Greetings classmates,
To begin, I do not watch very much television.
Between work and school, family life, and chores, there are many other activities that I would prefer to spend my precious spare time on. Chief among them being reading; I love a good book. That is not to say, however, that it has always been like this. I used to watch a lot more television when I was younger, in part because I had a lot more spare time. That is one way my viewing habits have changed over the years. Additionally, no longer do I watch things when they are broadcast but almost always resort to utilizing online providers like Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu.
My reason for watching television today is that it is a good way to relax. As much as I enjoy reading, it is not always an easy task. Reading a good book requires a lot of concentration, discipline, and oftentimes heavy thinking. Television operates as an easy alternative that requires less effort. I like to watch historical documentaries and horror films because they are related to my literary interests.
In spite of the many diverse technical options for watching television, I do still believe that it is a social activity, though perhaps in a different way. Most of us are probably familiar with the concept of a Netflix. Similarly it is not uncommon to find people watching random videos on their smartphones with each other during breaks at the workplace. Perhaps it is not as much of a "formal" activity anymore, with people all volitionally coming together in order to watch it, but it does certainly still happen informally - during breaks, a pause in the middle of the day, random moments of free time etc.
On page 257 of our book the author compares shows like The Walking Dead to Westerns, writing that "Such fantasies appeal to a society suffering from an apparently eternal threat of terroristic violence and economic malaise." That was a very poignant observation, and one I am inclined to agree with because I am a fan of the genre and often read our society's own contemporary problems into it like terrorism, however, I believe that there is another reason the author ignores. Namely, that people seem to desire adventure and to an extent even danger. It makes them feel like their lives carry more purpose and meaning, like they are not just pushing pencils all day in an office. It is a break from the mundanity of life.
James.
Good afternoon,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post I realized that when it comes to watching tv we have a lot in common. I too watch very little tv, but when I do it is usually in the evening just before go to sleep. I take a moment to relax and let my mind rest from the days busy work. I can relate to how the book states that tv viewing used to be a social event and most things were viewed as a live broad cast. When I was around 5 I remember that most of my family would get together during certain events to watch the tv at our house. I think that was mainly because we had the biggest tv in the family it was about 46".
With technology being as big as it is now there is no need to be at any certain place in order to watch a live broadcast. Even if there is something restraining you from watching it live, there is a great chance that you will be able to watch a recording of it later. If you would have told someone 32 years ago that one day you will be able to watch tv on a phone anywhere in the world, I'm sure they would have laughed at you.
I agree with you about what is in the book about how "Such fantasies appeal to a society suffering from an apparently eternal threat of terroristic violence and economic malaise." People seam to respond to movies as if it where a real life event.