Customer Reviews

Glued to the Tube: The Threat of Television Addiction to Today's Family

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This book surprised me with its "pro-family" statement and the research to back it up.Dr Pawlowski is very thorough and wonderfully straight forward in her writing.The book is divided into 3 sections.The first ("How Did We Get Here?") gives a history of media in general and specific to television.The second section ("Stolen Roles) has 7 chapters each dealing w/ a different role that TV is or has taken from the family.The third section ("What The Future Holds") talks about what you can do about the hold and enormous influence TV has on today's society.The BEST thing about this book is the research evidence Did you know that there are more households w/ TV than indoor plumbing?Did you also know that children growing up today who watch TV will most likely spend 10 yrs of their lifetime watchng the tube?This book really has made me take a hard examination of TV (media in general) and MY viewing habits.The hold that this invasive media has on our lives is extremely frightening.I am recommending this book to all my friends and family.

this book is just wonderful! it not only shows the impact of tv on society today, but it gives advice on how to lessen its powerful grip. a must for anyone who feels that they are 'glued to the tube'!

This book has both good and bad points. Powlowski relies on numerous studies to develop her thesis that TV has become a cultural addiction, and these parts of the book are excellent. For example:

a) She offers that TV is the "vanguard of consumerism" that has tremendous impact on our lives

b) That TV is becoming a family manager without us noticing

c) How TV is "a misguided cure for boredom"

However, there is a dark side to this book as well. Readers should be warned that Powlowski uses this book as a whipping boy to explain why our culture does not match her political views. For example:

1) TV is to blame for why we are not all feminists ('Womanhood on TV' pg. 87-104). She seems to believe that we are all natural feminists and TV moves public opinion in the opposite direction, e.g. "Despite a growing number of strong female role models on TV, the overwhelming message remains little changed [that] women are second class citizens". This is ridiculous. One can look at non-TV cultures (Muslim, Amish, pre-1950 USA) and come to the opposite conclusion - that TV seems to encourage feminism. In truth, the general public is simply not big on feminism and TV simply reflects this view. Regardless, Powlowski offers no evidence for her opinion.

2) TV is why men gravitate towards manhood and machoism. ('TV and Manhood' pg. 91-95). Powlowski believes TV has made the naturally sensitive and soft man into a brute. TV is to blame for 80% of teens finding it "acceptable to use force if the couple was married" and men's propensity for "violence, misogyny". She is very concerned with ensuring "Manhood needs to be redefined in a way that allows women equality". Of course, again she offers no evidence for this correlation, and it's not hard to find many misogynist cultures that are not TV based (try ancient Greece, Rome, etc.).

3) How the printing press ('The Printing Press' pg 14-16) provided intellectual freedom for all except Catholics, who remain dumb and sheepish. For example, "Ordinary husbands and fathers achieved a new position that Catholic men entirely lacked" and that "Catholics were required by the church [sic] to rely on a priest for scriptural interpretations" as if the printing press was outlawed for Catholics (it was invented by a Catholic). Again, Powlowski seems to have her personal beliefs and is intent to pass them on.

Overall, this book has well-documented parts mixed in with personal biases and unsupported whoppers. However, if one can struggle through the latter and take it with a grain or two of salt, it's not a bad read.

An excellent book filled with research and the author's personal opinion as to how TV has become an important influence in our lives. Today's family views TV as another one of its' members. I was able to relate to many of the author's examples of how society has become addicted to TV viewing. Her practical solutions on how to break free of TV's influence were worth reading. I especially enjoyed the way she cited examples of how many TV shows of the past and present have influenced and are influencing the behaviors and attitudes of our society. I totally agree with the author that TV is definitely the plug-in drug of our society. I have recommended this book to friends and family members alike and will continue to do so in the future.

As someone who is "glued to the tube" this book illuminates various issues with television and its impact on the family unit. It is well-written and an easy read for anyone. Pawlowski supports her ideas with an array of statistics and research, but the book does not get bogged down with numbers. This should be read by anyone who watches more then two hours of television a week (read everyone in the U.S.).