Comments on: TV as a Social Calibrator http://mprcenter.org/blog/2008/07/13/tv-as-a-social-calibrator/ The psychology of technology and emerging media Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:12:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: kim http://mprcenter.org/blog/2008/07/13/tv-as-a-social-calibrator/comment-page-1/#comment-459 kim Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:59:04 +0000 http://mprcenter.org/blog/?p=74#comment-459 Interesting subject, and good blog, keep up the good work Interesting subject, and good blog, keep up the good work

]]> By: Adriaan Bos http://mprcenter.org/blog/2008/07/13/tv-as-a-social-calibrator/comment-page-1/#comment-154 Adriaan Bos Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:50:30 +0000 http://mprcenter.org/blog/?p=74#comment-154 I guess instead of a waste of time, I should have called it an 'unsatisfying experience'. And I am talking about the kind of programs that relate to the applicability of social emotions. Not the many other kinds of programs that teach or otherwise inform. But just because we all think certain programs are hugely entertaining, that doesn't mean they are not a waste of time from an evolutionary perspective. I spent a lot of time in Brazil and half the country grinds to a halt when the soap operas (novelas) are on for two hours every night. I can't imagine stone age humans being able to afford such behaviour unless there was something valuable in it. I just want to add that in Brazil the main novelas are watched by just about everybody, as most people don't have cable. And it is normal for bars and restaurants to have a TV on when the novelas are on. So when a novela touches a sensitive subject you can almost feel it in the air. A gay kiss, abortion, euthanasia etc, they all caused national discussions. TV hasn't lost its focussing power there yet. I got a positive reaction from Marco Iacoboni, his labs works on the mirror neurons. Our brains light up in the same emotions as the ones we experience around us. Now you can explain that as empathy, or as copying. I guess instead of a waste of time, I should have called it an ‘unsatisfying experience’. And I am talking about the kind of programs that relate to the applicability of social emotions. Not the many other kinds of programs that teach or otherwise inform.

But just because we all think certain programs are hugely entertaining, that doesn’t mean they are not a waste of time from an evolutionary perspective. I spent a lot of time in Brazil and half the country grinds to a halt when the soap operas (novelas) are on for two hours every night. I can’t imagine stone age humans being able to afford such behaviour unless there was something valuable in it.

I just want to add that in Brazil the main novelas are watched by just about everybody, as most people don’t have cable. And it is normal for bars and restaurants to have a TV on when the novelas are on. So when a novela touches a sensitive subject you can almost feel it in the air. A gay kiss, abortion, euthanasia etc, they all caused national discussions. TV hasn’t lost its focussing power there yet.

I got a positive reaction from Marco Iacoboni, his labs works on the mirror neurons. Our brains light up in the same emotions as the ones we experience around us. Now you can explain that as empathy, or as copying.

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