If you have kids, not having a TV is plain cruelty.
You could just as easily argue the opposite!
Do you know what kids do (in my experience, at least) if there is no TV around? They read.
The main problem with having no TV is the risk of it becoming forbidden fruit in the kid's mind and thus becoming more attractive. We hit, inadvertently, on a nice solution to this: we always had a TV around, just a really crappy one. It was rarely on. The kids were welcome to watch TV at friends' houses or their grandparents'. At home, that time mostly went into reading or playing.
Edit: I don't recall any evidence that they felt socially out of step with TV-watching peers. I do remember that when Power Rangers were a huge deal, our daughter became passionate about Power Rangers, so we always let her watch it. Then one day she said: "I don't care about Power Rangers any more. The story is always the same." That was a proud day in the gruseom household! :)
That's a pretty vast generalization and IMHO extremely wishful thinking. Is this from personal experience? eg your own kids?
When mine aren't watching TV, they're doing many other things - playing, reading, screaming, fighting, drawing, etc etc etc.
TV is but one activity, but I believe it's one they should certainly have in moderation.
Yes, when I say "in my experience" I am generally referring to my personal experience. :)
No doubt having a lot of books around, parents who read, and general encouragement to read are all factors as well.
Socially, I'd argue that TV is better for kids than books.
Giving the creative mind enough time away from a TV to have to earn it's own entertainment is hardly cruelty.
Right, and since everyone else was in a similar position, I'm sure that worked fine. My problem comes when everyone at school is talking about some element of popular culture, and one kid doesn't have a clue what to say because his parents don't let him watch TV.
Everything in moderation though :)
"My problem comes when everyone at school is talking about some element of popular culture, and one kid doesn't have a clue what to say because his parents don't let him watch TV."
Forcing your kids to eat unhealthy is cruelty, locking them in a closet is cruelty. Not having a TV is un-American, not cruelty.
What??? I'm not forcing anyone to do anything. I don't realy understand what you're trying to argue.
Preventing kids from growing up with experience of popular culture, is what I considered cruel.
I don't know if that's a common experience though.