Escapism

I was listening to child psychologist, Dr Tanya Byron, on Radio 4's "The Media Show" recently.

She was discussing why children’s viewing can and should be controlled. But, she argued, children, like adults, need some tv "downtime" away from the stresses of daily life. 

After a hard days learning at school and dropping crumbs all over the house they need to simply sit down, empty their tiny little minds and be entertained and enchanted.  Not challenged. She lauded "Spongebob and Squarepants" in this regard, a programme that she, herself, greatly enjoyed. 

She went on to say that adults were exactly the same. When she went home at night after a hard day's kiddie staring the last thing she required was some informative documentary about the boring old war or some outdated Dickens dramatisation with fancy language. She preferred to sit down, disengage her brain entirely, and watch "Strictly" or "X-Factor" with a glass of Australian Chardonnay. That's what she said. 

It's what being a human being is all about, she also said.