Comments on: Glimpsing the future of television http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/07/31/glimpsing-the-future-of-television/ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:31:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Wesley Fryer http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/07/31/glimpsing-the-future-of-television/comment-page-1/#comment-39103 Wesley Fryer Thu, 02 Aug 2007 04:15:07 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/07/31/glimpsing-the-future-of-television/#comment-39103 Gary, I think your story is a good object lesson for the view I support. Technology cannot "save us" in filtering TV or the Internet. We need more digital dialog. It is reasonable, however, to have a level of filtering in both our schools as well as our homes. The Internet is NOT HBO. There are virtually no limits to the depths of depravity now accessible and viewable online. It is unfortunate people are putting so much trash online, but it is also unfortunate many adults seem willing to keep blaming the Internet for the garbage instead of holding individuals responsible for the choices they make online. It sounds like you and your sister were accountable to each other, as well as your parents, for the HBO and other television programs you chose to watch at home. We need similar accountability systems in our schools and homes. Some of these may involve technology, but many won't and shouldn't. This comes down to good parenting and good communication patterns. This is an example of how I think a challenge (the need for awareness and accountability for online behavior) can be turned into an opportunity, for schools as well as families. Gary, I think your story is a good object lesson for the view I support. Technology cannot “save us” in filtering TV or the Internet. We need more digital dialog. It is reasonable, however, to have a level of filtering in both our schools as well as our homes. The Internet is NOT HBO. There are virtually no limits to the depths of depravity now accessible and viewable online. It is unfortunate people are putting so much trash online, but it is also unfortunate many adults seem willing to keep blaming the Internet for the garbage instead of holding individuals responsible for the choices they make online. It sounds like you and your sister were accountable to each other, as well as your parents, for the HBO and other television programs you chose to watch at home. We need similar accountability systems in our schools and homes. Some of these may involve technology, but many won’t and shouldn’t. This comes down to good parenting and good communication patterns. This is an example of how I think a challenge (the need for awareness and accountability for online behavior) can be turned into an opportunity, for schools as well as families.

]]> By: Gary Stager http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/07/31/glimpsing-the-future-of-television/comment-page-1/#comment-39074 Gary Stager Wed, 01 Aug 2007 09:01:06 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/07/31/glimpsing-the-future-of-television/#comment-39074 Wes, You raised one of my favorite issues - one I've been responding to for more than a quarter century - filtering TV. My parents subscribed to cable television and Home Box Office (HBO) when I was in the 5th grade. If I had to guess, it was January 1974, but could have been '73. Yes, we must have been the 3rd house in the world with HBO. I remember that "The Sting" was one of the first major motion pictures we watched. (According to Wikipedia, HBO started in 1972 and we likely subscribed in January 1974). My mother's family had a television in 1946 or '47. The reason this is relevant is that both of my parents worked and my sister (a year younger) and I were "latch-key" children - wahhh! Despite having Cable TV in the house and parents away, my sister and I were not damaged by access to inappropriate content. That's because my parents told us not to watch inappropriate shows and we largely obeyed them. Imagine that. We had an open loving trusting relationship in which at the very least we wished to avoid my mother yelling at us or being disappointed, so we behaved. No V-Chip, Tipper Gore or white-listing required. Wes,

You raised one of my favorite issues - one I’ve been responding to for more than a quarter century - filtering TV.

My parents subscribed to cable television and Home Box Office (HBO) when I was in the 5th grade. If I had to guess, it was January 1974, but could have been ‘73. Yes, we must have been the 3rd house in the world with HBO. I remember that “The Sting” was one of the first major motion pictures we watched. (According to Wikipedia, HBO started in 1972 and we likely subscribed in January 1974). My mother’s family had a television in 1946 or ‘47.

The reason this is relevant is that both of my parents worked and my sister (a year younger) and I were “latch-key” children - wahhh! Despite having Cable TV in the house and parents away, my sister and I were not damaged by access to inappropriate content. That’s because my parents told us not to watch inappropriate shows and we largely obeyed them. Imagine that.

We had an open loving trusting relationship in which at the very least we wished to avoid my mother yelling at us or being disappointed, so we behaved.

No V-Chip, Tipper Gore or white-listing required.

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