Media and the Family

This topic is the reason I wanted to study in the Department of Communications. Ironically this is not what I'll be doing my thesis on this time. However, I do have many new thoughts about the media and the family. Last semester I wrote a literature review about how families and the media interact. One thing we didn't mention a ton about in class today is how families communicate about the media and how that influences the way they communicate in other situations. I find that different types of families use the media to teach or to discipline in many different ways. (That was the end of my random thought.)

One question I wanted to ask to everyone is, where is your television located in your home? Is it the focal point of the front room? Is it hidden unless being used? Is it on the floor, table, stool, etc.? How do you think the position of the television in our home reflects or influences our television use?

For a long time I've been wanting the television out of my house because it is always staring at me when I am working on my school work on the couch. [This is not my house but this gives you an idea about what it was like last week. The TV was staring at you when you sat on the couch across from it. It was up on a pedestal and there was no way to cover it up unless you actually put a piece of fabric over the thing.]

I would get really frustrated almost daily because I would turn on the TV when I should have been working on something more important. I am happy to say, I've found an alternative solution to getting rid of the television! [This picture is weird because I took it with my computer.]

Put your television in a not so obvious place. Our television is now located in the bookshelf and it is not right in front of me when I am working on important things. I don't even really consider turning it on anymore. IT IS GREAT! I can still watch television comfortably when I want to, but it isn't the center of attention, the center of my family room, or the center of my LIFE!

Our family room is now WAY more conducive for people to visit with each other. The couches are across from each other and our two big chairs make the room more circle like. The television is not included in the circle anymore and it makes me feel so good. FREEDOM!!!!!