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No generation eludes definition as much as Generation X. Rob Owen opens with a history of network and cable television since the birth of Generation X and goes on to explore the symbiotic relationship between television and this largely misunderstood age group. From the first megahit The Brady Bunch to todays Friends, Owen unflinchingly describes the "boob tube" as the ubiquitous babysitter for millions of young people. Television, Owen maintains, consumes innocence as viewers encounter countless episodes of societys woes, from political strife and environmental decimation to everyday violence and crime.The peculiar television style of Gen X sitcoms -- sarcastic, quick, and flashy -- especially appeals to his generational cohorts, Owen states, for that is the perspective these Xers have of the world at large. Music television introduces still another aspect of visual cognition that reinforces such perceptions.And how do the Internet and online computer services fit into all of this? Since it first entered the mainstream in late 1993, the Internet has rapidly become a forum for anyone with anything to say about TV, music, and entertainment. Unlike twenty years ago, when "Trekkies" had to correspond by mail or attend conventions to share information, the mass technology of the nineties has made information the most plentiful and the cheapest commodity on the market. In fact, now network researchers and TV show producers actually solicit viewers comments about particular shows online."Even those Gen Xers who proudly post "Kill Your Television" bumper stickers on their cars grew up watching the box, and whether they like it or not, it has influenced their lives". -- from thePreface
-- Defining Gen XTV
-- Youthquake
-- Growing Up With The Ultimate Babysitter
-- Channel Surfing
-- Watching Us Watching Ourselves
-- Cyberspace: The Final Frontier
About the author
Rob Owen was a radio and television columnist at the
Albany Times Union in Albany, New York and features writer at the
Richmond Times-Dispatch in Richmond, Virginia. His articles have also appeared in the now-defunct
NetGuide magazine.
Summary
In attempting to define "Generation X", Rob Owens offers a history of network and cable television since the birth of Generation X, and goes on to explore the symbiotic relationship between television and this largely misunderstood age group. He maintains that television consumes innocence.
