I find television very educating.
Every time somebody turns on the set,
I go into the other room and read a book.
~Groucho Marx
When I was asked to a do a review on the Captivated DVD by Media Talk 101, I jumped at the chance, because I am in such emphatic agreement with their premise. It was heartening to me to learn of a group of individuals who are addressing the very prevalent issue that we, as a culture, are not only shoving our faces at an all-you-can-eat media buffet and going up for seconds (and thirds!) but that what we are imbibing is not always wholesome, but oftentimes TOXIC.
In documentary style, CAPTIVATED addresses the overconsumption of our culture in regards to video games, television, social media, texting, tweeting, movies and music while also, perhaps more importantly, addressing the quality of the content. Just as no education is neutral, no form of media is neutral. Everything that is put in front of us starts out with a worldview and a message and the more we like the medium, the more we accept the message.
If I could control the medium of the
American Motion Picture, I would need
nothing else to convert the entire world
to communism." ~ Joseph Stalin
There are 107 minutes worth of eye-opening statistics, professional and scientific interviews throughout the documentary, as well as personal testimonies from people who have both struggled and triumphed over their own media entrancements. It is intended for adults but has been approved for all audiences.
My favorite quote of the DVD was by Dr. David Murray who said "We've enslaved ourselves but we don't even see the chains. In fact, we think it is freedom."
wow.
I thought it ironic, at first, that a documentary posing the idea that media, when left unchecked, can be hazardous to one's health, relationships, worldview and Christian life actually came in the form of the very media that they were warning about. But as Phillip Telfer, producer and co-director stated, "This feature-length documentary is not ANTI-MEDIA or ANTI-TECHNOLOGY, but raises concerns about the unchecked enthusiasm regarding media and highlights the overwhelming evidence of growing problems on multiple fronts." Technology and media are not evil in and of themselves. Technology and media, when rightly used, enhances a life. It should not replace it.
I am so grateful that Matt has never been interested in video games or professional sports. We don't have ipads, Xboxes, fancy cellphones and when people joke about texting acronyms, I have no idea what they are talking about. We have one television set behind closed doors and no channels to go with it. We have Friday Night movie nights for the whole family and the very sporatic movies as treats which means our children usually sit in front of a TV for about 2 hours a week (far less than the typical child who, I learned, watched over 30 hours a week!). So we are pretty isolated from the situation (on purpose) making us not the 'target audience' and yet, even Matt and I were challenged by the film.
I don't believe any viewer could watch this video without it giving them pause. This is a huge problem in our day, for both adults and children. For both Christians and Non. And it is about time we got things right. After all, as Major Phil Willis said in the movie~ there is so much more we can be doing with the finite time that God has given us.
Captivated DVD is $16.95 with free shipping and, for a limited time, if you order two copies~ you'll get the second copy to give away for just $5.00.
13 comments:
Love the pic! It's so true. That Einstein.. he was a smart one.
The only TV we watch is on Netflix (no commercials! hooray!) and what we get at the library. How much depends on the season of life we're in. Right after a baby is born, I tend to let the littles watch more.
It's definitely something we try to be careful about though. We've recently implemented a no-screen Sunday and that's been so good for our family.
have been very convicted of this lately because I know my children watch entirely too much tv. Although I don't think it is 30 hours. That seems insane!
But I have had the opportunity to start working from home and bringing more income into our family and I was becoming very guilty of relying on the tv as a babysitter.
I decided to hire a homeschooled high school student as a mother's helper instead. So now I have help with cleaning and child watching for about 12 hours each week, she is earning some money, and my kids are kept more engaged in meaningful activities and more active riding bikes, etc.
I thought I was going to feel guilty about bringing in outside help, but it has been fabulous!
The quote by Stalin is so frightening because it is so true. Imagine what Hitler could have done with the mass media we have today.
I was a child of the '80's who grew up with no television...gasp!!! Kids at school would ask me if I was a Jehovah's Witness(nope, Pentecostal). Even among our church family we were different. My parents made a conscious decision to get rid of the television when I was 7. I can say that my childhood was awesome. I did not miss having a television. I would gladly give up our satellite right now but am married to a man who did not grow up without a t.v :)
Oh that last quote. I had a discussion a while back in our home group where I shared that when I was a teenager God really convicted me about watching 'other people sin' for entertainment. And I was pretty radical about it back then, stopped watching anything that included immorality, violence or simply a vain lifestyle without God. I did get less selective when I started watching more action movies with my husband. But I felt convicted again lately... but boy, did I get it when I shared that in home group. Everybody got so defensive about their right to have a little entertainment and that nothing was wrong with watching a fictional criminal story... blablabla. That just made me think more, because we have no right before God to be entertained, and even if it is not sin to watch a good clean movie ever now and then, the time would be used better spending time in prayer or the word and it would be more refreshing to our soul than watching a movie to relax. I still do watch movies, and read some blogs and a bit of pinterest for entertainment, but the very strong defensive reaction of beloved fellow believers really made me think. I hope to choose more to abide in his presence for a real renewing strength instead of believing the lie that after a stressful day I need a little tv to relax.
I do also know that some very good things exist in media that God can use to inspire us, speak to us or build fellowship. Yet, how much do we watch and surf and how of it fits the above purpose?
Your post seems a bit hypocritical, what with all the blogging. How many hours a week do you spend in front of a computer screen, or behind a digital camera...?
Anonymous....why hide behind cowardice. Post your name if you are so inclined to give your opinions.
It's not cowardice that I didn't leave my name - it's that I just didn't care enough to figure out how to post my name at that second, due to dinnertime, 5 hungry kids, and the crying newborn.
What difference does posting my name make anyway? It's Catherine.
Anyway, do you seriously not agree with my above comment? It's really hard for me to not see the irony here. In my experience, people that REALLY aren't into subscribing to the current-day technology slavery don't have blogs. Come on, anyone?
And what the heck is "tweeting", but the way? I still can't figure that one out.
If you have a bunch of kids, homeschool, and also have a blog, then something's getting sacrificed...and it aint the blog.
I mean, just leaving this one comment has cost me like, 10 minutes of not engaging with my family and not interacting in the real world, so please, enlighten me, how does one do it?
Anonymous, you must not read here very much because if you did you would know already that Rebecca spends very little time in front of her computer. Have you seen the amount of food she puts up for her family from her garden every year? Have you seen the pictures and heard the stories of how she feeds the fire and the animals while her husband is away with his job? Rebecca has been a dear, in-real-life, friend of mine for nearly 12 years. She is one amazing woman, wife, and mother! I look up to her in many ways, one of which is how well she manages her time!
Just saying Rebecca seems to be pretty "captivated" herself, what with all the blogging, etcetera. You have to admit that it is a contradiction in terms to engage in something that you say you're against. People who blog are definitely part of the cyber world. There is a study that talks about the reason people can,t seem to get off facebook is because they ve actually developed an identity through facebook that they cannot detatch from for fear of losing a part of themselves. Its the same thing.
I am joining this discussion late because I am usually not on the computer on the weekends.
First~ Leah, you are a dear friend to defend my honor in my absence. Thanks for those kind words on my behalf. They made the bite of Catherine's comments sting a bit less.
Secondly~ Putting your name on comments is important because you take ownership of what you say. It is associated with you so you can hold yourself accountable to it and make sure that what comes out of your mouth is edifying, or in the very least, respectful. I appreciate that you wrote your name Catherine, so I could feel like I was addressing an actual person instead of a deep black hole on the internet.
As for your comment, I say only this:
You are absolutely right. Blogging and the internet can be lumped into the technology slave category too and that is something I am constantly keeping in check. (You did read that the movie was convicting for me too, right?)
I began this blog not only as a way to record our life through words and photos for my own families' sake but also as an encouragement to other mother's in the thick of things like you and I both are, to relate to them and build up these women who might need to see that there is beauty even in the thick of things and that there are women much like themselves, struggling to find it. I am one of them.
Blogging is a sacrifice on my time but unlike Facebook, Tweeting (I don't know what that is either) and TV watching, I believe that it is an edifying use of my time and not a waste. Encouraging women in their godly pursuits, in my mind, is well worth the sacrifice.
If you don't consider my blog a place to feel refreshed and encouraged then I will be the first one to suggest you stop wasting your time coming here.
Great post. Love your images. I agree this movie caused me to be more aware of how much time I spend on the computer. Blogging does take some of my time but that's just it. It's my time. My work time mostly. We don't have a tv or play video games. I've tried to be careful through the years and this video has convicted me to stay the course.
OK I can see your point. My husband thinks people with blogs are way to into themselves. I disagree. I learn lots of great things from blogs.
I have found that most people who post nasty things go by anonymous. I think if you stand behind what you say have the courage to post your name. Although clearly you have your hands full.
I meant "way too into themselves."
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