Recently I had a conversation with someone about why I am trying to avoid television.
Basically, I responded with the same themes found in [thread=3128473]this thread[/thread].
Let's assume that there is objective reality independent of television.
Television does not simply present objective realities such as sights, sounds, historical facts, etc. Television adds all kinds of narration, music, sound effects, lighting, graphics, editing, etc. In the case of narration not only are there words ("the perfect crime"), there is also the narrator's voice and all of the variations that can be made with it, such as different tones.
The kind of television program does not matter. Every program--infomercials, documentaries, sporting events, game shows, news, etc.--presents objective realities with all kinds of content that would not exist independent of television.
Some of what television presents is modified for television, of course. There were political debates, sporting events, etc. before television--before all electronic media--but such things are often modified to be presented on television profitably.
Why do we do all of that?
For entertainment.
Not many people are going to watch television to see and hear that a person was murdered on this date at that place in that manner. But throw in a narrator saying in an eerie voice how the killer "may have committed the perfect crime" and interviews with journalists, detectives, etc. who describe the crime as "unconscionable" and who say things like how the killer defines evil and you've got an audience.
There are objective realities to be found on television. But it does not take long for one's mind to become filled with and numb to all of the sensationalism with which those realities are presented. At that point it is easy for reality to become distorted and/or for one to fail to see where reality has already been distorted.
Often--after my mind has had time to clear--I find myself wondering: was that murderer really that bad of a person? Was that crime really that horrific? Was that touchdown pass really that exceptional? Is it really that life-changing to win $10,000?
It all begs a question: how much of television content reflects objective reality? Does even 10% of television content reflect objective reality?
Why do we want and/or need so much entertainment?
Does it not matter that that entertainment is shaping how we see ourselves, others and the world that we live in?
Really, I said in that aforementioned conversation, the only reason that I watch television is because--subconsciously if not consciously--I feel that I have to keep up with at least some of what is on television or I risk not being able to function effectively in society and being alienated.
I just think that the more that I can experience the world without it first being filtered through the medium of television, the better.
Walking through the woods. Watching a baseball game in person. Gazing at the stars. Working on a mathematical problem. Reading an essay. There is so much to experience without the medium of television.
And there are probably many things that we miss by experiencing so much through the medium of television.
More importantly, our best judgement may depend on seeing as little as possible through the medium of television.
Basically, I responded with the same themes found in [thread=3128473]this thread[/thread].
Let's assume that there is objective reality independent of television.
Television does not simply present objective realities such as sights, sounds, historical facts, etc. Television adds all kinds of narration, music, sound effects, lighting, graphics, editing, etc. In the case of narration not only are there words ("the perfect crime"), there is also the narrator's voice and all of the variations that can be made with it, such as different tones.
The kind of television program does not matter. Every program--infomercials, documentaries, sporting events, game shows, news, etc.--presents objective realities with all kinds of content that would not exist independent of television.
Some of what television presents is modified for television, of course. There were political debates, sporting events, etc. before television--before all electronic media--but such things are often modified to be presented on television profitably.
Why do we do all of that?
For entertainment.
Not many people are going to watch television to see and hear that a person was murdered on this date at that place in that manner. But throw in a narrator saying in an eerie voice how the killer "may have committed the perfect crime" and interviews with journalists, detectives, etc. who describe the crime as "unconscionable" and who say things like how the killer defines evil and you've got an audience.
There are objective realities to be found on television. But it does not take long for one's mind to become filled with and numb to all of the sensationalism with which those realities are presented. At that point it is easy for reality to become distorted and/or for one to fail to see where reality has already been distorted.
Often--after my mind has had time to clear--I find myself wondering: was that murderer really that bad of a person? Was that crime really that horrific? Was that touchdown pass really that exceptional? Is it really that life-changing to win $10,000?
It all begs a question: how much of television content reflects objective reality? Does even 10% of television content reflect objective reality?
Why do we want and/or need so much entertainment?
Does it not matter that that entertainment is shaping how we see ourselves, others and the world that we live in?
Really, I said in that aforementioned conversation, the only reason that I watch television is because--subconsciously if not consciously--I feel that I have to keep up with at least some of what is on television or I risk not being able to function effectively in society and being alienated.
I just think that the more that I can experience the world without it first being filtered through the medium of television, the better.
Walking through the woods. Watching a baseball game in person. Gazing at the stars. Working on a mathematical problem. Reading an essay. There is so much to experience without the medium of television.
And there are probably many things that we miss by experiencing so much through the medium of television.
More importantly, our best judgement may depend on seeing as little as possible through the medium of television.