Julpost Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 I don't watch TV anymore for financial as well as time issues. I just don't have the time and cable is so expensive! We watch some Netflix and Amazon Prime here and there with the kids...mainly kid stuff and documentaries. So, perhaps you can imagine my absolute shock when this past weekend, while on vacation in Atlanta (I live in a small New England town) I turned on the TV at 5:30am because the baby was awake and I thought, cool...a little fun TV time.. So, there's some news, lots of infomercials, some kid stuff...I'm clicking past the kids channels and then hit upon some shows, maybe TV dramas...I'm not really sure. One show catches my attention just because of it's title...something about an attic. I watch a few minutes, just another show. I continue clicking, flipping through all the channels again thinking I guess nothing is on, when I hit the "attic" show again....and now, it's, well, quite graphic. In fact, I thought at first that this was an adult channel. And it was only a few channels down from the kids channels. So, I'm thinking, what? you can just find this stuff just by channel surfing, I thought you had to order it or something and I'm quite upset at this point because can I just tell you...this was graphic stuff. THEN, I notice at the top of the screen that a rating is shown for each show...this show had a TV-14 rating!!!!! To say I'm in shock in an understatement. Now, please don't misunderstand me. I'm no prude. I know there is a lot of stuff out there. But it used to be "under lock and key" so to speak. You had to go search it out. So...I'm busy digesting this and processing it in my mind. I talk to my husband, he seems to agree...blah, blah, blah...we're home again and life is busy and we are getting back to normal routines. Then, my husband invites my 18 year old son to watch a Netflix show. I happen to sit down to catch up on some emails and listen to what they are watching. It's all vampires, death, violence, some comedy (??), and lots of swearing and graphic stuff (I can't remember what you guys call it here...there used to be a code word of sorts) but I'm sure you get the gist! I make the mistake of looking up at the screen and here it is again! Although, this time, it's my husband and son watching it! I can't believe it. Like it's Seinfeld or something. They're laughing, they think it's so funny! I talk to my husband later and he says it was an HBO mature show, not TV-14 and I guess he knew and doesn't think it's odd or anything. I don't know. But what I saw on that show was exactly the same thing on the TV-14 show in Atlanta. So, obviously...I'm living in a bubble or something. I feel like I've been so busy taking care of my family, homeschooling, trying to decipher curriculums, raising teens down to raising babies again, working on my spiritual life and trying not to get too busy for God, that something has happened to the world I once knew. How could this stuff be on normal, everyday TV...it's not like you have to go rent it anymore? And...how is it that my husband seems to not think anything of it? And now, evidently, my 18 year old thinks it's "refreshing to hear swearing in shows because it's realistic and 'real world'?? But mainly, it's like porn has hit mainstream TV, I just.can't.believe.it.... I don't know what to do right now. I can't sleep because I now feel like an alien and like I've dropped the ball somehow. I've worked so hard to try to provide a good, healthy environment. I've tried to keep up on what's going on in the world and tried to "keep the conversation and discussion going" with the kids on movies and books. But admittedly, I don't go to movies and I don't actually read the books. I just read reviews and talk to others to get an idea of what's out there. I don't know what else I can do but I can't just do nothing. Not after what I have seen on the screen this weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotsofpumpkins Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 That's why dh and I decided to get rid of the satellite once our 2 years was up. It's ridiculous what is allowed to be on TV these days. We live in a rural area so we only get a couple of channels with an antenna, but even those have some bad shows sometimes. My dc have a limited supply of DVDs and that's what they watch. Even good TV shows have terrible commericals advertising for the bad shows. I'm actually looking forward to the day when our ancient TV dies (it's having issues) and I can maybe convince dh not to buy another one. We can watch DVDs on the computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 It bothers me because I think when young kids are exposed to graphic sex and violence it is a form of abuse; they don't have the brain maturity or life experience to process it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodhaven Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 It bothers me a lot too! Dh doesn't want TV in our home and I am fine with that. We don't have time for it anyway! If we could choose to pay for ONLY the stations we wanted, we might. But we don't want to pay for all that other trash. We don't want to have to pay extra to block stuff we don't want in our home. So we don't have cable. We do select movies and watch them, or go to a movie theater, but we are careful about what we watch and we always discuss the movie. What were the messages of the movie? What do the makers of that movie believe about life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candicane Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Yes TV has changed, but so have ways to prevent kids from watch, parenting controls, etc. There's also the idea of not having TVs at all, but I wouldn't do away with them completely. There are still good shows on in the morning hours (and sometimes night) for children. It's just a matter of moderation and control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahM Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 For this exact reason we do not have cable. Well, besides the fact that it's expensive and we don't have time to watch it. Even just the commercials on tv are inappropriate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyD Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 In fact, I thought at first that this was an adult channel. And it was only a few channels down from the kids channels. So, I'm thinking, what? you can just find this stuff just by channel surfing, I thought you had to order it or something But mainly, it's like porn has hit mainstream TV, I just.can't.believe.it.... We got rid of our TV years ago, but the last time we stayed in a hotel I switched on the TV and started going through the stations just to see if there might be anything good to watch. I had the exact same reaction as you did. (Hey, maybe it was the same show!) I really don't think of myself as an especially conservative person, but I was genuinely shocked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter's Moon Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 It's not only cable, though! While visiting my parents we watched CBS and NBC (I think?) during Prime Time. Not only were n*pples and vag*na used casually, on network television, but the overall themes and behaviors of the supposedly funny characters was beyond gross. One was about a woman with a pregnant teenage daughter, and her own mother was going through menopause but talking about her s*xual escapades and such. The other was Two and a Half Men, so, yeah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingmama Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 I was just talking about this with my DH the other day. Back when I was a kid all those " call me " ads were not allowed on till after midnight and now I commonly see them after 9.30. My kids like to watch Masterchef which I thought was a family show but some of the ads that are played during that time I actually have to switch over so the kids don't see.... It seems nowadays that anything can be played after 8.30 and my kids are still up then. It's a good incentive to send them off to bed..but geez...the call girl ads bother me the most though...my kids have seen them once or twice and I can't believe they had access to them. They shouldn't be on till way later then my kids stay up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 It seems nowadays that anything can be played after 8.30 and my kids are still up then.I was told the cutoff time was 8pm back in 1999 on my first business trip to California. My ex-colleagues said it was assumed school kids are in bed by 8pm. All the hotels/motels/inns my family stayed at had cable so we usually stick to the CNN news channel only. Anderson Cooper was safe enough to watch on TV. ETA: Canada's time range for adult content is 9pm to 6am. http://www.cbsc.ca/english/faqs/standards.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenaj Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 My kids were enjoying watching the Cosby Show and Brady Bunch on TV Land a few weeks ago, until the advertisements for the other shows on the station and just general ads began to get worse and worse. No, we weren't watching a night, this was in the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday. Now I've had to ban TV Land. It's ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 We haven't had problems, but then again, I tend to tape everything on our VCR and we fast forward commercials as none of us like them. Commercials are the worst - they last forever and are seldom anything good - even the first time you see them. We hate watching TV if we can't fast forward commercials, so will often pause live TV too, then start it again when we have enough time built up. We have a mix of old shows and new shows we like - then tons of educational things like Nature, Nova, Globetrekker, and other travel/critter/planet/history shows. We have 100 hours of taping time and I'm almost always having to be careful that I don't exceed that (and get things erased that we do want to watch at some point). There's no way we could ever change our schedule to watch the TV we want, so we tape and let the TV fit our schedule. I highly recommend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 I wish our TV would blow up. :glare: :glare: :glare: :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Twain Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 I blocked many, many of our cable channels with the parental controls. This takes care of a lot of the problem. It is difficult to go to a hotel though, because nothing is blocked. We just try not to turn on the tv when we are there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Years ago, I turned on the Family Channel to let my girls watch an episode of Full House on a day when we were all ill. I was so appalled at the commercials they were showing, I cancelled cable that day and went out and got some old favorites on dvd, Full House, Wonder Woman, McGyver, Justice League and Johnny Quest. To this day we don't have cable and I am grateful. We do have Amazon Prime and Netflix and as they have gotten older, we have shared many shows together that dh and I love, (all things Joss Whedon, but not Dollhouse yet) We love tv shows and movies but it is a family time thing from which great discussions have evolved for years now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 It's not just the yuck. It's that the shows are bad. Poor writing, stupid plots, people being awful. I can't stand it. We have an antenna and watch a local channel that has "vintage" tv, as I call it. Old reruns of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Dick Van Dyke Show, Mash, etc etc. And the commercials are not rique, although they are kind of funny, as they are all aimed at old people. So if you need an emergency alert bracelet or a bathtub that has a door on it to walk into, watch the "vintage" shows and you will see a commercial for them. Oh, lots of commercials for arthritis products too, lol. Also, we watch PBS. Our local channel actually has 4 digital channels, one that plays nothing but kids stuff during the day, no commercials at all. The other is cooking/craft/home repair/garden/travel stuff. The last is a global one with documentaries, etc. Oh, and a spanish language one. With those channels and the "vintage" one we have no need for cable. Otherwise we watch Netflix and Amazon Prime and Hulu. We do watch some very graphic stuff, but not when the kids are awake. (thinking of House of Cards). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Well, I'm feeling a lot better reading this. It means we're not the only ones who feel this way! :grouphug: We have Netflix which requires a code to be input for the kids to watch something. We had exactly one year of satellite TV after having been lured in with a $9 a month for a year special. Never again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Closeacademy Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 We just got cable back again because my husband want to watch football and the news when there is bad weather. But I've found that there is nothing decent for kids between the ages of 10 and 18 to watch anymore. Once they grow out of educational programming all you have is documentaries and those shows that none of us wants to watch. My kids ended up turning to anime but I watch things with them so I know what they are watching and all of us have been known to turn off a show if it was offensive to us. I also turned to Korean Dramas because the teen shows tend to emphasis respect for elders, courtship (hand-holding is huge), friendships, working and studying hard, and that everyone should have a dream. Many of the shows for adults have the same concepts. Plus, they show characters praying and having faith (sometimes Christian and sometimes Buddhist). But belief in a higher power is there. They just have good values on the shows and people who do bad on the shows learn their lessons by the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 It's not just the yuck. It's that the shows are bad. Poor writing, stupid plots, people being awful.... Indeed. Kids being disrespectful of parents and rude to each other. Plots based on being deceitful and sneaky. Parents being portrayed as stupid, especially dads. Seeing all grown men playing the role of stupid dorks really bothers me. And I really don't like that being obnoxious is shown as hip. I see that overflowing into IRL too much and it saddens me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meadowlark Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 I hear you! I have little ones and keep a tight rein on TV, but I fear for the future for sure. I would love to get rid of it, but I have a TV/movie loving husband who would never go for that. And commercials...I feel like I'm polluting their brains when they watch them. Thank goodness for the DVR! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 I hear you! I have little ones and keep a tight rein on TV, but I fear for the future for sure. I would love to get rid of it, but I have a TV/movie loving husband who would never go for that. And commercials...I feel like I'm polluting their brains when they watch them. Thank goodness for the DVR! keep it on PBS...no commercials :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Shrug. I love TV. I don't mind s*x or violence in a show. I don't let the kids just surf the channels - I have zero expectation that that's okay. I'm not bothered by it myself. I think there are amazing shows out there. There's also a ton of complete crap. But that's always been the case. There's just more stuff out there. The stuff that's better is really good. I know people feel we're past the peak of the so called "second golden era of television" but I think there's still some amazing stuff out there. Better than anything being produced a few decades ago. But there's also a lot of terrible stuff. There's just a lot of channels and a lot of content out there. My kids really like TV too. I curate for them, just like I curate for us. I greatly appreciate many things being made for kids. My boys adore Legend of Korra, which, along with Last Airbender, I rank as one of the best shows for kids ever made. Phineas and Ferb is funny enough that we all enjoy it. They watch other good stuff as well. They liked reality TV like Top Chef and Mythbusters. They enjoy well-written shows like Doctor Who. They watch older stuff like Animaniacs. Basically, I got zero issue with TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Am I the only one who enjoys television? Lol. We just go rid of cable, but in favor of satellite. My children enjoy television, and we (Tony/me) love our weekly shows. We can put blocks on what we do not want the children watching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topquark Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Indeed. Kids being disrespectful of parents and rude to each other. Plots based on being deceitful and sneaky. Parents being portrayed as stupid, especially dads. Seeing all grown men playing the role of stupid dorks really bothers me. And I really don't like that being obnoxious is shown as hip. I see that overflowing into IRL too much and it saddens me. Disney Channel was banned from our home over a decade ago for this very reason. Disney for crap sakes! We have a TV (w/ very limited access to cable) but, it is never on without adult supervision. I have to be honest. There are some shows I consider guilty pleasures that I watch when the rest of the crew goes to bed (Two and a half Men, South Park, etc.) That said, how is it that FOX can put the animated show Family Guy on in prime time? That show embarrasses me on occasion... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kajm Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 We got rid of cable, etc. because, even though we wanted to watch sporting events, the commercials were too horrible to allow. Most shows are crass and foolish, or violent and filled with inuendo or worse. We don't even get basic stuff, even with rabbit ears. Just DVD's, etc. around here. And then we as a nation wonder why we have such things that are on TV in society. Are we really that blind? We don't support the family, then wonder why kids don't turn out well. HELLO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Sons of Anarchy is my guilty pleasure, it reminds me of Modern day Shakespeare. Excellent TV but I wouldn't let the kids watch it until they are older. Sci-fi is usually safe. The boys really enjoy Dr. Who, Warehouse 13 , and Eureka. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mliss Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 In January we stopped at a hotel on our way home from visiting my family. DD was sick so we tucked her in bed and tried to find cartoons or an old movie for her to watch. The hotel had channel listings, only they were all acronyms we weren't familiar with so we ended up flipping channels. We lasted 2 minutes. And we didn't even view anything overly graphic - it was mainly the frenzied nature of the commercials, the carnivorous nature shows and embarrassing ads for feminine products we couldn't handle. Also, a few years ago I gave up watching action movies with my DH (we were trying to do monthly at home movie date nights) because I'd tremble through most of the movie. I was miserable and exhausted by the time the movie finished and eventually decided I couldn't watch any more. I feel like an alien too because I don't enjoy TV or movies (besides I don't have time to watch anything even if I wanted to). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 I have mixed feelings. I love the documentaries. Love the History Channel, FoodTV, Discovery, PBS, etc., but even the best channels have a shocking amount of gratuitous junk. DS11, who has future aspirations to be an architect, loves shows like Treehouse Builder. Dirty Jobs, Mythbusters, etc. are pretty cool shows for middle-aged kids. Cosmos is a winner. Sports (we follow a little baseball and occasional football). DH watches car repair shows and the kids are learning along with him. The kids are not allowed to surf. They wouldn't even know what you were talking about if you mentioned channel surfing. LOL There are shows they are allowed to watch, and channels that they can watch during certain hours of the day, lots of Animal Planet (but still I find stuff on Animal Planet that I consider junk). There is one current sitcom we watch with the kids. ONE. The Middle. What bothers me more than anything is actually all the doom and gloom commercials. What? My mammogram isn't normal? If you or a loved one have (insert dread disease)... I was diagnosed with stage 3/4 (insert type of cancer)... So many reminders that we may have cancer lurking in our bodies at this very moment... Every single commercial break, I'm reminded that I could be snatched away from my family. I'm watching TV to escape, people! My kids have never been watching evening TV when the call-girl commercials are on. That would bother me for sure. I used to be bothered by commercials for junk food and cruddy toys, and just never let my kids be exposed to them. Then I viewed them as educational (still kind of do), but the you're gonna die...or maybe your Mommy is and adult content commercials would bother me for them to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 We love tv, hate commercials and thus, I or dh preview most viewing and watch it via Netflix or hulu or amazon prime. And I'll say I've sent w rotten complaints to Hulu about a few of their commercials and never saw them again. My only major peeve right now is NONE of those providers permit any method whatsoever for me to filter some shows from being suggested or advertised. For example, I don't know what it is about but I'm certain I have no desire to watch Masters of Sex based in the cover alone and it really bothers me that I can't weed those out. At the very least, an option to have a "no cover" when scrolling would be appreciated. Some of the cover photos for some of the shows are very explicit and there's no method of report that opinion or selecting to not view it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemom Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Disney Channel was banned from our home over a decade ago for this very reason. Disney for crap sakes! .. I totally agree with this. I find Disney and its sister stations, ABC & ABC Family to have some of the most offensive shows. I never completely banned Disney but the kids were only allowed to watch a few select shows. There was one popular show on another kids' station that I had to completely ban because my son started acting like the older brother on the show (who was the acting parent). Disrespectful and screaming everything instead of talking. It was just crazy. If, and this is a big IF, there are parents they are always portrayed as clueless and complete idiots. I like to watch a popular news show in the morning but I am horrified by the commercials for the evening shows. So much bare skin while my kids and I are eating breakfast. I would love to get rid of cable but hubby will not allow it. He likes to watch sports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidbits of Learning Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 We didn't have cable for years. Think a decade plus of no cable. Just the antenna and the kids watched pbs mainly. We did spring for netflix when the oldest got about 10 and enjoyed it for a few years. The reason we broke down and got cable was the year we did online school through a charter. Our phone dsl internet would not keep up with 4 kids on 4 computers doing all online school. So we got cable internet and loved it. Well since we got cable internet, hubby wanted sports. So now we have full cable with the sports and kids tiers. The kids tiers really doesn't bring much to the table. My kids watch most of the shows they like on demand instead of channel surfing or we set up the dvr to record so we can fast forward through commercials. The TV actually gets watched the most by hubby on his off time. I like cable and the kids have tv's in their rooms, but I guess years of no cable, dvd watching, and netflix have trained them to pick out something to watch instead of surfing for something to watch. I don't surf through tv anymore either and I did as a kid and adult before we went without cable for so long. My kids actually love anime and bbc shows. I would love it if we could just pick the channels we love and watch and get rid of the rest. ;) Mostly though my kids get into a show or program and we dvr them to watch on our own time. Hubby stays on the history channel, the military channel, and all things sports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 The ads can be annoying. But I just don't watch ads. That's what DVR's and Tivo are for. And Netflix and Amazon Prime. The only ads I see are on Hulu shows. And that's just the same ad over and over. It reminds me of when I lived in China and watched English TV from Hong Kong. Same dozen ads over and over and over. Oh, ads, it's not working. I see through your game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ad astra Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 My family loves to watch shows on Netflix, Hulu+ and Amazon Prime. We have an Apple TV, Fire TV and 2 iPads that are well used. We also have a cable+HBO but rarely turn it on except for PBS channel. I notice that sex & violence do appear more frequently and specifically in American TV than in my home country but on streaming I can go straight to the shows I want and simply ignore the rest. This is so much more convenient and also easier to avoid annoying ads and graphical scenes than flipping through channels. We're never going back to the old way!My little DC mostly watch educational programs such as leapfrog and PBS kids shows but I sometimes let them watch Disney, Dora & Diego, Umizumi and movies like Frozen. Just trying to avoid Sponge Bob or others that I think are "not appropriate" for kids under 5. My DC both learned all alphabets, letter sounds and numbers quickly through watching TV so I have no complaint. ;)And, for me to do cooking and other house chores, TV is the only thing that can calm 4yo and 2yo down. But we don't have time to abuse it with daily field trips and schoolwork. FWIW, I grew up watching TV everyday and turned out just fine. Think moderation is key in everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 We watch quite a bit of tv I guess. Mostly SciFi shows for dh and I, cartoons for the kids. Phineas & Ferb is a favorite, although so is SpongeBob and the Simpsons. We have dvr's so hardly ever watch commercials, but I have never in my life seen an add for call girls and we watch some pretty late night shows. I have noticed when away from home in hotels, visiting family, or certain cable channels that the commercials are very different away from the ones we get on the networks (we get mostly NYC channels). Other places seem to have a lot more local commercials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosieCotton Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 You are what you read, watch and eat. This has turned out to be really true! Who knew?? lol We are a reflection of what goes into our minds and ultimately our souls. The TV and the net sources out there are highly monitored here. For content. I don't need my kids to see such disrespect for others, (especially parents and elders) sex, or graphic vampire type shows. I remembered being scarred by my husbands game Resident Evil - (and I was 24 at the time!!). We don't live in a dark cave, but we have no regular TV. We were spending more time searching the guide channel for something good than actually watching. The day that ABC Family showed Coyote Ugly on a Saturday afternoon did it for us. Plus the commercials now are so terrible. It seems all they want us to focus on is sex. And more of it. We rotate classic shows for evening times or when it's raining out or we feel like watching one: Waltons, Little House, Grizzly Adams, Gilligan's Island. Even Hogan's Heroes and others of course. And we enjoy the old cartoons like GI Joe, Strawberry Shortcake, Peanuts, Old Looney Tunes and Pink Panther for some mornings. Our shows are chosen. And we spend more than enough time with it. Americans' are now so fat and lazy I believe BECAUSE of the magic box everyone now has hanging in their rooms. We have Netflix and I get a ton of shows from the library along with others we have purchased over the years. ****Food for thought: At a soccer game just last week, 4 Mom's on a blanket not even watching their sons, heads down, surfing, and texting. What is so important it can't wait??? While TV and media sources can be fun don't get me wrong, they can be also very addictive and lead to bad behaviors, concepts, and missing out on life. I love TV, but I think of all I could've done without it. I'd have 5 languages under my belt by now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Like you, we don't have a television (never have). I don't know why, exactly, we just never bothered? Neither one of us wants one. We do occasionally watch something on Amazon, but that's rare. We went on vacation a few weeks ago, surfed on cable for a few minutes, gave up entirely, and we all went swimming! The pool was nice. ;) There is so much living to do, we don't want to waste time watching most of what's on TV. Then again, I sometimes wonder about missing out on documentary channels, so I'm not sure. My husband, who travels for work and has access to TV, says, "No, trust me, we really don't need any of it in the home." I'm not sure what part of your story would make me more depressed: the fact that TV is so bad, the fact that my young adult son was "refreshed" by it, or the fact that my husband didn't mind sharing the muck with that son. :glare: Probably that last one, for me. I'd feel like he and I didn't exactly share the same values. I'd feel like my efforts at creating a wholesome home and teaching our children holiness and godliness had been undermined by the one person I was most expecting to support those efforts. That would be hard to absorb. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momacacia Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I also turned to Korean Dramas because the teen shows tend to emphasis respect for elders, courtship (hand-holding is huge), friendships, working and studying hard, and that everyone should have a dream. Many of the shows for adults have the same concepts. Plus, they show characters praying and having faith (sometimes Christian and sometimes Buddhist). But belief in a higher power is there. They just have good values on the shows and people who do bad on the shows learn their lessons by the end. And learn Korean at the same time?! :thumbup1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 This is where I declare that I let my 10 year old watch Orange is the New Black (with an adult), but not Game of Thrones. And that I haven't had satellite in years--we stream most of what we watch via Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu Plus. Much, much cheaper! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Shrug. I love TV. I don't mind s*x or violence in a show. I don't let the kids just surf the channels - I have zero expectation that that's okay. I'm not bothered by it myself. I think there are amazing shows out there. There's also a ton of complete crap. But that's always been the case. There's just more stuff out there. The stuff that's better is really good. I know people feel we're past the peak of the so called "second golden era of television" but I think there's still some amazing stuff out there. Better than anything being produced a few decades ago. But there's also a lot of terrible stuff. There's just a lot of channels and a lot of content out there. My kids really like TV too. I curate for them, just like I curate for us. I greatly appreciate many things being made for kids. My boys adore Legend of Korra, which, along with Last Airbender, I rank as one of the best shows for kids ever made. Phineas and Ferb is funny enough that we all enjoy it. They watch other good stuff as well. They liked reality TV like Top Chef and Mythbusters. They enjoy well-written shows like Doctor Who. They watch older stuff like Animaniacs. Basically, I got zero issue with TV. :iagree: FWIW, not even *I* channel surf, let alone my kids. I was a child of the 80s and saw more than my fair share. Heck even the "family" shows before the 80s had some questionable things, looking back at reruns as an adult. We have Netflix and Prime. My kids have to ask before they can watch anything and use the kids Netflix channel. Not even because it's not "wholesome" but most is just mindless trash. And commercials annoy the snot out of me. I'm so happy to not have had cable in years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Whenever this debate comes up, it just seems pathetic to me on some level. At one time, reading novels was considered a waste of time and a moral flaw. It's just a medium for stories and information. It can be great art or mindless (or sometimes even mind destroying) schlock. And all things in moderation. If it's not your cup of tea, fine. Not everyone likes movies or books or plays either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 This is where I declare that I let my 10 year old watch Orange is the New Black (with an adult), but not Game of Thrones. And that I haven't had satellite in years--we stream most of what we watch via Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu Plus. Much, much cheaper! Why do you let your ten year old watch OitNB but not GoT? What is the distinction? I watch both so I am not really seeing why OitNB is ok? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 We love tv, hate commercials and thus, I or dh preview most viewing and watch it via Netflix or hulu or amazon prime. And I'll say I've sent w rotten complaints to Hulu about a few of their commercials and never saw them again. My only major peeve right now is NONE of those providers permit any method whatsoever for me to filter some shows from being suggested or advertised. For example, I don't know what it is about but I'm certain I have no desire to watch Masters of Sex based in the cover alone and it really bothers me that I can't weed those out. At the very least, an option to have a "no cover" when scrolling would be appreciated. Some of the cover photos for some of the shows are very explicit and there's no method of report that opinion or selecting to not view it again. You can now create profiles on netflix and make a kid profile that is set on "just for kids" My ds is only allowed to watch the "just for kids" section of netflix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingmama Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 We watch quite a bit of tv I guess. Mostly SciFi shows for dh and I, cartoons for the kids. Phineas & Ferb is a favorite, although so is SpongeBob and the Simpsons. We have dvr's so hardly ever watch commercials, but I have never in my life seen an add for call girls and we watch some pretty late night shows. I have noticed when away from home in hotels, visiting family, or certain cable channels that the commercials are very different away from the ones we get on the networks (we get mostly NYC channels). Other places seem to have a lot more local commercials. Well I live in Aus so maybe your tv is different over there. I see these ads regularly and I don't want my kids seeing a mostly naked woman lying on a bed asking people to call her for a chat LOL. I don't have any fancy paid tv..its too expensive here. We just have regular old free to air channels..thats all. Today at lunchtime I had the tv on for a few minutes and I was flicking through channels and all four of us got an eyeful of naked mans butt and naked womans full front. My kids were all quiet and then...Mum why where those people naked...mum why do people want to watch naked people on tv..thats gross ..and of course the 4 yo....i saw a naked butt...I saw a naked butt LOL. I mean really..at lunchtime? I hardly ever watch daytime tv...most of it is boring and the ads are always for funeral insurance as if the only people home all day are old people. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Indeed. Kids being disrespectful of parents and rude to each other. Plots based on being deceitful and sneaky. Parents being portrayed as stupid, especially dads. Seeing all grown men playing the role of stupid dorks really bothers me. And I really don't like that being obnoxious is shown as hip. I see that overflowing into IRL too much and it saddens me. :iagree: Yep. We don't have cable, either (for about 5 years now). My kids do watch a lot of science documentaries on Hulu or Netflix- stuff like Cosmos. That's our favorite show right now. Someone mentioned the action movies are really strange lately. YES! I (and a couple of my kids) have mild sensory issues and I can barely sit through those movies. It is non-stop, mindless, numbing action. I seriously can't focus on what's happening in the movie, I can't "see" what's happening on the screen and I just can't sit through most of them. I can't follow the plots (if there actually IS a plot) and the noise from the explosions/shooting/etc is stressful. I also feel really exhausted after watching one of those in the theater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ad astra Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I also turned to Korean Dramas because the teen shows tend to emphasis respect for elders, courtship (hand-holding is huge), friendships, working and studying hard, and that everyone should have a dream. Many of the shows for adults have the same concepts. Plus, they show characters praying and having faith (sometimes Christian and sometimes Buddhist). But belief in a higher power is there. They just have good values on the shows and people who do bad on the shows learn their lessons by the end. How did I miss this comment? :hurray: Yes, this is why me and my American DH can watch Korean Drama around our little DC. And there're no guns, no drugs and nothing more than a few light kisses. Think we watch more Korean shows than American ones even after we moved back to the U.S. maybe because now we have kids. DH is a huge fan (not so much of romantic comedies :( but of action and historical dramas)! Some Korean Movies do involve more violence and sex but they are all R rated. Well, Closeacademy kindly listed only good things about Korean Dramas, but as a Korean who grew up watching them, I honestly think many of them have the same old love triangles, birth secrets, rich (chaebol) "flower boys," extreme good/evil characters, overacting and the same few background songs often played throughout a series. And those commercials on Hulu+ drive me batty... :cursing: So I can see they are not for everybody. But I'm glad to see a growing number of people around the world enjoy them. :) NOTE: I think there are so many great American shows, too. The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family and Parenthood are my favorites and I have greatly enjoyed other countless dramas & movies. I love to watch the documentaries and news on streaming, too. My dilemma is, too much to watch in too little time, rather than cutting TV out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 No cable here, no access to regular TV either. Don't miss it at all. Our only TV is currently doing duty as my computer monitor, where it's hooked up to both the computer and DVD player. Most shows I like (a few on NBC and a few on ABC) are available online for free, although for ABC I have to wait a week or pay for Hulu, and I buy Rizzoli & Isles episodes from amazon. We do have Netflix but rarely use it, and the kids definitely do not have free access to it. What annoys me mostly, when it comes to my own tv watching, is seeing the same commercial multiple times when watching online. Did I really need to see that drug ad or car ad four times during a thirty minute show?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Above The Rowan Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Add me to the "love TV" camp. We're all lovers of video games here, and I love my tv shows - some I watch when the kids are asleep, some I don't mind if they see them. We mostly just use Netflix or we'll download the torrents and watch when we have time. I just don't see the big deal. TV is one of many forms of entertainment, and I don't go to my tv shows to teach my kids (or myself) values and morals. It's entertainment. Perhaps my parental judgment is lacking, but we're really open about what the kids see and hear in our home. Nothing overly graphic and they know when we DO say "you know, this has some stuff in it that is just not good for you guys right now" (ie: Sons Of Anarchy or Criminal Minds) they say "oh ok" and walk away. Music, movies, tv shows, video games - we're careful about the intense brutal scenes, and sexual scenes, but otherwise it's fair game. And still, mostly they watch Ultimate SPiderman and My Little Pony if left up to themselves. I'm of a similar belief re: video games. My kids play FPS games, and my son has his own console. But they are both the most gentle, peaceful and kindhearted kids I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink and Green Mom Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 My kids were enjoying watching the Cosby Show and Brady Bunch on TV Land a few weeks ago, until the advertisements for the other shows on the station and just general ads began to get worse and worse. No, we weren't watching a night, this was in the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday. Now I've had to ban TV Land. It's ridiculous. Thanks for the heads up on that....my kids watch these shows and it never occurred to me to be concerned about the commercials. Yikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Why do you let your ten year old watch OitNB but not GoT? What is the distinction? I watch both so I am not really seeing why OitNB is ok? FWIW, I would not let my children watch either until they were at least 16. And GoT at all until they move out as adults. For me, GoT is violent past what I am willing to deal with, and the Producer's (or Director?) comment about a recent rape scene has me so thoroughly disgusted that it's marked entirely off of my OK list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 I'm often shocked by what I see on TV and I don't have cable or watch often. Fortunately for me, the only channel we get that my kids like to watch is that MeTV station which shows 1950s - 1970's shows like Gilligan's Island, Emergency, and The Rifleman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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