Television in cars
By lisado
@lisado (1227)
United States
April 27, 2007 12:23pm CST
How do you feel about having TVs in cars? Either portable or ones that come installed into the roof or head rests? Do you think that kids really need a TV in the car? Are they just a distraction to the driver of the vehicle, or even the cars around them, since the screens are usually large enough for people passing or driving behind them can see the movie, as well.
We have a portable DVD player that we put in the car for when we drove home for visits (800 miles each way) but other than that we don't have it in the car. I don't think it's really good for kids to be that dependant on televisions for entertainment. I know that when I was a kid, and we went on long trips, we made sure that we had coloring books or books to read to keep us busy. I'll admit that it makes long distance traveling easier but it seems senseless to me for short trips to the store that a child have to have a movie on. I also find myself distracted when following pr passing people on the highway. It's like my eyes automatically tune in to "see what's on". Anyone else?
3 people like this
3 responses
@tess1960 (2385)
• United States
27 Apr 07
I think TV in cars or a Video player in cars is a definite distraction for the friver. We have gotten to the point we do not want to have to communicate with our children. We used to play word games, slug bug and car tag alphabet when I was growing up. It was a good time for singalongs and telling storied and just communicating. Now, everyone wants "modern conveniences" in everything they do and everywhere they go. I once spent the night in a motel in Oregon that had a fake fireplace for heat but no TV. I bet that place has TV's now. Too bad!!
Cars are for transportation, not smoking, eating, watching tv, reading, doing your nails all in the front seat and sometimes done by the driver, GEEZ!
2 people like this
@lisado (1227)
• United States
30 Apr 07
Slug bug? What's that? I've never heard of that car game? I know there is a licence plate tag game that I've heard some play. It's just harder for us to get our oldest involved in any types of games like that. Our youngest isn't old enough yet, but would like to learn a few different games to try!
1 person likes this
@tess1960 (2385)
• United States
3 May 07
Slug bug is not exactly the best game to play. My brother and I are about 1 1/2 years apart. We have family spread over a three state radius so there were a lot of car triops over weekends, holiday, during summer. We did not laways like each other much. I wanted a little sister. we didn't get any siblings until I was 8 and we couldn't really play slugbug with him. My little sister finally came along when i was 10 and I had pretty much outgrown the slugbug game by then.
Basically whoever saw a volkswagon first would slug the other person on the arm and yell slugbug. We would be told to cut it out at times and we would still do it but we would whisper slugbug. Then when we got where we were going we would show off our arms to see who had the best bruises. Like I said it wasn't exactly the best game to be playing but as long as we weren't fighting or killing each other or crying or screaming in the car mom and dad pretty much left us be to do our made up games. I did give my brother a bloody nose once as he moved when I went to slug and I got him on the nose, of course looking at him cross-eyes back then gave him a nose bleed!
@kareng (80243)
• United States
27 Apr 07
I find it very distracting to have to look at a tv screen in the car in front of me when driving. I see it all the time here in town and I think it is really bad to depend on tv's to entertain the kids. I can see having one on a long trip or a portable DVD player for using when all else fails.
Growing up we had puzzle books, coloring books, books to read or we would play a game like the license plate game.
Society is changing and not for the best!
2 people like this
@lisado (1227)
• United States
30 Apr 07
I feel the same way! Kids today totally lose it if they don't have their TV, video games and so on. My parents wouldn't even allow us to have an Atari (PLEASE tell me I'm not the only one old enough to remember having one of those!!) for a long time because they didn't want us playing it all of the time. They wanted us to go outside and play, which it seems a lot of kids these days don't do. They go outside and they aren't sure what to do! They don't ride a bike, play Tag or Dodgeball anymore, unless it's a videogame!
@jmcafam (2890)
• United States
27 Apr 07
I have a portable DVD player too that we use on longer trips to help pass the time for the kids. We don't really take it with us when we are just running around town doing errands. Like you I tend to look at others movies in their cars to see what they are playing.
1 person likes this
