USA, a souless country?
- Thread starter judvic
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micheal
Guest
Greetings and Salutations!
I feel that this would be a fine place to make my entrance and introduction. As being born and raised in the United States but living in somewhat of a religous Mecca most of all my life, save for my time I served in the US Military and spending a majority of my 10 years in service traveling mostly to Europe and different posts in the US. My life experiences being taught to be a god fearing mormon yet as I reached teenage years I found many "missionaries" from different religions such as Buddism and some other "cults". I found my self looking for a better answer. While in the military I found other cultures totally alien yet a common thread was very noticeable in everyone I met. A fellow soldier from the Southwest US gave me a book on Native American Shamanism, and my outlook on life and my beliefs were forever altered. I soon found that many cultures on earth followed again a common thread. It has taken me another 15 years to make another realization that its more mankinds failure in which we strive to find differences in everyone else instead of that common thread of our existance that we are ALL HUMAN. This realization that I have been taught all my life that being different and unique is a good thing, being born in america is a blessing. How can we be so arrogant in this fact! It is much like the belief that many in the world believe there is no other life in the universe. Are we as a race of beings so arrogant in ourselves and our personal beliefs and cultures we are blind to that common thread we all hold.
Back to the topic on hand here. I can see why many would see the people of this nation being a bit soulless, based on the hectic lifestyle many have come accustomed. Not to mention the moral degradation that our culture has spawned over the recent decades. I find it totally absurd in the fact many are more concerned what a popular young woman who's moral values are questionable is doing rather than their own personal debt has grown. But I also have found that many other cultures are just blinded by thier own arrogance and lack of tolerance of other HUMANS that they also seem soulless. I believe that one good thing has come to us though. In all the technogical advances we have experiences over the last few decades this INTERNET has brought many people of the world together to communicate and bring those with belief in that common thread of HUMANITY together to learn from each other.
I feel that this would be a fine place to make my entrance and introduction. As being born and raised in the United States but living in somewhat of a religous Mecca most of all my life, save for my time I served in the US Military and spending a majority of my 10 years in service traveling mostly to Europe and different posts in the US. My life experiences being taught to be a god fearing mormon yet as I reached teenage years I found many "missionaries" from different religions such as Buddism and some other "cults". I found my self looking for a better answer. While in the military I found other cultures totally alien yet a common thread was very noticeable in everyone I met. A fellow soldier from the Southwest US gave me a book on Native American Shamanism, and my outlook on life and my beliefs were forever altered. I soon found that many cultures on earth followed again a common thread. It has taken me another 15 years to make another realization that its more mankinds failure in which we strive to find differences in everyone else instead of that common thread of our existance that we are ALL HUMAN. This realization that I have been taught all my life that being different and unique is a good thing, being born in america is a blessing. How can we be so arrogant in this fact! It is much like the belief that many in the world believe there is no other life in the universe. Are we as a race of beings so arrogant in ourselves and our personal beliefs and cultures we are blind to that common thread we all hold.
Back to the topic on hand here. I can see why many would see the people of this nation being a bit soulless, based on the hectic lifestyle many have come accustomed. Not to mention the moral degradation that our culture has spawned over the recent decades. I find it totally absurd in the fact many are more concerned what a popular young woman who's moral values are questionable is doing rather than their own personal debt has grown. But I also have found that many other cultures are just blinded by thier own arrogance and lack of tolerance of other HUMANS that they also seem soulless. I believe that one good thing has come to us though. In all the technogical advances we have experiences over the last few decades this INTERNET has brought many people of the world together to communicate and bring those with belief in that common thread of HUMANITY together to learn from each other.
GRiM
The Living Force
Cant vouch for these statics but it might be a start:Joe said:
I. FAMILY LIFE
Percentage of households that possess at least one television: 99
Number of TV sets in the average U.S. household: 2.24
Percentage of U.S. homes with three or more TV sets: 66
Number of hours per day that TV is on in an average U.S. home: 6 hours, 47 minutes
Percentage of Americans that regularly watch television while eating dinner: 66
Number of hours of TV watched annually by Americans: 250 billion
Value of that time assuming an average wage of S5/hour: S1.25 trillion
Percentage of Americans who pay for cable TV: 56
Number of videos rented daily in the U.S.: 6 million
Number of public library items checked out daily: 3 million
Percentage of Americans who say they watch too much TV: 49
II CHILDREN
Approximate number of studies examining TV's effects on children: 4,000
Number of minutes per week that parents spend in meaningful
conversation with their children: 3.5
Number of minutes per week that the average child watches television: 1,680
Percentage of day care centers that use TV during a typical day: 70
Percentage of parents who would like to limit their children's TV watching: 73
Percentage of 4-6 year-olds who, when asked to choose between watching TV
and spending time with their fathers, preferred television: 54
Hours per year the average American youth spends in school: 900 hours
Hours per year the average American youth watches television: 1500
III VIOLENCE
Number of murders seen on TV by the time an average child finishes elementary school: 8,000
Number of violent acts seen on TV by age 18: 200,000
Percentage of Americans who believe TV violence helps precipitate real life mayhem: 79
IV. COMMERCIALISM
Number of 30-second TV commercials seen in a year by an average child: 20,000
Number of TV commercials seen by the average person by age 65: 2 million
Percentage of survey participants (1993) who said that TV commercials
aimed at children make them too materialistic: 92
Rank of food products/fast-food restaurants among TV advertisements to kids: 1
Total spending by 100 leading TV advertisers in 1993: $15 billion
V. GENERAL
Percentage of local TV news broadcast time devoted to advertising: 30
Percentage devoted to stories about crime, disaster and war: 53.8
Percentage devoted to public service announcements: 0.7
Percentage of Americans who can name The Three Stooges: 59
Percentage who can name at least three justices of the U.S. Supreme Court: 17
Compiled by TV-Free America
1322 18th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 887-4036
I cant find the year this study was done. Might be from 1993 (Percentage of survey participants (1993))
anart
A Disturbance in the Force
Yep, here are figures from 2002: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/med_tel_vie-media-television-viewingpolt said:
Showing latest available data.
Rank Countries Amount (top to bottom)
#1 United Kingdom: 28 hours per person per week
#2 United States: 28 hours per person per week
#3 Italy: 27 hours per person per week
#4 Ireland: 23 hours per person per week
#5 Germany: 23 hours per person per week
#6 France: 23 hours per person per week
#7 Australia: 22 hours per person per week
#8 Denmark: 20 hours per person per week
#9 Netherlands: 20 hours per person per week
#10 Belgium: 19 hours per person per week
#11 Sweden: 18 hours per person per week
#12 Norway: 18 hours per person per week
#13 Finland: 18 hours per person per week
Some other statistics from http://www.csun.edu/science/health/docs/tv&health.html - undated and compiled by 'TV-Free America' - so not certain how accurate it is.
According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day (or 28 hours/week, or 2 months of nonstop TV-watching per year). In a 65-year life, that person will have spent 9 years glued to the tube.
I. FAMILY LIFE
Percentage of households that possess at least one television: 99
Number of TV sets in the average U.S. household: 2.24
Percentage of U.S. homes with three or more TV sets: 66
Number of hours per day that TV is on in an average U.S. home: 6 hours, 47 minutes
Percentage of Americans that regularly watch television while eating dinner: 66
Number of hours of TV watched annually by Americans: 250 billion
Value of that time assuming an average wage of S5/hour: S1.25 trillion
Percentage of Americans who pay for cable TV: 56
Number of videos rented daily in the U.S.: 6 million
Number of public library items checked out daily: 3 million
Percentage of Americans who say they watch too much TV: 49
II CHILDREN
Approximate number of studies examining TV's effects on children: 4,000
Number of minutes per week that parents spend in meaningful
conversation with their children: 3.5
Number of minutes per week that the average child watches television: 1,680
Percentage of day care centers that use TV during a typical day: 70
Percentage of parents who would like to limit their children's TV watching: 73
Percentage of 4-6 year-olds who, when asked to choose between watching TV
and spending time with their fathers, preferred television: 54
Hours per year the average American youth spends in school: 900 hours
Hours per year the average American youth watches television: 1500
This part says it all, and with the jury still out on which is worse, - US TV or US schooling - the implications are pretty grim.anart said:
Of course, in recent years, the UK appears to have really taken up the challenge in emulating the US in so many ways, including having a lying sack of monkey nuts for political representatives.
Joe
B
baklavatsky
Guest
USA : a soulless country?
Rudolf Steiner said that in 1919 in "The Challenge of the Times", that America was on the way to become a soulless society, following the programme of the "Lodges" hidden in the background.
Rudolf Steiner said that in 1919 in "The Challenge of the Times", that America was on the way to become a soulless society, following the programme of the "Lodges" hidden in the background.
