here. I'm too cheap to pay for satelitte service so I get broadcast TV. If there isn't anything on that I want to watch I pop in a DVD. I have some of my favorite shows on DVD. I can have my own marathons and only watch the episodes I like!

TV also comes with this wonderful feature - it's called the "OFF" button. If you don't like what's on, turn it off!

Back to what I said about TV being a tool we use. It depends on how we use the tool that can be positive of negative. There's tons of misinformation and outright poop on the internet. Does that mean the 'net is "bad"?

[RedBarchetta]

Yes, I have to agree, TV itself is neither good nor bad, it's just a thing....One transmitter, one receiver....
Have some things (actually a lot) went down hill? - Well yes, but there is still quite of bit that actually educational for even adults, and entertaining at the same time....In any case don't blame the stations, or even the producers for what has gone down hill, blame yourself.....Yes, I said yourself - what is broadcast depends a lot on what people are watching, so if you don't want to see that sort of thing on TV - stop watching it, if enough people do that, it will change...Just like if people want to see something they are not now - make enough noise about it, and that changes.
In any event I was never one for legally imposed restriction in any sort of broadcast - although I could see warnings if it contains things like violence, sex, open drug use, foul language, exc. But I can not go for outright banning it...As I said, the public actually ultimately decides what is on TV by weather or not they are watching it.

[cool09]

Wide variety of answers. The Telecommunication Revolution has taken over and it's going to be quite a while before Govn'ts figure out how to regulate what's downloaded, who's downloading, censorship and everything that goes with that. (And Congress/President haven't even put forth a concerted effort to begin starting all of this. They should have tackled this before the Recording Industry went under, imo.)

I think eventually the internet will be split into sections based on content (just like TV) to make it easier to regulate, monitor and use. (If you want "G" rated material you'll have to purchase that bundle from your Provider, etc. And if something is posted in the wrong area the uploader/owner will be warned or fined.)

[RedBarchetta]

Originally Posted by cool09

...
I think eventually the internet will be split into sections based on content (just like TV) to make it easier to regulate, monitor and use. (If you want "G" rated material you'll have to purchase that bundle from your Provider, etc. And if something is posted in the wrong area the uploader/owner will be warned or fined.)

The problem with this approach is yet again you are allowing someone else to decide what is good for you - that is no ones job but yours - and if kids are involved, it's your responsibility to police that - but not so much there is no privacy - that may depend on a lot of things as far as to what extent, but I do know anything I did as a kid, the second I felt like I was being spied on, I just stopped doing it all together no matter what.
But you can filter your own content fairly easily, so that's your answer, not letting some company censor any thing.

[Maven]

I watch a lot of TV, more than I should. I live in the USA where we have free speech, so I get tired of people who call for "decency" and "family" shows. Some of us like indecency and enjoy adult conversation (even if it's two or more characters on TV having it). I am one such person. You don't like something, turn to another channel or turn it off. Those old shows like Father Knows Best were good, but they weren't reality. People weren't always happy in their families, not all women liked being housewives, and secrets were everywhere.

[LucidLucy]

I dont like most of the programs these days.....that's why I spend too much time posting in message forums online

[Atypical_Disaster]

I don't know or care if it's good or bad. I'm completely indifferent as I only turn mine on to watch the weather.

[DenisDonnacha]

majority of it is crap, there;s some really great stuff too... a lot like the internet really

I dont necessarily think tv is good or bad. We, as the consumer, (still, thank goodness) have free will and choice as to what to watch.

Personally, I gave up watching several years back because I fell out of most of the demographics on Primetime, the (faux) "news" is entirely too depressing and to view programming that I enjoy (part of a provider "package") is incredibly expensive.

So...I have a small DVD collection of faves, rent from the Box, have some bookmarked links to news sources and PC.... what more could a girl ask for

[Open Eyes]

I agree with alot of the other posters, I primarily watch Nat Geo, Science Channel, Discovery, PBS, History Channel and the Bio Channel, sometimes HBO if there is a good movie on and HGTV and Travel Channel and the Weather channel. I use it alot if I wake up with nightmares to distact my mind, sometimes watch before bed so I go off to sleep thinking about something other then things I don't want to think about.

There are good educational programs to watch so it isn't "all" garbage.

OE

[Sabrina]

Personally, I would be lost without my TV. I pay a fortune every month for what we call DSTV in South Africa which gives us many channels. Watching TV is all I do when I am not working or at the computer. For me, TV is good.

[Maven]

I didn't have my TV for a while yesterday. I woke up and noticed my lamp was off, saw the time on the phone wasn't showing, and when I went into the living room, the TV was off. Great. Electricity was out. Now what do I do? Read? I don't feel like walking back to my room for a magazine. Guess I'll just sit and wait.

So, I waited, and fortunately, it wasn't that long before the electricity came back on (and stayed on...it came on, went off, came on, went off, came on, went off...).

[RedBarchetta]

Well, reguardless if if I watch/pay attention or not - I nearly always have a TV on (and that includes in a hospital) I suppose realistically it dose not HAVE to be a TV, but it's usually the most convenient - but the point is a LITTLE noise to sort of block the Tinnitus ring (especially when trying to get to sleep - no noise at all=I am not sleeping because T won't let me.
I have a issue with vertigo if it's too dark as well (then I just have no idea where strait is, so....) therefore lights stay on all night too (one of the time I was in a hospital, I ended up with a private room due to those two factors - other times, not specifically private, it no one else was in it.)
Nor at home, if power goes out, first off I hate it anyway - but for lighting I got some LED lanterns for around our trailer (you can dim them to just enough to see to just as bright as the main light hooked in to grid power) - and actually sleep with an LED flashlight under my pillow. Now the noise part of it, I need to be more careful with that's for sure - both because of the tinnitus, and generally a good idea anyway even if you have nothing wrong with you - and that is a battery powered radio. BUT, I keep forgetting about it, so I doubt the one I have even has good batteries in it....But it still requires some thought, but gives my an idea for a project.....Small marine battery (12v) small Solar Panel (also 12v, lowest wattage I can find) 1 car radio, and some speakers - put it in a neat case (probably made from wood) and you now have a battery powered radio, that can be recharged from the suns rays.....
But anyway - I may not care what is on a lot of times - but some TV I will actually watch, not everything, some I don't like at all - but what I REALLY HATE above all is any sort of censorship imposed be anyone other than the one receiving the signal.

Well, I got rid of cable, and its been a lot quieter, which is probably good because a lot of "stimulation" increases my anxiety...but so does too much thinking, so idk which way that goes.
I do stream Netflix tv shows, which is super cheap a month, you are just not caught up to the current season, but I really only watched reruns before so no biggie. (I do miss Animal Planet, tho.) So I have to make an effort if I want to watch something; tv is not there for background noise.
So far I am really pleased with Netflix....but I love college football so in the fall there is probably going to be cable back on my TV because I don't think I can handle not having that.

[Maven]

RedBarchetta, I sleep with the light on and a flashlight in my bed, plus I have another flashlight in the living room where I can easily get it should there be a power failure, such as those caused by storms. I don't know if I have tinnitus. I don't think so, but I do hear a sort of humming all the time, in the background. I usually don't notice it, so I'm usually able to ignore it, but I don't know if that means it could be tinnitus or what.

CoolO9,
I agree with you 100%
I too grew up on TV in the late 60's
& 70's and let me concur with you that
TV has taken a nose dive into the ground
with quality. I don't like it at times.
There are a few exceptions for me like the
Travel channel, any travel show where the host
travels to the Bahamas, you know stuff like that.
And I love the Hallmark channel.
Heck my favorite classic show is Little House On the Prairie
To look at me you would never guess that in a million years.
But I adore that show! I also love the Hallmark show Home & Family
Now TV has gotten callous & so crass its worse than being on
a real bad date that you can't wait to leave from.
I'm so glad that I'm not the only one who notices how awful TV
has gotten.
How did TV get that way? When did the shift occur?
It's extremely sad to say the least.
I remember that there used to be shows for children every Saturday morning
Now a lot of that is gone!
I still love the old classic cartoons & watch them to this day.
I will try to get that George Harrison song you mentioned.
I love the Beatles especially George, Paul, and the late John Lennon.
Thank you for your thread.
Your input was a real breath of fresh air in my life.

[Tamster]

good or bad its always on , it is like family ( the background noise). besides if nothing else is on you can find Law and Order or NCIS on USA. I would rather watch documentaries than anything else and that is the only reason i have cable ATM.