Then and Now

When I was a little girl, we had ONE television (TV) in our house, and its picture was in black and white.  It was a big square box full of wires and glass tubes of varying sizes.  I remember my dad having to open the back of the box routinely to replace those tubes. Television stations stopped broadcasting every night around midnight, and there was no TV remote.  We used to joke that the youngest kid was the TV remote because they were usually the ones who had to get up, go to the TV and turn the channel dial.  (I know this because it was my job for a while!)  Another job that the ’TV remote’ often had was adjusting the rabbit ears.  In those days, there was neither cable nor satellite dish. Instead, there was a two-pronged antenna that sat on top of the TV like a rabbit’s ears.  From time to time it would need to be adjusted so it could better receive the broadcast signal.  The adjustor would have to stand on the side of the TV and move the prongs around while others would observe the picture quality and direct the adjustment.  And if that didn’t work well enough, aluminum foil would be scrunched onto the tips of the ears for better reception.

Another interesting phenomenon of having only ONE television was that there could be only one show on at any given time.  Granted, there was a limited selection of shows back then, but it still required family cooperation.  In our house it was simple.  Dad watched what he wanted to watch in the evenings.  And at other times, we kids watched what we wanted to watch as long as it met with Mom’s approval.  The family watched TV together in the evenings even though the shows were Dad’s choice.  We didn’t mind for the most part because the programming was family-friendly anyway.  And for me, it was always a treat because I could stay up past my bedtime. 

All of this may sound archaic to my younger readers, but it was an uncomplicated lifestyle.  It was all we knew, and we were satisfied with it.  There were plenty of other activities to pursue so our entertainment was not limited to what was on TV.  We read books, played games, built puzzles, did crafts, and played OUTSIDE!  We did many activities as a family. 

I say all this because TV is a good example of how things have changed in my lifetime alone. I often heard from my parents how different life was when they were young, but I really didn’t pay attention.  However, comparing my youth with the youth of today, I see many changes, and not all of them seem to be for the better.  I understand now what my parents were trying to tell me. 

Of course, not embracing change labels me as “old fashioned”, but that designation doesn’t bother me because I am rather old fashioned.  I like antiques and old photos.  I appreciate the wisdom of age.  I respect my elders.  And I admire the ingenuity, workmanship, and accomplishments of the past.  However, I do embrace some change.  I love that I can type on a computer that automatically corrects my spelling.  I love that I can post this online for people from many different places to read.  I love that I can video chat with my children and grandchildren who live far away.  But this kind of progress can also have negative side effects. 

For instance, I have all my family’s and friends’ contact information on my phone.  For the convenience of pushing a single button to call people, I have forgotten everyone’s phone numbers.  I used to know many of them by heart, but I lost that skill because I chose convenience.  I recently wrote my family’s and friends’ phone numbers in my journal so I wouldn’t be totally lost if something happened to my phone.  But the only number that I can recite without looking at my list is my husband’s. 

Our Friday night routine is going out to dinner, often at the same restaurant.  As we relax with a drink and a meal, I see families out to dinner also, who all are individually looking at their phones – even the babies in highchairs!   I don’t see those families having lively conversation or cheerful interactions. Sometimes they barely acknowledge the server.  This does not seem like positive progress to me.

With respect to TV, what was a periodic source of entertainment when I was a kid, has become the hub of our agendas.  Most homes now have multiple TVs, and they are often turned on more than they are off.  In addition, many have other devices as sources of entertainment as well, (gaming consoles, tablets, laptops etc.).  Don’t get me wrong, I like watching TV as much as the next person – I could sit all day and watch movies and I’m a sucker for online solitaire!  But I see a loss of family interaction and the introduction of too much unsavory information as being side effects of this electronic invasion.

 Of course, not all TV shows are bad, nor are all video games or internet sources of information.  But we must be cautious.  We must always consider the origin of the information, the validity of the information and the impact of the information on our minds.  Do we really need to know about deadly acts?  Do we need to see sexual exploits?  Almost all of us would scream “NO” to this kind of information, but it’s out there and accessible.  Not that these things are new, (there is nothing new under the sun), but this information is readily available for anyone to observe – even our children and grandchildren.  Remember also that even the innocuous information we receive from the world may have ulterior motives behind it. 

Now, I am not calling for some kind of government restriction or censorship.  And I’m not saying we should get rid of all our electronic devices.  I’m simply encouraging all of us to guard our own minds and protect our children from driving too fast down the information highway.  Everything that we receive into our minds has an effect on us.  If the majority of what we receive comes from worldly sources, our thoughts will be worldly.  And those are the thoughts that can tear us down.  But if our thoughts are centered on God’s Word, we will have positive Godly thoughts that build us up and set us free from the burdens of this world.  We can decide what information we keep and what we throw out.  God’s Word is the standard for that determination.  But if the influx of worldly information is too weighty, that task becomes more difficult. 

We as Christian parents and grandparents try our best to keep our families tight and our surroundings positive.  We fight for the Word of God in our own minds and in our family’s lives as well. We know that this is a daily battle, and we know that God is always on our side to support us, to defend us and to supply all of need.  We know that God says we are more than conquerors and that we can put on His armor. 

(Romans 8:37 and Ephesians 6:11)

There is nothing wrong with enjoying a TV show, surfing the internet, or playing video games.  But beware of possible side effects and forget not all the benefits of God. 

Note to my readers:  Family time is some of the best time you can have!  Thanks for reading!