Is the problem that people enjoy passive entertainment? Young as well as old?
Is the problem the source of the predigested pap that makes up the entertainment? It was all fine when it was only 4 sources and no interactivity?
The overall amount of time adolescents spend on passive screen entertainment has increased dramatically in our lifetimes, especially in the last decade. It has come at the expense of books and reading (as well as other things). There is lots of data out there.
Is social media like TV, but worse? I think that is the question.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6198586/
"Cultivation theory proposes that those who spend more time “living” in the virtual world of television may perceive the “real world” as per the imagery, principles, and portrayals depicted on the small screen. People who spend a lot of time watching television are likely to assume a television worldview of mental illness."
And https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32713607/
"TV time is associated with numerous adverse health outcomes. Future guidelines could suggest limiting TV time to less than 2 hours per day to reduce most of the associated adverse health events."
I'm trying to point out that the entire question is a repeat of a false frame propaganda sermon that has been repeated time and time again.
The problem with these types of articles is they are simply fixtures that print media companies publish every year, recycle the same decades-old talking points, and add very little insight.
I am truly amazed to watch my generation (GenX) read these articles and react to it like it is new or newsworthy.
The least we could do is elevate the conversation or begin to ask questions like: Are video games better than passive entertainment? How can we best engage and challenge young minds with technology so we can equip them with the mental faculties to thrive into adulthood? How do we help them disengage and quiet their minds so they can focus or meditate?
It's like saying alcohol and heroin are the same because "drug"
Today: unlimited stream of shit coming from an unlimited number of sources, everything is 2-10s long which destroy your attention span. People competing to trigger your primal needs, everything slowly evolve into softcore porn, the rest is disguised advertising. Look at what's trending on tiktok and ig, it's scary
Its also much sticker, constant notifications, algorithms built around keeping your eyes glued to an app, dopamine rewards for engaging with content.
I don't deny that less time is likely being spent on TV than older generations and I also don't pretend that TV didn't manipulate people into watching more ads, spending money, etc. But I think there is a huge generational miscalculation about the dangers of Social media vs older slower media.
Among other things mass media like TV promote a shared cultural identity. You can argue that shared cultural identity is a good or bad thing, but it’s a different thing than you get from social media.
On the flip side TV isn’t going to improve your typing skills.
Bonus points for every wave's denouncers having to ignore all the details like "what are they reading" in order to tar an entire economic sector with the same brush. Seems to be a requirement for the form.
Is playing a puzzle game with a group the same "social media" as mindlessly staring at a tiktok stream for the same time period? Was reading a daily newspaper for the stock prices the same as "being informed" of the 1860's equivalents of Bat Boy and Aliens Ate My Husband?