Is 24/7 Cable and Satellite TV a good thing?

[Bob Green]

My wife's niece and family just visited for a week and observing the two children (age 7 and 9) stirred my brain cells. They watched "The Cartoon Network" as much as I watch sports. When I was a kid, cartoons came on Saturday morning and we eagerly awaited Saturday so we could watch. Likewise, there were two ACC Basketball games televised per week. One on Saturday afternoon and one on a weeknight. I used to eagerly anticipate watching those games.

So my question is should we consider the 24/7 availability of sports, news, cartoons, movies, whatever...as a positive or a negative change to society? Did we lose something as a culture when everything we desire is available all the time?

[TillyGalore]

So my question is should we consider the 24/7 availability of sports, news, cartoons, movies, whatever...as a positive or a negative change to society? Did we lose something as a culture when everything we desire is available all the time?

My parents would not let me watch that much television when I was growing up, especially when we were in a foreign country and there was so much to see and experience. I think this is more of a "what are parents teaching by allowing their kids to watch so much television" issue.

[Bob Green]

The issue is much deeper than "what parents allow." Referring to my original post, I stated the kids watched the CN as much as I watched sports. What is your opinion about the impact of 24/7 TV on adults? I included the reference to children because we all adopt habits early, but my real concern is with adults.

[TillyGalore]

The issue is much deeper than "what parents allow." Referring to my original post, I stated the kids watched the CN as much as I watched sports. What is your opinion about the impact of 24/7 TV on adults? I included the reference to children because we all adopt habits early, but my real concern is with adults.

Bob, you caught me. I shamelessly admit that my TV is on pretty much the whole time I'm at home. Mostly because I live alone and the tv voices are far more comforting than the ones in my head (kidding, no voices in the head). I don't necessarily sit and watch tv all the time. Quite often I'm doing something else; cooking, cleaning, reading, or knitting. There are very few programs I'll sit down and actually watch and do nothing else, like Duke basketball.

As it's getting close to paying my bills, I've seriously considered dropping the premium channels as I just don't watch them and can't justify paying for something I'm not using. I'll keep digital as there are several channels that carry programs I do enjoy.

Now, is all this a detriment to me? No, it keeps me sane. Driving on I-40 is more of a detriment to me.

[alteran]

I voted "no difference" because that was the closest I could come to voting that its net societal effect is different, but a wash.

24/7 coverage of everything gives people more opportunity to engage the entertainment/informational options which engage them on their own terms rather than the network's terms. National news addicts who work the evening shift are no longer out of luck-- when they get home at midnight they can catch national news.

The potential for over-stimulation is obvious. I have an uncle who doesn't have cable, and the first thing he does when he visits is turn on the Weather Channel-- and proceed to watch it all day until one of us pries him away. (I don't get that, but he doesn't get a lot of what I do, either.) I shudder to think of him with unfettered cable access.

Ditto kids and cartoons. And some of us and Star Trek reruns. ;-)

I'd say that between the potential for abuse and the greater availability, it's probably a net wash. Personally, I would rather have the option and fight the personal potential for abuse rather than have it go away, but I'm a bit of a libertarian that way.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I don't watch TV 24/7, but I've always watched way too much TV, ever since I was, well, a little kid back in the 60s. OK, late 50s.

I work out of my house and the TV next to my desk is on when I am sitting there, muted when I am on the phone. Most of the work day it is on CNBC (well, from 10 until 2) , so does that count? Of course, in the afternoon it is on Spike so I can get my Star Trek fix. Oh, wait, we did that thread last week...

[allenmurray]

I watch very little TV - probably less than 4 hours a week during non-ACC Basketball Season. MSNBC Countdown maybe once per week, maybe one rerun of Law and Order, PTI on the occassions that I am home in time, and the local news maybe twice a week. That's about it. Since Homocide went off the air I haven't had a show that was "appointment TV" (I don't have HBO).

However, the rest of my family does watch a fair bit of TV, and it is nice for them to have the ability to be more in charge of what they watch when, rather than having it dictated to them by the networks. It used to be that folks who had cable were afraid of what their kids might see on cable - for me it is just the opposite. I'm pretty comfortable with my kids watching anything on Nickelodeon or Disney channel, more hesitant about what is on the networks.

I think more than the 24/7 availability changing habits is the more recent technology of the DVR. My wife has learned to record those shows she is interested in (otherwise she hates all technology) and can watch them as she chooses (I've never "gotten" Gray's Anatomy), and the boys can record a Disney Channel movie and watch it when they choose or see the first half one night and the conclusion the next (why does Disney air movies aimed at kids under 10 such that they end at 9:30 or 10:00 pm? Do they not understand the concept of bedtime?)

In our case the 24/7 hasn't led to more TV - it perhaps has actually led to less. The kids will go through the menu feature on the DVR, record the things they want, then watch them after homework and after it is too dark to play outside. All of us are less likley to turn on the TV just "to see what is on". Instead, we know what we "have" and watch it when we choose.

Bottom line, even with 24/7 TV it is still an indivdiual (or parent) choice about how much to watch TV, though I think this is an area where technology has improved choices for consumers. My guess is there may be other families like ours where the greater availability of TV has actually led to less total time watching.

[TillyGalore]

Since Homocide went off the air I haven't had a show that was "appointment TV" (I don't have HBO).

Are you talking about "Homicide: Life on the Street"? That is one of my favorites too. Reruns can be seen on the Chicago channel, WGN I believe, and on the Sleuth channel.

Incidentally, on a recent rerun I noticed someone had written on blackboard in an outdoor scene "Duke rules", in Duke blue. For those of you who aren't familiar with this program, it was filmed on location in Baltimore.

Also for you O's fans, they did an episode at Camden Yards. Saw it when it first aired about 10 years ago. Right now it's in my DVR waiting to be viewed.

[knights68]

For society's sake, I do not think having access to so many channels as a good thing.
We have already incorporated TV into our lives as background noise (I am ssoooo guilty of this!), and a sort of societal cane to lean on. TV has not only become a source for excaping from the worlds problems and our own, but it has also increasingly affected our conversations and direction as to what kind of day we'll have, or that we need to rush home because so-and-so show is coming on.

I wont even go into the effect it has on our language skills, reading, and even our language as a whole.

Hasn't the government dumbed us down enough without us contributing to it by way of our viewing habits and time spent with the TV?

The problem is there, obviously. The question is what do we do about it? HOw do we rise above those hours upon hours of tv space that occupies our days and night more and more?

Do you think it would it be different if we watched the Discovery channel all of the time versus CSI and Lost?

Signed,
Once a TV addict, always a tv addict

[hurleyfor3]

You people still watch teevee? Mine's been unplugged since the national championship game (first week in April). Maybe if this year's basketball season sounds interesting I'll plug it back in in November.

[Bluedawg]

My wife's niece and family just visited for a week and observing the two children (age 7 and 9) stirred my brain cells. They watched "The Cartoon Network" as much as I watch sports. When I was a kid, cartoons came on Saturday morning and we eagerly awaited Saturday so we could watch. Likewise, there were two ACC Basketball games televised per week. One on Saturday afternoon and one on a weeknight. I used to eagerly anticipate watching those games.

So my question is should we consider the 24/7 availability of sports, news, cartoons, movies, whatever...as a positive or a negative change to society? Did we lose something as a culture when everything we desire is available all the time?

Don't blame the TV. its the parents who allow it to happen.

[Jfrosh]

Like most things, it is not inherently good or bad, it all comes down to how you use it. I for one thank god for it during basketball season. Also during the summers when network tv is crap, but unless major events are going on, I avoid the 24 news channels. I also limit my kids tv viewing to none during the schoolweek. (Unless High School Musical 2 is on)

[dukemomLA]

During the school year, I always limited my kids to ONE hour per day -- pick the hour, pick the show -- but that's it! (Then again, on week-ends they could watch NFL, MLB, ACC BB, PGA Golf, etc. with me if they so desired -- building new sports fans as we speak).

That worked well for us. Choices had to be made. Homework and reading, reading, reading came first. Music, music, music came second.

However today, I think things are different. We can watch 2 hrs of programming in 45 minutes thanks to TIVO and fast forward. So cool.

So I think my prior rigid standards would be adjusted. -- and yet today I shiver at how much time my nephews and nieces spend playing video games and doing myspace/facebook crap. YIKES!!!