When television first emerged in American homes, it was an instant phenomenon. By the glow of the small screen, living rooms across the country had access to a wealth of interest and knowledge.
Television was a primitive form of the Internet. Instead of hitting a search engine key, families could turn the knob on their family television set. Within seconds, they could follow a cheetah on a hunt in an African desert. They could laugh alongside comedian Lucille Ball. They were taken back in time to the Old West with Gunsmoke or Bonanza. They walked on the moon with Neil Armstrong.
Decades passed, and the television adapted with the changing times. As a young child, I watched reruns of the Wonderful World of Disney. I saw my first music video with 80s hair and synthesizers.
But much like the children of the 1950s, the glow of the television set entered my bedroom with stories my young mind didn’t know existed. Unfortunately, I was shown another side away from Adventureland and MTV.
I learned about cannibalism when news segments showed the arrest of Jeffrey Dahmer.
I never knew what a cult was until I saw the David Koresh compound in flames in Waco, Texas.
I had never heard of cocaine until it was a 24-hour review of the shooting of drug lord Pablo Escobar.
Terrorism was never in my vocabulary until I saw the aftermath of the Oklahoma City explosion at the hands of Timothy McVeigh.
I thought any school was safe until I watched an interview with a student who survived the Columbine High School shooting. And murder was aired in my school cafeteria as the conclusion of the OJ Simpson trial was blared on every television set in the building.
With a single mom working three jobs, I was home alone a lot as a child. And the television was my window to the world. I had my fair dosage of innocence with cartoons and family movies. But just a few channels over to the nightly news segments, I was thrusted into the world of adults; those adult problems that I had never experienced as a child.
That thought came to my mind again this week as my own three children sit down to watch television. Every major television channel tells them about a virus that could kill those it infects. They watched as a corrupt police officer held his knee down on a man’s neck, who later died. Over the past week, they have seen businesses in flames and storeowners being beaten on camera. And these images are not coming from a rated R movie or inappropriate movie channel. This is on basic cable, daily.
Another challenge with today’s children is that they have access to so much more screen time than just the television. They have cell phones, iPads and other hand-held devices. They are tuned in constantly.
My husband Jason and I have been trying to keep our children occupied so that they are not bombarded with the latest images and segments of violence, chaos and fear. We are making it out to our land and creeks more. And, when we do sit down in the front of the television, we make it a point to find a light-hearted movie or series. I think Jason and I need a break from the segments too.
Those kind of problems and images will be waiting for our kids when they are older. And I know we can’t place them in a bubble for protection. But for now, I want them to be kids for as long as they can. They will get their dose of those problems when they grow up.
And although we can turn the television off, we can’t shut off the world. But just maybe, we can adjust the reception.
