Rating: 
Summary: Kill Your Television
Review: As a researcher and a college educator, I didn't expect much when I picked up this book. The topic interested me, so I checked it out of the library, but with reservations. I expected scathing rhetoric that belittled all positive uses of TV. I expected Winn to be a "Kill Your Television" type of author.
What I found in this book surprised me, to say the least. Winn sited hundreds of studies that described the possible negative effects of television but kept her "thus proving that TV is the devil" mentality to a dull roar. Although there were instances where she stated that a study's results "prove" that TV is bad for kids, this was not the main mantra of her book. Winn stated that she understood why parents used TV in the home, and gave suggestions for how to change the viewing habits of a child and a family. She described personal accounts of TV Turnoffs, some positive and some negative in their outcome. She also discussed other media such as the Internet and video games, and gave information about how these may affect children as well.
The best use that I found for this book was as a jumping-off point for discussions in my child psychology classes. My reading this book gave me the opportunity to discuss these opinions and research findings with my students, and I found that these discussions gave them a lot to think about. Personally this book made me examine my own childhood that was filled with TV and also made me question whether I will allow my own future children to watch this "drug."
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book, thoughtful and compelling
Review: ... This is an excellent book that is well written and makes for compelling reading, especially for parents. As a parent myself, I see that many kids these days simply don't play and interact with other people much these days--these kids just spend too much time in front of the computer, TV and video game screens to have much of a childhood.The book explains why that's a problem and why we parents need to make the effort to limit (and possibly eliminate) our kids' screen time. The content of the screens may be irrelevant--all or most screen time may be just wasted time. I recommend this book highly to anyone curious about these issues.
Rating: 
Summary: Are Kids Addicted to the Tube?
Review: Author Marie Winn has published several books about the medium of television and how it affects families and children. This book, "The Plug in Drug" was first published more than 25 years ago and has now been updated to include computers and other modern technology. Having been a television addict myself and someone who is interested in what others have to say about the ill effects of excessive TV viewing, I purchased thi book hoping to become enlightened about the destruction that can be caused by overconsumption of television. After reading this book, my feelings are mixed. The author (and the studies she sites from other's works) is decisively anti- television. She points out how families are not as closely- knit as they were in the past and how television viewing has caused kids to lose interest in other activities, like book reading and involvement in sports and outdoor recreation. She even draws the conclusion that the downward trend in SAT test scores can be atrributed to the rise of television viewing and popularity. Breaking the "spell" of television can be difficult. Parents find that TV viewing acts as a built- in babysitter and is also handy for use as a bribe. It's also much easier to let kids watch TV than to actively take part in other activities with them. This makes it especially tough to turn off the set and look for other, more productive ways to spend time. Winn doesn't call for the outlawing of television, and that's good because if she did, then I would immediately toss this book in the nearest sewer. Instead, she advocates watching television in moderation. She feels that, like anything, television can become addictive and that young children are the most vulnerable. Adults, too, can get hooked on TV but it's the children that are most susceptible to this "disease". Winn's opinions and her stance on television are sometimes accurate and sometimes a little over the edge. I can agree that, overall, most people watch too much television and that this can certainly take away valuable time that could be spent elsewhere. But I disagree on some of the more radical points, like the suggestion that kid's shows like Sesame Street are useless or that families should try going "cold turkey" and shutting down the set for good. I can only imagine the negative, rebellious response that would take place in most homes if a television- free environment was proposed by a parent. Overall, this is a decent book to read with a few good points to make about television viewing and keeping this activity in check. There is a good reference section in the back with names, addresses, and web sites of helpful organizations to turn to if you feel that yourself and/or your kids are television junkies. But much like Winn's suggestion that you moderate your TV consumption, you should also moderate how readily you accept her advice. Television has some good points, and there are some good, educational programs to watch. Complete elimination of television is not necessarily a good idea, in spite of what some psychologists and counselors have proposed. Moderation is the key to finding the right balance of television viewing vs. other activities for yourself and your family.
Rating: 
Summary: Downright scary!
Review: I am amazed that in the past 25 years since the first publication of this book, that Marie Winn still has the same objections to children using technology as she did in 1977. We have had 25 years of miraculous technological innovations and unparelled advancements in educational technology since the introduction of the television set. Winn uses a very negative narcotic drug metaphor throughout the book to show that parents and children are helpless victims who are addicted to an evil technology. She argues that the content of the TV show or computer activity is irrelevant--it is all bad! She assumes that parents have no self control and children have even less control and virtually no intelligence. Parents and children are the victims of dangerous technology and the only answer is to ban television and all technology from your family. Here is just one example from this book- p. 58-66
Winn denounces Sesame Street as dangerous--even claims that the education of preschoolers is dangerous to their psychological health. Preschoolers should not learn to read because they should be playing instead. Quotes Jane Healy, author of Endangered Minds as supporting this position. Reading, cultural diversity, handicaps and other social and educational enrichment themes of Sesame Street just go over the heads of children. If you agree with Winn's theory that young children should not be educated, please read this book. Otherwise, spend your money on something else! Toss the Plug-In Drug in the time capsule! --from a Ph.D graduate in educational technology
Rating:
Summary: shocked at the lack of research
Review: I eagerly dug into this book to learn more about the dangers of television but was utterly shocked at the poor level of research (especially given the glowing quotes from reviewers like The New York Times--goodness, doesn't anyone read footnotes?). Check out the footnotes and you'll see that speculations based on speculations is commonplace in this book. Research studies cited are often from 30 years ago but the author claims they're "just as valid today." Oh, really? They apply to interactive videogames, slow-cut educational videos with complex language such as Thomas the Tank Engine, etc.?
The part I was most interested in--information about the visual stimulation and how it might affect children with vision problems--was all based on a long out of print pamphlet that the author couldn't track down to verify. We're told that TV makes some kids hyper and some kids calmer...so it's bad for both groups...but why?
Moreover, recent research as reported in Time magazine shows that children do not watch TV like zombies as a rule--there is a lot of looking away from the television and engaging in other activities.
I'll keep searching for accurate, up to date information that will help me make sound decisions about my toddler's viewing of educational videos. Disappointed, to say the least.
Rating:
Summary: Billiant, sobering, and life-changing
Review: I first read Marie Winn's book more than two decades ago, and still have the dog-eared copy. In this updated edition, she again provides powerful, well-documented, and sobering research and insights into the harmful impact television has on developing brains and minds. All parents should read this book!!
Rating:
Summary: Explains a lot
Review: I must start by saying I grew up in a TV-free household (thank you, Mom and Dad), so I already knew firsthand how unnecessary television is. I certainly never felt deprived. This book still gave me a whole new perspective on the medium. It explained a lot of things I had observed in my classmates' and cousins' behaviors which I had never been able to articulate (like why one of my childhood playmates disappeared into her house--never to be seen again--after she got a TV for her room). This is an important book and even if you don't agree with it, it might give you a new perspective-- not just on television, but on the importance of how you spend your time. My one complaint with the book is that Ms. Winn lapses sometimes into a near-religious zeal in her arguments against TV. Don't let that keep you from seriously considering what she has to say.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I 've read
Review: I wish I would have read this book when my children were babies. It talks about how television affects your child's love for reading along with his comprehension. When children easily learn how to find things to do when they are bored translates into being a more productive person as they get older. But seems that with today's tv generation people will usually end up watching tv instead of doing something creative, educational or productive. It promotes laziness and lack of interest in other non-screen activities. Kids want to finish their homework quickly so they can go watch a show. TV breaks down the family because creates a numbness and lack of interest in communicating. This book is a must read.
Rating:
Summary: Should Be Required Reading
Review: Marie Winn makes a compelling and convincing argument that TV addiction is drastically affecting our children's ability to learn. She is absolutely right. TV addiction is so overwhelmingly prevalent in this culture that living without TV is considered extreme deprivation. We can't so much as sit peacefully and quietly in a doctor or dentist's office waiting area -- the TV is everywhere. We Americans cannot function without it. Don't believe me? Unplug your TV and turn it around to face the wall. Don't touch it for thirty days. Thirty days of abstinence is the standard many psychiatrists use with patients who insist they aren't alcoholics. I got rid of my TV four years ago, and have suggested the thirty-day test to friends who insisted they weren't TV-holics. The longest anyone's ever made it is six days. People intuitively know that TV is wasting their precious life energy -- that's why every conversation starts off, "Oh, I hardly watch any TV at all...." which is bull, and we all know it. Marie Winn offers clear and cogent research and arguments to back up what we all, deep down, know to be true.
Rating:
Summary: Should Be Required Reading
Review: Marie Winn makes a compelling and convincing argument that TV addiction is drastically affecting our children's ability to learn. She is absolutely right. TV addiction is so overwhelmingly prevalent in this culture that living without TV is considered extreme deprivation. We can't so much as sit peacefully and quietly in a doctor or dentist's office waiting area -- the TV is everywhere. We Americans cannot function without it. Don't believe me? Unplug your TV and turn it around to face the wall. Don't touch it for thirty days. Thirty days of abstinence is the standard many psychiatrists use with patients who insist they aren't alcoholics. I got rid of my TV four years ago, and have suggested the thirty-day test to friends who insisted they weren't TV-holics. The longest anyone's ever made it is six days. People intuitively know that TV is wasting their precious life energy -- that's why every conversation starts off, "Oh, I hardly watch any TV at all...." which is bull, and we all know it. Marie Winn offers clear and cogent research and arguments to back up what we all, deep down, know to be true.
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