On TV

["Rustum Kozain" <KOZAIN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

In talking about people's addiction/attraction to
television, or the compulsion to watch (an keep
on watching), perhaps we should also consider the
device itself, the technology inside that box we
feel so compelled towards. I have noticed that,
often, when a social situation impinges on tv
watching and the tv sound alone is turned down,
conversation may still be strained because
people's eyes are distracted by the image on the
screen. In other words, television still makes
its presence known and felt through the images.
What is it about the technology producing the
images that draws the eyes? I don't think it's
simply a matter of the eye being 'drawn to moving
images'. What is the nature of the moving of the
images? What about the flickering? The frequency
at which the image flickers? It's a high
frequency, and imperceptible, but I am prepared
to start there when I consider the nature of the
'addiction'. In fact, before we get to
programming, I would say that it is an addiction
because of the nature of the technology.

Does anybody have references or ideas around
television technology and brainwaves?

Rustum


Rustum Kozain
Department of English
University of Cape Town
Rondebosch, South Africa
email: kozain@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
tel.: (021) 650 2852
fax: (021) 650 3726/ 650 3918

                'I met History once, but he ain't recognise me'
                                    -Derek Walcott