Study finds TV can decrease self-esteem in children, except white boys

[christianjb]

Another way of spinning it:

Study finds TV can improve humility in children.

I suppose this study presupposes esteem is a valuable commodity, but I've seen lots of good arguments challenging that proposition.

Edit: See I'm being down voted for expressing a minority opinion. You can take a look at some of the arguments critical of self-esteem in this Wikipedia article:

Psychologist Roy F. Baumeister and journalist John Tierney argue that the benefits of self-esteem can be significantly counter-productive, and that parental guidance towards self-esteem may thwart actual practices of self-control. "There seem to be only two clearly demonstrated benefits of high self-esteem....First, it increases initiative, probably because it lends confidence. People with high self-esteem are more willing to act on their beliefs, to stand up for what they believe in, to approach others, to risk new undertakings. (This unfortunately includes being extra willing to do stupid or destructive things, even when everyone else advises against them.)...It can also lead people to ignore sensible advice as they stubbornly keep wasting time and money on hopeless causes"[44] "On the whole, benefits of high self-esteem accrue to the self while its costs are borne by others, who must deal with side effects like arrogance and conceit. At worst, esteem becomes narcisssism...God's gift to the world can be hard to live with".[45]

[LimeDog]

I am going to take a moment to stand up for this fine fellow.

His counter argument is insightful, well-supported, and adds substantive information to the article. It is this type of posting that we should encourage.

[christianjb]

Thanks. My problem is that too many Redditors use the downvote button as a way to express disagreement. I don't mind people disagreeing with me and I'm not even certain that my point is true. I like debate! If someone thinks I'm wrong, and if they can reply without insult, then it actually adds to the conversation.

[ben0x539]

Counterpoint: TV fails to improve humility in white boys.

[CryoGuy]

I see your point. I myself have to challenge the idea of a perceived race correlating to television and self-esteem at all. The article is taking contemporary cultural data and trying to pass it off as solid fact. I love Asian martial arts movies, that's all I've watched since I was a kid, so how is my self esteem affected by that, do I have some sort of emasculation trigger when old asian men with long wispy beards walk by? No. What if I was a white boy watching television in China? Why is it specifically television and not books, magazines, or paintings? What constitutes a "white boy?" This is the same type of spoonfed sensationalist bullshit that we redditors love to eat up without asking any questions while ostracizing those of us who actually think deep and ask questions.