Television - Is it An Idiot Box ?

I watch those channels and love them. I think the term idiot box comes from the fact that most people just watch trash and network TV and ignore the good options.

That is about what my reply was going to be when I saw the discussion. I really believe it can be a learning tool in this day and age with certain stations that they now have. Of course there is a lot of non-educational programs too so I guess it could be both.

I think if you go by what is mostly watched it is still an idiot box for the most part. It's true that it can be used for education, but few people take the time to look at educational material on TV. It's great that some do, but most people watch crap. There is one aspect where, if anything, TV today is more of an idiot box than before. This shows up in the evening news programs. They cover very little that is truly relevant, and when they do it's not that in depth. The best recent example of this is the pathetic coverage of the war in Iraq, with the "embedded" journalists that were never allowed to see anything but what the pentagon wanted them to see.When it comes to news, many of the older news programs were better.

Even though I like the song "Idiot Box" by Incubus, I agree. I've learned a lot from TV. But you also have to know what to believe. For example, someone can't expect to get a forensic lesson from C.S.I. But, other than that, there are loads of educational shows people can learn a lot from.

No, I don't think so. Television provides a necessary form of entertainment that isn't present in our everyday lives. Comedy relieves our stress and going along with the thrill of TV shows lets us get away from problems we may be facing in reality. In addition, there are some very educational channels like you mentioned. Television is definitely not an idiot box. What's wrong with having some fun once in a while instead of constantly working?

TV is and will always be an idiot box. True, there are educational/documentary based as well as full time movie channels out there, but for the most part those channels are either extra or part of a more expensive cable package. The standard channels that companies give are the idiot channels serving up 80% idiotic content and 20% news/sensible content. I think that in the future this ratio of idiotic/sensible content will start to even out or even lean towards sensible because of the ongoing discussions about how TV rots the youth and kids do crazy things cuz they see it happen on Tv, etc, etc.

Television, like anything else, can be what you make it. It brings all of the wonderful stuff you mentioned; but it also brings Jerry Springer, Flavor of Love and the one star movies. So you can choose your poison. Depending on what you watch, it can be an idiot box or an educational tool, a wonderful form of entertainment, or your connection to the outside world. People all over the world witnessed the events surrounding the inaugaration of America's 44th President. Without television most of us would have had to rely on second hand accounts from biased reporters. Television enabled us to see and hear for ourselves what was said. I doubt that we can go back to a time without television. That's for sure.

most of the stuff on the idiot box is not fit to look at.something things on the box is ok to look at we can learn a lot from each other.it so much information we can learn from discovery channel and history channel and many more.

At previous time, people called it "An Idiot Box" because the name is too long and commonly misspelled and converse, a TELEvision. Where it started by history, photoconductivity of the element selenium by Willoughby Smith in 1873. But now, it has been called as TV and no more for an idiot box. That's true for your saying bout the current features of TV well equipped with the latest technology and categorized under an electronic media. Matter of fact, latest marketing strategy made by some providers is ONLINE TV such as PCTV4Me; http://pctv4u.com/ So, TV program is also a knowledge network that provides lots resources for those related issues to human kind, I mean the advantages of it.

hi deep, yeah, there was a time as far as i remember, that television, is considered an idiot box. but even that time and up to now, i dont agree on it cause it depends on ur usage and what channels are you viewing... there is always an advantage and disadvantage on being addictive to something just like being a television addict. but it really depends cause there are as many as educationnal materials that are showend and tv as there are not. television - a great tool for information highway, digerati

Television is certainly still an idiot box.Most of those shows are pseudo-educational.While some are truly educational, anyone who spends much time in front of a TV certainly becomes idle, lazy and to an extent idiotic.The human mind does not distinguish TV from reality as both are seen to be external stimuli by the brain and it reacts identically to both. As an educational tool television is quite limited.DVD's can be more educational in reality but still limited.The best education is gained by being worldly and traveling and exploring the world.Being out among other people and generally being a real person as a whole. Consequently soon after the TV became a household appliance obesity started to rise.Many people also use the TV as an excuse to do nothing essentially.

Tv most of it is cxxp ,you get the same old films

I think TV is still an idiot Box, as it makes us sit like an idiot sometimes for hours & hours (without much productivity) watching foolish serials and soaps (that never seem to end) depriving your husband/wife/children/parents/studies...(the list continues) Well I think you got it. It's okay as long as you are not quite addicted.

ya its true by this histroy chanels... kids will be helpfull.....but for guys some channels are idiot