Most Americans,
myself included, are wired like never before. Many of us
have private entertainment and communication centers complete
with TVs, CD players, computers, video game consoles or
DVD libraries. We can find out what's happening in the world,
watch a movie, and even shop for groceries without leaving
our homes.
To give you a sense of just how powerful our love affair
with private entertainment technology is, here are a few
statistics:
Twenty percent of American homes now have a big screen
TV.
Last year sales of video games topped $10 billion for
the first time in the U.S.
Thirty-three percent of homes with Internet access in
U.S. now have broadband connections, double the rate in
Europe.
Teens today report twice as much computer time as they
did six years ago.
The amount of non-school time kids spend in front of
electronic screens (now up to 35 hours per week!), continues
to rise every year.
If you believe the hype, this technology will bring us
closer together and make us better people. If that's the
case, then why do the latest data show the level of trust
that we have for one another is at the lowest level since
they started keeping statistics on it? In fact, our trust
level is only half of what it was in 1960. What's the significance
of that year? 1960 was the year that TV was fully installed
in 90 percent of American homes.
Trust is built by having shared experiences with other
people. Children learn how to get along with others by doing
it in real life. It's ironic that the very technology that
is supposed to bring us together actually causes us to spend
more time alone than ever before.
Our alone time isn't the only problem. Our window on the
world is no longer the picture window in the front of our
homes-it's the TV, computer, or video game screen. When
we look through it we don't see our friends and neighbors
going about their lives. We see Fear Factor and all the
other crime, violence, and meanness so prevalent on TV and
in video games. The world is a pretty scary place when viewed
through our screens. No wonder we don't trust each other
any more.
Don't cut the cable or disconnect the TV. Just make sure
they play a minor role in the ongoing adventure called life.
David Walsh, Ph.D. is the president and
founder of the National Institute on Media and the Family
(www.mediafamily.org).
He has written seven books and is a frequent guest on national
radio and television.
