<p>I watch on my computer. More convenient. My roommate brought a small TV, but we don't watch much since meetings and stuff are usually during primetime TV here. </p>
<p>As far as the Luke and Laura wedding, I don't know specifics, but I'm certainly aware of how popular at least the female name and its variants became among parents of that generation...don't think it was coincidental, although no one will ever admit they got the name from a ridiculously popular soap opera character.</p>
<p>My S and rommate had a TV freshman year in the dorm. They enjoyed it. Their room became a gathering spot for college/pro football games on weekends. They now live in an apartment with two other roommates. All have Tv's in their rooms and one in the living room. S doesn't spend a lot of time watching TV but likes it at night before to sleep...can't miss the Daily Show and likes the History channel and the Military channel.</p>
<p>My concern is not so much the distraction from studies, but the replacement of interaction with passive activity. If it's really true that most of the TV watching is collective (which I'm pretty skeptical about), that's a little better, but it's still far inferior to actually interacting with other people, i.e., by talking to them. I certainly agree that the same problem exists with computers, games, DVDs, etc. I just find it a little alarming that the assumptions have changed so much in a few decades--it wasn't that long ago that very few college or high school students would have had TVs in their rooms--and now, people seem to be almost offended that anybody would suggest that it may not be a good thing. (One thing to add: I'm also skeptical of people who claim that they "don't watch much TV"--often, they watch a lot more than even they think they do.)</p>
<p>Hunt, I can just say from experience that yes, TV watching in college is a collective experience, no it does not take away from personal interaction and simply enhances it in my experience, and if you don't have a TV, your friends will move into the person's room who does when something like House or Grey's Anatomy, or some other popular show comes on, and they're likely to stay there after the show is done and not come back to "interact" with your child. The truth is, the rooms with TVs were the social hubs, where people hung out, where people interacted in various forms. The rooms without TV typically were places where your friend slept.</p>
<p>S has a tv in his room, purchased with is own money, and his nintendo 360, as well. He informed me that he was in line with the other gamers at midnight Monday night to get the new HALO 3, which he played with roommates and online friends until 3am. He did go to bed because he had a 10:00 am class, which he swears he didn't skip. "Don't worry Mom, I've got my priorities straight this year. The game's still there. Can't afford to lose the grade." My jaw nearly dropped; I nearly dropped to my knees in praise ... such a good feeling. Being in a suite, two of the four have tv's in room. There's a big tv in the main room that one parent had leftover at home and brought. It's been great! They've had kids in for movies and such, and when he needs to get away and do homework, or whatever, he has in his room. My son would go nuts without the background noise of the tv while doing homework. I tried when they were little, banning tv until homework was done, as that's what my parents did. My kids learn diffferently. They made their own noise ... and wouldn't concentrate. They'd bang with pencils on the desk; they'd look out the windows; they'd get distracted looking around the room. When I allowed the tv on and them doing homeowrk in the family room ... it got done much better and faster. Daugther's still doing it to this day, and she's got a 4.0 uw. She knows when she needs quiet time, like when she's reading her APUSH texbook, or when she can skate through ... like with AP Chem, or Pre-calc, or physics. BTW, kids didn't have tv's in their rooms at home -- just the family room and bonus room.</p>
<p>zebes</p>
<p>Yes, I'd say that collegiate TV/DVD watching is a social activity. I'll call S or he'll call me and when I ask where he is, the answer, if he's not studying, is often that he's in so-and-so's room watching a movie. This is in spite of the fact that they have a ridiculously good TV in his room. And, my sense from the atmospheric noise is that conversations, jokes, etc. are all going on while the movie is playing.</p>
<p>oMG LUKE AND LAURA!!!!!</p>
<p>yep, everyday, everyone went to the tv room and watched the wedding</p>
<p>looking back, ewwwwww to luke and laura's relationship, smarmmy</p>
<p>I'm sorry, I just can't help feeling that it's a terrible waste for college students to be sitting around watching network TV shows. Passive entertainment like this is insidious, and takes up more and more of your time. Let me suggest this--the next time you talk about this with your college student, don't ask how much TV he or she watches (the answer will always be "not that much")--rather, ask what specific shows and movies they watched in the last few days.</p>
<p>Hunt - a big difference today than when I was in college is the availability of watching movies on TV; when I was in college, going to a movie was a rare treat because I had no money, or any transportation to get there. I know that my Ds get together with their friends to watch movies...not so much prime time stuff. When you look at the diversity of movies that each kid brings to school, it's almost like having a rental store in your own dorm. If each kid brings 15-20 DVDs with them, then there's always free entertainment; when they're at college, they rarely go to a movie theatre. But I will confess my Ds are completely obsessed with Grey's, and D2's away message today says IT'S G-DAY.</p>
<p>While I did admit that my family tends to watch a lot of TV, I don't feel it is a waste of anyone's time. For my husband who works long, long days, TV gives him a chance to veg out a bit and have a good laugh. For the kids, it is a nice break from studying and a great time to get together with their friends. My daughter rarely watches TV alone; the girls usually watch all their favorite shows together. She does watch the news in the morning while getting ready for her day or The Today Show. </p>
<p>When my daughter needs to study, she can be found in the library. She knows when the TV will be a distraction and heads to the library. Of course she does take her laptop so it is very easy to IM with her friends which to me is almost a bigger distraction!</p>
<p>In the olden days when I was in college, there were several film societies that showed movies on campus--there was at least one movie every day, and several on the weekends. The cost was minimal. I wonder if that has disappeared with the advent of DVDs and more dorm-room TVs.</p>
<p>Yes, roshke, my kids would easily give up the TV--but they'd probably choose a computer over their own mother.</p>
<p>S's college doesn't allow TVs in dorm rooms.</p>
<p>In my college days, there was one TV in the dorm basement. Very few people --and no "serious" students--had them in their rooms. I recall that girls would gather for All My Children (I never got into it. . .) and there were the M<em>A</em>S<em>H</em> rerun groupies. </p>
<p>I'm not a TV person--didn't have one from 80-94 (and sometimes wonder why I ever bought one). I never let my kids watch commercial TV--and whenever I see it now, I am shocked, (SHOCKED!) at what's on there. (I remember seeing The Simpsons back in '87 and hearing the word "butt-head"--OMG--I couldn't believe they allowed that on TV!)</p>
<p>Son's roommate has a 32 inch flat panel. Apt provides cable and HBO free. He reports they use if for certain select shows, sporting events and games. Usually with kids over to participate.
In our house, the TV is mostly used for sports and DVD movies. My husband and son are both sports "nuts" and I decided that "if you can't beat them, join them".
So I follow college football, baseball, and tennis, and pro football (a little bit) and enjoy watching these games with my boys - sometimes with friends over too. Don't have time to watch too many games or matches - sometimes just tune into the end. But I like that we have a common interest...and it doesn't at all feel isolating or passive to me. Just comfortable family time. I think thats how most college kids view tv viewing...just time to spend with friends and to relieve stress and demands. Don't think there's anything wrong with it unless it gets excessive or interferes with school or other activities.<br>
I have some friends and family who profess to "never watch tv" and who hate sports. To each his own...but I must say that these pronouncements come across
as a bit snobby and insulting.</p>
<p>television - the one-eyed idol that enslaved a nation.</p>
<p>I got my first tv in my room when I was like 5 or so - it was either a 7 or a 9 inch b/w set. Years later, I got a 13 inch tv for a birthday - it went all the way up to 32 channels or something like that along with a VCR which got the rest of the channels. I used to love taping I love lucy when I was a kid (now I have the dvd's - haha!). When I was 14 or so I bought a 20 inch tv for my room (for movie watching) and that's the one I actually took to college all four years till I was 22. Now I have my 27 inch widescreen TV that I bought soon after I started my job upon graduating and have been eyeing up a specific 42" LCD tv at the stores. It will more than likely stay at the stores until I buy a house to put it in... although it is SOO tempting!</p>
<p>At my college you had to purchase cable if you wanted it in the dorms - we didn't buy it. By the time we moved to an apartment in Junior year cable was included with our room charges. That really ticked me off because I felt like I was paying more for something that wouldn't get used - and I was right. None of my roommates watched any TV either.</p>
<p>Hunt, there are still film societies but they are few and far between. There is a local one near here. I went to a showing once and had a hard time making it through. The movie was horrible. We had a film society at my college but they never advertised and I didn't even know of it's existance until graduation time. I was part of a club at another neighboring college where we met every friday night and watched a foreign film together. That was really cool and I saw a lot of films that I wouldn't have otherwise ever heard of.</p>
<p>I think video/computer games are a MUCH more dangerous timesucker than TV. It is pretty easy to read with the tv on for background. But games are total timewasters. Is eriously think more kids get into grade trouble over gaming than regular TV.</p>
<p>The death of films on campus also is a real loss to the intellectual development of kids on campus outside of class. I went to a place that had a massive number of film societies with over 50 separate films a week for around $1.00 each.</p>
<p>hmm ... I certainly have an opinion about TVs in dorm rooms and if this was my kid and they asked me my opinion I would share it ... if they did not ask I would not share my opinion. Why not? I'm paying for tuition, books, room, board, and transportation. A TV falls into entertainment and my kids will be adults then and making their own entertainment choices and spending their own money on those choices.</p>
<p>No TV at home in rooms. Strict TV limits at home on D, degraded for S. No TV for D in room at college - TV is watched in throngs in common rooms. Movies are watched on laptop in room alone to relax or on someone else's movie apparatus in someone else's room for socializing.</p>
<p>Grades are good.</p>
<p>If my kids want a TV, they can pay for it. I'd be very surprised if either would spend their money for this when there are so many other ways to spend time/money. It's just never come up as an issue.</p>
<p>My son loves films, and is an amateur filmmaker, himself. It still hasn't come up. I guess he uses his computer or whatever common TV is available.</p>