Zero Faith in the Future of Humanity

[HomegrownInIdaho]

Well I have just read the first few post on this thread http://boards.cannabis.com/cannabis-com-lounge/193908-using-texting-talk-posting.html and I think it is not necessarily the parents or the public schools fault. PBS, Cranium, Nick jr, Disney playhouse are all really good things for early development in small children. BUT, it's the counterparts of those last two, the big two that I blame. Nickelodeon and Disney Channel and Disney XD are retarding our children. Never noticed or checked? Watch something on there. Examples, Good Luck Charlie, Zeke and Luther, Shake It Up, iCarley, Big Time Rush, or Spongebob. The first three are Disney shows the other three Nickelodeon. Spongebob, from what my oldest son's senior Psychology teacher told his class, is creating ADD, obesity, and overall ignorance of America's youth. That is just one of the examples. I'm sure 90% of people have watched Spongebob. If you have an education over third grade I'm sure it was hard to sit through. (My 56 year old Aunt loves Spongebob but she's a freaking idiot) If you know what I'm talking about with that little yellow bastard then please check out the other ones. Spongebob is the BEST one of the examples I have given. The other ones are such garbage, especially the Disney one that I really think it should be boycotted for no reason other than it is polluting our children. The reason I used Spongebob solely here for example is because it is most likely the most widely known one of all of these.

Nd 1 mor thng ppl that rite dis way r prolly y Amrca will one day fall. if ne1 of u r that way, please for the sake of our future buy a fucking vowel! Stay high people!:stoned::thumbsup:

[CanGroIt]

As a parent who has sat down with my kids and watched some of the above mentioned shows, all I can say is that I don't think it is the shows themselves that are ruining minds/health/society.... But the parets who let their kids be taught by these programs who are ruining things.... Because some parents do literally let their kids sit in front of the TV as much as possible....and don't try to teach them anything.... I've seen parents that have a, "My kids come to school to learn, not for me to teach them at home", type of attitude....

I read an article about how terrible of a show spongebob was.... Why is it a terrible show??? Because nothing in the show had anything to do with reality. The content is too fast and characters are unusual.... But what made sense to me in the article was when the author started comparing spongebob to wilie coyote and the roadrunner cartoons.... Unusual characters, fast content and unreal....

As long as the parent teaches their child right from wrong, good from bad, what to eat what not to eat, then we shouldn't have anything to worry about....

But like you, I know there are waaaaaay too many stupid/lazy people in this country....

CGI::::::

[prettygirlsmokes420]

Or they could be in a hurry, or like me I'm a slow typer so is rather paraphrase, or rather shorten my words. I don't even watch tv. Movies for me thanks. Id rather not start my day off listening to how society polluting itself and how violent we are and how fat we are and how we just invaded so and so and blah blah blah... I'm good I feel my day is more positive without all that.

[HomegrownInIdaho]

CGI, I agree with it not being the show itself it's the writers that create the mindless drivel and the networks that support it. I also agree that there are a lot of parents that do just sit the kids down in front of the tv and do nothing else. My kids go to school, they come home we have a recap of what they learned for the day then they do homework chores and the rest of the time is theirs. They play with friends or video games or watch tv or whatever they want. So here is what made me feel this way and the sad reality of it all, I walked in when these particular shows were playing and thought nothing of it for MONTHS or more. Then my kids started making random noises and saying shit that made me just go huh :wtf3: where did you pick that up? Oh from such and such show. My kids aren't geniuses but they are very far from idiots so it really bothered me that they had picked up such random obnoxious stupid behavior in such a short time. Anytime I see that crap on any of the tv's in my house I make them change it. Yes waaaaaaaaaaaaay too many lazy and dumb people.

PGS, what I mean by that is this, and no disrespect to you, is for the most part it's either illiteracy, laziness or even worse the combination of the two. Slow typer or not it literally only takes a fraction of a second to add the one letter most people leave out or sadly add the correct letter. Example thiz why substitute a z for the s? One answer, stupidity. Then others who don't use that crap, either waste time deciphering the code or just skip it altogether. So like I said no disrespect towards you.

People, I fear we are headed towards Idiocracy and it saddens me.

[painretreat]

Well, I do not watch that stuff. I use to pride myself by doing fairly well with spelling,reading, writing and math. I am a pretty slow learner. I had to ask a knowledgeable person in here and my 'adopted' niece in Arkansas, what all these accronyms were. Like imo, imho, lmao, lmafo, btw and a few others, I still cannot figure out. It would be nice to have a dictionarty of these things. I sometimes use these, but I must admit, it does take an effort. Not that I want to be trendy, I just want to relate.

I certainly agree with the attitude of the parents that are teaching their children today. 2 years ago, my niece ( I have 4 by blood ) told me she did not intend to teach her child manners, potty training or pretty much anything else, she said, "I have decided, it is up to the teachers when she starts school." Which was over a year later. I was outraged and let her know, "I have many friends that are teachers and it is not their job, with 'taxpayers' dollars to teach your 3 yr. old child what she should know prior to entry of school. It wastes their time teaching your child manners and the ones that had diligent parents have to sit and wait to learn what they are there for. It is not fair to the teacher, other students or even your child!" I was pretty pissed. Teachers having to get them out of diapers! Outrageous!!! Soon, my niece decided she needed to do so and has been.

Now, the child is in school and my niece had her diagnosed with "autism". Autism, my ass! She is slow, because her mother did not even teach her to speak properly. The child was speaking a language she made up herself and no one could understand. Because, her mom was too busy on her Ipod, the internet (hacking in peoples accts (another thing that pisses me off) and watching movies. The child was allowed to run wild.

With one year of schooling, the child's mother has been told to do all the things she should have!! The school is starting to believe the child needs to be in regular school with 'normal' kids! She talks well, can spell, has great manners and relates fairly well with other children. Most of this is due to the childs half-sister's mother having a strong daily presence in the childs life for almost 14 months.

I, personally, have tried to watch those programs and South Park is about as close as I can tolerate!

I believe this is a multi-generational problem, at this point! TV is the babysitter for the parent that is addicted to the cyber toys that have become so easily accessable!

It seems, lately, I have noticed: Most homes have a TV in every room in the house. Due to such a large quantity of programing, No ONe Wants To Watch The Same program. I remember how anxious, as a young person, I looked forward to 'Family TV Night' Particularly, Sunday night 'Hallmark" special, Bonanza, The Waltons, Ten Commandments. . . etc and the begining of 'mini-series.' Our family gathered together and watched these programs, together: As A Family!

Now, if they should congregate in the family room, each has their own techtronic toy and do not even talk to each other. But, I have mostly observed, every person in their own room. I see this as dangerous. And that is why the do all the texting, emailing, twitter, facebook, etc. They cannot communicate to each other.

I was in the computer room of a local library last year. The child next to me wrote a 4 word card and not one word was spelled correctly. She went to get her Mom to help her do something on the PC and her Mom only said, "Shelly, we need to work on your spelling!"

Your concern is one I have had for a long time. Except, this problem is coming from parents, as you say. Excuses like, I have to work, go to the gym or hide in my bedroom and watch 'my programming' is vile, at best!

Glad to here you HGI and CGI are doing what you can to stop it. Do people even have 'family supper' anymore? I haven't even seen much of that either. Children need structure and an environment that supports them with a schedule. They know which programs to watch from day to day. But, they seldom have set bedtime rituals or family gatherings. :(

I sometimes wonder, if the family toked together they would at least have one thing in common. However, I do not advocate that, at all! There must be a closer nuclear unit for a family and it takes work! Which brings me to, not many seem to want to work, if the parent will support them. And I would bet, today-more parents are supporting more adult normal children than any time in the past!

Nice thoughts and posts! PGS420, if I were working from a 2 inch cell phone screen, I think I would abbreviate as much as I possibly could, cause; at my age, I can barely read those little screens. In fact, I have an Ipod I bought over 2 years ago I am just learning to use! pr

[prettygirlsmokes420]

No offence but this is coming from a people who claimed to discover land when there was already ppl on it...Yes PPL. ( people) and lol silly I'm not lazy or illiterate. Id just rather not spent the whole night on the internet. I don't blame the tv shows for Americas ignorance, although it does keep our head up our asses. But rather the parents who don't further educate their kids (sounds familiar). And now what's happening? Watch... History repeats its self...

[painretreat]

I think it is too late to "undiscover" America. So, we deal with the cards we have been dealt! In the here and now. If we don't like what our forefathers did, we can opt to leave America, or do as we can to make it better! I will stay and continue to pollute my mind with T.V. and try to obey and have manners, 'do unto others, as you would like done to you'. . .etc. And make it my concern to make the dealt hand better! And help with they young ones to educate them well. pr

[prettygirlsmokes420]

Lol but I hope pre-sccheduled programming doesn't make your schedule. " I gotta be home by nine.to watch
Breaking Bad" or whatever. Go spend some time outside! Don't just sit there and watch the.fishing.channel, go catch you one! I have a 72 in.lcd tv, not for the news, I don't get any channels. Just hdmi input one. Lol. I'm a movie guru which is probly just as bad, but I don't get commercials. If I want to watch a.show of somesort, ill go rent the whole season. I havnt got the patience to wait weeks for the results of an event. :)

[emilya]

I had good parents. They did not let me obsess over any one show or activity while I grew up in an attempt to show me that there were so very many options out there. As a result, I learned many things and have become a well rounded citizen. Do I abbreviate when I text? Sure I do... that's called being efficient. It doesn't mean an end to this society as we know it.
If you want a good eye opening, attend an online college class sometime that has a lot of freshmen in it that requires everyone to participate in a discussion board. You will be appalled at the lack of writing skills presented by a majority of the kids coming out of our schools today. This is where the problem lies... in institutionalized learning that is forced to follow guidelines imposed by the Department of Education. The problem is not Sponge Bob or texting.
Well, at least not normally. There are bad parents... those who allow the TV to raise their kids... who never talk to them about anything real. These are causalities of the times we live in and sadly there are lots of examples of these folks in our daily lives... ever met a Trekie? But the biggest problem is our school system... an institutionalized system that has not changed fundamentally in 150 years and desperately needs a re-think to meet the demands of modern society. We can't just blame the TV for all of our problems. It is a symptom of the larger problem we face... the present and alarming dumbing down of society.

[painretreat]

emilya: I cannot blame the institution of education. It has changed in the past 150 years. I know a few women (my friends parents) that are in late 80' and one just turned 93! I am impressed with the knowledge they have. I told the 89 yr. old a few months ago, how much I admired her knowledge of just about anything! She retorted, "It isn't me, it is due to the fact, we had better teachers then!" She is right.

And "No Child Left Behind" and passe some idiots that may be in the 'Freshman' class, you are speaking of!

72' HDTV, did you catch the Baseball game tonight? Was pretty good.

My answer to "Be home at nine!" DVR and watch the programs when I can push it into my schedule!

I do understand what you are saying though! Our schools are over-crowded and parents are both working, some, even 2 jobs and it is tuff! pr

[emilya]

emilya: I cannot blame the institution of education. It has changed in the past 150 years. I know a few women (my friends parents) that are in late 80' and one just turned 93! I am impressed with the knowledge they have. I told the 89 yr. old a few months ago, how much I admired her knowledge of just about anything! She retorted, "It isn't me, it is due to the fact, we had better teachers then!" She is right.

And "No Child Left Behind" and passe some idiots that may be in the 'Freshman' class, you are speaking of!

72' HDTV, did you catch the Baseball game tonight? Was pretty good.

My answer to "Be home at nine!" DVR and watch the programs when I can push it into my schedule!

I do understand what you are saying though! Our schools are over-crowded and parents are both working, some, even 2 jobs and it is tuff! pr

Hi PainRetreat!

You are of course right... schools have changed in the last century. Teachers are no longer allowed to discipline in their classrooms and the pledge is not being done anymore. An exceptional child now must be slowed down in order to allow the slower children to keep up and teachers are forced to spend their time making certain that their classrooms can pass the Department of Education sponsored tests instead of teaching what may be interesting to their kids.
I am convinced that we could get a better education for our young people by using our current technology. Teachers must be allowed to innovate. In the college world, a person will choose to study under a certain professor because that person has been identified as "the best" teacher of that subject. Why could this concept not be moved to our high schools using the internet? Can you imagine what would have happened if we had for instance, Larry Sabado or Bill Clinton teaching civics... Ben Stein teaching anything... Bill Nye teaching physics... The kids would love it, costs could come down in local schools and because the marketplace would choose who these very best of the teachers were, the quality of education would increase nationwide. We desperately need to get the government out of our schools, but without finding a way to cut local costs, this will never happen. The entire system needs to be restructured and my proof that we need this is the constant decline in graduation rates.

[DenverRelief]

I watched this great video yesterday about how our educational model is broken.

Very enjoyable live illustration accompanies a great presentation about how we got to where we are today.

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[DenverRelief]

Sorry, used the wrong code.

Here is the URL: RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zDZFcDGpL4U)

The video is illustrated by RSA, the speaker is Ken Robinson

[CanGroIt]

Sorry, used the wrong code.

Here is the URL: RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zDZFcDGpL4U)

The video is illustrated by RSA, the speaker is Ken Robinson

Awesome vid DenverRelief!!! Thank you for sharing!!!

CGI::::::

[beachguy in thongs]

Kids are not going to learn, and retain much, when there are commercials. My first-born's mother doesn't realize these things, and, I saw my daughter's facial expression change when it cut to a commercial. I'd rather have Nick Jr. on, and have her finish the story, then see Moose A. Moose and "Move To The Music".

Visually, the colors on Nick Jr. and Disney Jr. are softer and they speak slower. In Spongebob, there are so many negative-terms and sequences of conflict. I cannot believe the violence those "cartoons" condone.

[elimuir]

Kids are not going to learn, and retain much, when there are commercials. My first-born's mother doesn't realize these things, and, I saw my daughter's facial expression change when it cut to a commercial. I'd rather have Nick Jr. on, and have her finish the story, then see Moose A. Moose and "Move To The Music".

Visually, the colors on Nick Jr. and Disney Jr. are softer and they speak slower. In Spongebob, there are so many negative-terms and sequences of conflict. I cannot believe the violence those "cartoons" condone.

I would say that the violence in things like Spongebob doesn't even compare to that of Tom and Jerry, Popeye or Elmer Fudd... and I'm not even addressing the racism that showed up in the older cartoons. That said, we really have to remember that cartoons were developed for two audiences - kids and adults. - and for entertainment, not education. They often found a way to blend a message for both groups. There were thinks that would appear in the cartoon that the kids would never understand (Scooby Doo, for example) but still needed to retain the younger eyes for ratings... If they must watch TV it's Nick Jr. for me.

You bring up a great point about the commercials, which is part of the reason why Sesame Street retained the audience. There are a score of other reasons, but that is one. The marketing research that went into that show during development was amazing and really is worth looking into if we are talking about education of youth.

That said, I feel that if we want our children to learn/grow we must be involved in their lives. We must be active participants and not expect a TV show to replace the hands on experience we add.

[beachguy in thongs]

I would say that the violence in things like Spongebob doesn't even compare to that of Tom and Jerry, Popeye or Elmer Fudd... and I'm not even addressing the racism that showed up in the older cartoons. They often found a way to blend a message for both groups. There were thinks that would appear in the cartoon that the kids would never understand (Scooby Doo, for example)...Sesame Street retained the audience.

Popeye, I haven't seen in a while. I would shy away from showing a child Elmer Fudd's gun, but, Tom and Jerry are a cat and a mouse. The people in it act like they're from the fifties.

[Burnt Toast]

Popeye, I haven't seen in a while. I would shy away from showing a child Elmer Fudd's gun, but, Tom and Jerry are a cat and a mouse. The people in it act like they're from the fifties. Thats because alot
of those cartoons (Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry, Popeye) were made during the 1950's (and earlier).

[Shovelhandle]

the really good popeyes were the 30s and 40s.

[beachguy in thongs]

the really good popeyes were the 30s and 40s.


So, he was created by an alcoholic, during prohibition?

[Lemma1234]

True, they are pretty dumb shows, they do pollute the minds. But the fact that we can realize it and avoid it if we choose is an encouraging thought, no ? :) it comes down to the parent's decision to buy the technology, putting the children in public schools, the place chosen to live, etc. i think raising children is so much more important than it is portrayed, and each human individual may require delicate, special attention. Perhaps that is why many people are generally upset inside, and feel like they need something, but aren't sure what it is. so they look for it in sex, food, or even bad drugs..and that usually causes more babies being born to parents who themselves didn't get the right nurturing. :( children copy, so it seems the answer would be to love them, pay close attention to them and their skills, and live a giving, humble life so that they will be so.

[Cinnamon]

Actually, I find Spongebob quite amusing in its dumb way. If a person can realize it for what it is, it's great. But most children, especially ones without much communication and teaching from their parents, will never know that it's just dumb for amusement, and that they shouldn't really model themselves that way. When I was a child, I used to watch Three Stooges (which is probably the most mindless show of them all) with my father. He would, while still having fun, make it clear to me that people aren't really supposed to act that way- it was being dumb just for fun, and even that was something to avoided unless with the closest of friends who shared that sort of humor. He taught me these things just by his actions, and how he presented himself to people. He didn't need to sit me down and tell me these things, he just kept me involved in his life so I could learn from his behaviors in different situations.