Editorials & Other Articles

freshwest

(53,661 posts)

14. Carl Sagan's opinion on media:

Sun Apr 7, 2013, 10:05 PM

Apr 2013

Last edited Sun Apr 7, 2013, 11:17 PM - Edit history (1)

...The dumbing down of America is most evident in the slow decay of substantive content in the enormously influential media, the 30 second sound bites (now down to 10 seconds or less), lowest common denominator programming, credulous presentations on pseudoscience and superstition, but especially a kind of celebration of ignorance...

An extraterrestrial being, newly arrived on Earth - scrutinizing what we mainly present to our children in television, radio, movies, newspapers, magazines, the comics, and many books - might easily conclude that we are intent on teaching them murder, rape, cruelty, superstition, credulity, and consumerism.

We keep at it, and through constant repetition many of them finally get it. What kind of society could we create if, instead, we drummed into them science and a sense of hope?

~ Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

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Highlight:

Boadcasters Worry about Zero TV Homes : Yahoo News [View all] Stuart G Apr 2013 OP

Five million and one Sedona Apr 2013 #1

90% of our television viewing is internet-based... Earth_First Apr 2013 #2

I turned off the noise box twenty years ago and have never regretted it.... mike_c Apr 2013 #3

Over a decade here; preceded by another decade with a break watching. Ain't worth it. freshwest Apr 2013 #10

GIGO all the way tavalon Apr 2013 #13

One thing I did notice when I watched some shows with friends.. Stuart G Apr 2013 #4

When I get DVD's from netflix, a 1 hour show is only 42-44 minutes long. That tells you SharonAnn Apr 2013 #9

Most seem to be 42 minutes now. Heywood J Apr 2013 #17

I got along for twenty-five years without TV before I got it Downwinder Apr 2013 #5

I will never pay another cable bill. Ever. geckosfeet Apr 2013 #6

There ARE some interesting and wonderful educational shows on TV. BlueJazz Apr 2013 #7

We're on Social Security. We are careful how we spend money. JDPriestly Apr 2013 #8

Most of our viewing is internet based supernova Apr 2013 #11

Well, I left TV over 15 years ago, so I suspect I'm not even on their radar tavalon Apr 2013 #12

Carl Sagan's opinion on media: freshwest Apr 2013 #14

Thank you. Heywood J Apr 2013 #18

we watch local news and weather. and that is about it. nt littlewolf Apr 2013 #15

They would do well to let people decide what channels they want Marrah_G Apr 2013 #16

Cable T.V would last longer if they went A la carte Uncle Joe Apr 2013 #19

I don't watch a lot of broadcast TV, either. AverageJoe90 Apr 2013 #20

Over a period of ten years, I gradually went from full cable to no cable Lydia Leftcoast Apr 2013 #21

I ditched my old, malfucntioning TV set about six years ago... Jasana Apr 2013 #22