[OT] Television [was: Re: [plug] Binary Clock]

[James Devenish]

In message <200402011746.19167.leon at brooks.fdns.net>
on Sun, Feb 01, 2004 at 05:46:19PM +0800, Leon Brooks wrote:
> On Sun, 1 Feb 2004 17:29, James Devenish wrote:
> > the *absence* of television does not mean learning will
> > increase by default.
> 
> Generally, it will.

I sounds like you are assuming a child would not spend his or her non-
recreational time doing things other than watching television (or that
television has no intellectual value). Let's say a child spends two
hours (hmm...three hours...four hours?) watching television in a day.
That time may be occupied by:
 - meaningless cartoons,
 - general skills programmes,
 - documentaries / science shows,
 - sitcoms / dramas / televised novels,
 - game shows,
 - news,
 - movies.

If those two to four hours are instead spent on other activities, those
activities need to be limited to what parents can logistically support
given that the other 20-22 hours of a day are already spent on non-TV
activities. Since young children (e.g. primary school) cannot be trusted
to go out on their own, this implies home- or neighbour-based activities.
Of course, some of the non-TV time may already be occupied with
neighbour activities. So, let's say there are 2-4 hours of home-based
activities instead of television (and assume that there is not a sibling
of 'compatible' age). The time might then be occupied by:
 - video games,
 - solo sport,
 - reading,
 - puzzles,
 - art,
 - construction kits,
 - computers,
 - writing.
However, the non-TV time was probably already occupied with those
activities. Thus, depending on the child, an additional 2-4 hours of
those activities may be of limited benefit unless the parents can
continually expand their ability to facilitate those activities at home.
So, in fact, the non-inane portion of TV viewing time (let's say one to
two hours per day) may be occupied with experiences that are different
from what has already be done. As such, there may be a net benefit
(remember that some of the non-TV time will not have lasting value).
Anyway, school starts again tomorrow.