Re:They might have a point, you know. (Score 2)

Summary: Life is too exciting to watch a lot of TV. Content is one thing - its important - but sheer volume of TV watching is another very important issue. I have kids (2 boys, ages 7 and 5). They watch TV on average 1/2hr. per day - except Friday nights, when we all sit down with pizza, pop and a video that Dad, Mom and the boys select together. They use the computer, but rarely at this point - about once every 6 to 8 weeks. As much as I love technology, I love a healthy, well-rounded mind more. We read with our kids about 5 to 7 books a day. We go out and explore the world around us a bit each day. My wife and I try to take advantage of "teachable moments" when we are out doing life (we stop to look at things, for instance). After all that, we just don't have time for much TV. And the truth is, TV has nothing of any real value to offer about 90% of the time. We have found that our kids are definately not worse off by watching a lot less than the average child (6 hrs. per day, almost 32 hrs. per week when you include video and computer time). My sons have no issues with hyper-activity. When they play, they don't try to kick each other to death, or maim each other with toy weapons. Instead, they imagine themselves being humpback whales, eagles or explorers of the Antarctic or Neptune (yes, they know all the planets and a few stars). They have fun learning basic geography. They know that Michigan is shaped like a mitten, and where we live relative to that mitten, as well as where the grandparents live, etc. They also know some things about Europe, Africa, China, India - they have "pen pal" in India. They know little or nothing about Star Wars, PocaMan, Power Rangers and other pop culture, except what they pick up from their friends, which is enough. Adults often comment on their vocabulary, their manners, their ability to concentrate on a task or game (my 7 year old loves chess - he darn near beat me the other day!) And they get along with each other well. And other parents have often commented on how happy my sons are. I don't say any of this to boast about my kids (well, ok, ok, I did a little....). Its just that, once my wife and I made the effort to clarify or family "mission" if you will, and took a close look at what we felt we wanted to provide for our children, things like TV just fell to the way-side for the most part. TV simply became unimportant to us. And again, we certainly aren't suffering for it. In short, we just don't have enough time to watch TV, no matter what the content. There are too many really great things going on in the real world! My wife and I decided long ago that the world is way to exciting to allow ourselve to get sucked up in the immediacy of a sound bite driven, action crazed US centric culture - which is driven in large part by what you see on TV.