Coming to Terms with Television

We have a TV, but it’s only connected to the VCR and DVD players. Even so, given their choice of activities, the kids will more often than not plop down to watch Star Wars for the 34th time. My instinctive parental reaction is, of course, “12 minutes of TV a week is plenty for any child.” But then I think of my childhood after-school ritual: Gilligan’s Island, The Brady Bunch, Star Trek, Welcome Back Kotter, etc. Not to mention the evening regulars: Love Boat, Fantasy Island, That’s Incredible, Wild Kingdom, and The Wonderful World of Disney. (Yeah, I know.) And in spite of all that TV, I turned out just fine, right? I said, I turned out just fine! Right? RIGHT?