programs

Gerry Waite (00gewaite@BSUVC.BSU.EDU)
Wed, 13 Mar 1996 09:14:36 -0500

I think that one only has to look at juvenile crime statistics of late to
realize that our cultural reality is being seriously warped by television. I
also believe that it will only get worse if as Jerry Mander says it is like a
drug and ever increasing doses are necessary to maintain the high. I for one
think that we see the effects now in the students we teach but I think the
effects will get more severe as each new generation of television addicts
approaches college age. I already find that attention spans require commercial
breaks every 15 minutes and think that I see more difficulty with those classes
that are over 50 minutes. If indeed, as Barbara suggests, their perceptions
of reality are based in the fantasy they absorb on Sat am or for that matter
every day of the week what is to be done? I hate to be negative but I see it
as almost a hopeless situation. Gerry