NO TV/Printed Media before 6th grade

NO TV/Printed Media before 6th grade

I grew up in a very fundamental, religious, single parent household until I was 12. My household did not have a television, magazines, radio, or newspaper. My reading material was highly restricted. I was brought up in locations that sheltered me from the rest of humanity. I was home-schooled until 6th grade.

I was told to believe God was all. I was taught manners and etiquette. I learned to question, and have an open mind. I was taught that racial intolerance was wrong. I learned the 10 commandments very early, and was expected to live by the rules of those commandments.

Flash forward 3 years. I’m no longer sheltered. I’m living with an atheist. I have access to TV, magazines, radio, newspapers, and oh yes, other people.

Now I can watch TV, but most of it bores me. I visit the local library, and find that I’m a voracious reader. During the summer that I turned 15, I read 80% of a small local libraries sci-fi, fantasy and horror selection. That fall, I read all the fairy tales available in the school library, just for giggles. That year I was also lucky to have an alternative class that centered on Greek and roman mythology.

Flash forward 12 years. It’s 1995. I could now be considered a mature adult. But I don’t have the same opinions, beliefs, or lifestyle that 99% of the people around me have. I’m living in a metropolitan area, and have few friends outside my peer group (geeks). I’m travel restricted. I don’t drive. I believe in many alternative concepts and ideas, but haven’t yet met anyone who believed like I did.

Now, in 2005. I’ve been online for over a decade. The WWW has come a long way, and I’ve been able to read about many things, and know other people share my ideas. In recent years, I watch certain programs on TV, and otherwise it’s turned off. I’ve had a Tivo for a year, and I record what I want to watch, and fast forward through the commercials. On average I watch about 8 hours of TV a week. Or I don’t watch TV for a week, and let my Tivo catch the things I don’t want to miss. I read all my news online, and rarely watch local news or CNN.

I’m not like most other Americans, and I’m not sure why.

I’m certainly not saying I am a better person then everyone else, for not growing up with things most people take for granted. I am sure however, that my open mind and curious nature are alive in me because I was not put in front of TV at an early age.

I’m posting this because I wanted to hear other people’s views on how the media can affect us. Or not affect us, if we don’t have it in front of us every day.


-VW

Interesting. I was raised the exact opposite, TV was our babysitter but it seems like we turned out pretty much the same. I watch little TV.