There it is in the corner. The box, the tube, that portal to other worlds good and bad.
I walk over and switch it on and in pours the darkness.
My head reels as the global warming and the wars and the smashes and the domestics assault my brain.
Armies are on the move, rebellion is here and there, pubs are under robbery, people are being bashed in our streets, movie stars are talking, perverts are chasing the kids, porn is pouring through...
What is it doing to my mind? Is this the reason for my spirit of unhappiness in the mornings? Is the infirmity caused by this sadness debilitating world society? Where are the happy stories? Commercial TV rarely has any. Commercial television has nothing but rubbish it seems? What is Idol and BB? Who is aware of this debilitation? Will the federal government regulate to help us out of the infirmity? Is television making us sick? Genuinely sick as a species?

Gibo, read some history books. The world is no more bad, sick corrupted, despotic, evil or sadistic than it was in the past. The main difference is that we now know about a world outside of our own immediate existence, and we can see whether things are better or worse than our experience. The other thing is that we re now far more willing to openly discuss our concerns and analyse what we see as the problems of the world and society, whereas in the past the shameful things were buried and not spoken about. Note that this does not mean that they didnt happen. The result is perhaps that we know more about how hard the world and human nature in particular can be, but at the same time that knowledge gives us the means to at least try to do something about it.

Gibo, I think you're right. Technology will bring us nothing but tears. Stop watching now. Disconnect your internet connection as well, now that you've noticed they are coming for you. There is no escape if you stay online.

Gibo, I feel so dismayed when I watch TV. When SbS arrived I thought things would finally get better. Well, what a disappointment. that station is simply another ABC devoted to further the left wing interests. Commercial free they say. What utter crap. The promos outplay the commercials by 100:1. Look the insanity of saturation sport especially on australian TV. Look the mindlessness of showing Rage until 10 am. The oversaturated playing of cartoons is another mindless factor in Australia. All the forums are compered by idealistic academic ignoramuses and most of the audience's experts are of academic background. The frivolous commands more air-time than a plane crash in Africa unless of course an Australian was on board. I have only seen NZ & some european Tv and in comparison to them OZ Tv is simply moronic. Is it any surprise that this once great country is sliding so fast towards it's home-made demise.

I see. Well individual, you're welcome to join the 'we're all doomed' club. I believe Leigh's leading that charge.

Might I ask, instead of simply denigrating SBS, can you suggest what it is you would prefer to see?

I think I will have to challenge you Country Gal. There has always been evil and misery this is known but not so many people involved in it as today. Its no longer cultural but going global. I see TV is part of the fall of a civilisation because of the immorality that comes through it. SBS is the classic in Australia bringing all of the sleaze in Europe to once quieter Australia. Theres not much more than sex on SBS even the aborigine males in the outback get their immorality from that channel.
I would like to see an inquiry into television and what its doing to the children...their hearts and their thinking.
Look at the 1950's...family shows, light comedy, a western or two but none of the hate and violence and sex and foul language of 2007. None of the explicit death in news. My claim is that television is debilitating the human spirit and out of this is coming much of the depression, drugs and alcohol then the marriage and relationship split-ups. Its taking away hope. As one christian pastor said "garbage in, garbage out". We are making ourselves sick by watching it and the people are hooked and society suffers because of the leeches who want to make money out of the medium. The medium is corrupting. And the managers know it... and dont care in the downfall of a civilisation.