A Life Beyond The Couch

Guys,

I don't have anything as profound as Adi wrote in his blog, but wanted to contribute something.

I just heard this radio commercial by Comcast, that for those who haven't had the pleasure hearing it yet, can be summarized as follows: get television, internet and phone in one deal and then tell your child that you don't have time for him because you are already 'booked' using your latest technology. Seriously, in the commercial, the dad tells his son in a scary, scruffy voice that he won't take him to the park because he would rather couchsurf all weekend. I don't know about you guys, but this makes me very angry. Not only should we slow down on our television consumption, we should most definitely not advertise this behavior in the media. I am convinced that many children already suffer obesity and other malfunctions from the lack of movement and over-usage of tv and computers. In addition, parents spend less and less time with their kids and substitute their own responsibility with nannies or simply entertaining them with electronic instead of human interaction. This commercial upsets me because it promotes a behavior that children learn to be normal.

To fulfill Adi's requirements to have the article backed with footnotes, here we go: According to a study described in the Boston Globe[1], the increased consumption of tv and childhood obesity are directly correlated. Furthermore, a study by the Ohio State University and University of Maryland[2] has concluded that since 1969 parents are spending about 22 hours/week less time with their children. I am sure there are numerous other studies proving this negative trend and you probably witnessed this happening first hand yourself. How often do we see misbehaved children in supermarkets or public transportation and wonder why the parent doesn't interfere when the little ones are about to pinch you in the face because they are not getting what they want. We cannot blame the kids, but must address this serious issue to the parents, who refuse to take responsibility. Not that I am an expert on children (I am probably the least knowledgeable on this topic), however, it only takes common sense to say: "Turn that damn TV off, get rid of the nanny and take your child to the park, to the zoo, or to the playground and get to know your child so you can make a positive impact on the child's and eventually on this country's future.

Thanks for reading this (I admit, this written-in-12-minutes-article contains very limited research. However, it's not supposed to be Pulitzer-nominated, merely function as a vent for my anger about stupid commercials such as the Comcast one)

Alina Lawrence

[1] http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/10/19/twin_child_scourges_obesity_and_television/
[2] www.soc.upenn.edu/courses/2005/spring/soc796_hpkohler/readings/saye04a.pdf

We Are All Guilty

I am often overwhelmed by the abundance of information that is readily available in the world (or at least available to a recent graduate from a university in the United States). Should I have the desire to find out more about the AIDS virus , the effects of Global Warming or wish to read about the latest news concerning the expansion of our (meaning US) missile "defense" program into Eastern Europe, I can do so in a matter of seconds. It amazes me though that despite the ability to learn so much from peers and scholars (in whatever field), most of us, including myself from time to time, appear to be lethargic in our quest for knowledge. Even some of those who are well-read and knowledgeable are perpetuating the indifference of others by not discussing and instilling the desire to learn more about a particular subject. It truly is a shame.


In large, this problem exists within another problem: we have defined what it is to be a teacher far too narrowly. A teacher does not need to have a Ph.D., be an elder, be a person of higher socioeconomic class or one whose ideas coincide with those of your own. A teacher is everyone and everything. I truly believe that if we choose to listen, we can learn as much from the homeless as we can from the professors at Harvard. The environment that surrounds us (urban, suburban, rural or whatever) can also teach us valuable lessons should we decide to be receptive. It was Bruce Lee who said "Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless ... water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend".

I know you may think I'm going too far and getting philosophical to the point in which I may be losing touch with reality, but I beg to differ. These observations, this yearning and wanting more for society and others is rooted in complete selfishness. I am not doing this for you ... any of you. I am doing this for me. I do however feel that my pursuit of self-enlightenment can affect those around me and launch them on a similar adventure.

I remember watching TV and being moved by a particular campaign's slogan. It was one that struck and motivated me to learn more about the campaign, about the world in general and its impact is still being felt. The campaign's commercial ended with a yellow-orange backdrop with the text "Knowledge is contagious" in bold. That statement stuck with me and I feel it is not going to leave anytime soon. I have a few things to add though ... motivation is contagious, optimism is contagious and above all, hope is contagious.

I want remind all of you that in no way is this meant to be a rant or tirade of an agitated graduate, but rather a reflection upon myself and how I perceive society. This blog, forum, meeting place of ideas and people or whatever you may wish to call it is to serve one purpose: to inspire. This is to be a place where educated positions on matters of domestic politics (mainly on the national level) and international affairs can be articulated and built upon by others who follow the same line of thought or contested by differing points of view. Think of this as an interactive "scholarly" journal where students, graduates or whomever wishes to be heard, can post their thoughts and justified positions and learn from others.

What I mean by "scholarly" is that I want what is said to be cited. Don't get me wrong, I want to hear "Joe's opinion" but I always want "Joe" to stay away from pulling arbitrary "facts" out of his ... well, you know. My definition of scholarly will be different from the general one provided in schools and universities in that I am not against, but actually encourage you to cite the NY Times or whatever paper you read. You can even cite the editorial section in those papers. Quote 'The Economist' or the book you just finished, but please cite. I am hoping that this blog (and maybe a real website somewhere down the line) can be a starting place for people who are writing paper's in that they will use this as a forum of ideas and a reference point to original sources of information. I want this to be a place where one can post paper's they have written should they feel they are worth reading and can inspire others to learn more about the subject being discussed. I want this to to be place in which we can all write and publish our thoughts and drive the never-ending quest for knowledge. To not bore you, the rest of the "rules" governing this blog will be highlighted at the end of this post.

I implore you all to read, think and write because I believe that the more educated we become, the more we will realize how little we know. Some may not readily accept that realization, but that realization breeds awareness and awareness is more important now than ever before.

Rules and reminders of the game:
- This is to be an interactive "scholarly" journal where one can post or comment on what has been read
- My definition of "scholarly" includes using sources as the NY Times or The Economist as well as books and academic journal articles.
- Cite your sources as if you were writing a paper to publish
- DO NOT insult the writer of an article. Challenge or press for answers, but do not insult the individual
- Make a point
- Lastly, to post, simply send an e-mail to pezeshka1.lostdemocracy@blogger.com