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Daily Mail says Britain's full of 'screenagers' photo

British tabloid and glorified comic book The Daily Mail loves to attack videogames, probably because Grand Theft Auto IV has more journalistic integrity than the average Mail writer. The latest in its long line of attempts to make Britain fear technology is a doozy, with The Fail claiming that Britain's youth has become a race of "screenagers" -- videogame and TV addicts that pour ten hours of their daily life into electronic entertainment.

"Youngsters have turned into 'screenagers' who spend nearly ten hours a day glued to TVs, computers, phones and videogames," states The Fail, which I refuse to link on principle. "Much of the time they are texting, playing games consoles, surfing the Internet, scrolling through their iPods or staring at screens during school lessons."

I often wonder what makes a so-called "real" journalist write these things. I've read and watched roughly eight billion reports on how teenagers are TV/game addicts over the past ten years, none of them saying anything of value or substance. I'm guessing this time around, some bright-eyed journalist came up with the term "screenager" in the shower one morning, then pulled a story out of his arse just for an excuse to use it.

Either that, or the stupid hack's just been listening to too much Muse.


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30 comments | showing # 1 to 30

Gibbo's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 17:11
Gibbo
Listening to too much Muse isn't a bad thing but fuck The Daily Fail.
wanderingpixel's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 17:15
wanderingpixel
I don't really likee oing out doors. Unless I'm reading out on my deck. But I do try to get out of the house as much as I can.
Corak's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 17:18
Corak
Biased news always sells better.
DonHonk's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 17:19
DonHonk
Its peoples choice what to do with their time, if they feel like being lazy bastards then so be it.
PenKaizen's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 17:20
PenKaizen
What would you prefer, teenagers inside minding their own business or outside pissing right wing Dail Mail readers off?
robotbebop's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 17:20
robotbebop
It's like FOX news shat out a newspaper. Is there an equivalent channel to FOXnews in the UK? Because the combined ignorance of that and the Daily Mail frightens me.
Onlineatron's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 17:29
Onlineatron
Screenager!....... I love that song!

'Who's so phoney and always surrounded
Stop your screaming, no one can hear
All the scars on your skin, post no bills

Who you were
Was so beautiful
Remember who... who you were

Hide from the mirror, the cracks and the memories
Hide from your family, they won't know you now
For all the holes in our souls host no thrills

Who you were
Was so beautiful
Memories who... who you were'
Magesx's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 17:31
Magesx
Wait, isn't this article kinda true?
UglyDuck's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 17:36
UglyDuck
I'd buy the idea that they thought of the word before they thought of the article, because this is one of the least substantial technophobic ramblings I've ever read.

@robotbebop, no, not really. Our TV media is not generally sensationalist. ITV news is about as bad as we have, but they're just trying to be modern and hip, with presenters standing around weirds shapes or leaning on things while a totally worthless 3D image rotates on the curved screen behind them, and to be fair, ITV are generally a fucking awful channel anyway.

Come to Britain; where journalism isn't all that rubbish if we kinda feel like it sometimes.
Splaa's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 17:37
Splaa
reading blog comments makes it clear that the daily mail is right.
Jon B's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 17:43
Jon B
There is never such a thing as too much Muse.


However, is it just me, or is the image of a wrinkled old man who can't operate a mobile phone with two buttons the image you get when you think of the person who writes those articles?
HURP DERP I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE LIKE TECHNOLOGY IT'S ALL EVIL AND I'M TOTALLY CORRECT THAT PEOPLE SHOULDN'T CHANGE, etc.
SSKudu's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 17:57
SSKudu
Usually I don't particularly empathise with your massive cynicism Jim, but in this case I agree with it 100% and applaud your liberal use of it!
Drunk Ste's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 18:00
Drunk Ste
@robotbebop
All news channels have their problems but nothing in the UK is anywhere near as bad as Fox "News", hell I'd even take the BBC's children show Newsround over Fox "News” anyday.
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 18:17
Holyetheline
Muse ftw!!
Xzyliac's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 18:18
Xzyliac
In their defense I can recall a lot of my school time spent in front of a computer and a tv for school purposes (usually) and cell phones, iPods, and handhelds during class.

I have no sense of time and can't fathom 10 hours but yeah I know a lot of school time in general was spent looking at a screen unless I really needed the info (like Literature *shudder*).
CitizenErased's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 18:22
CitizenErased
Sweet Muse reference.
Keep on Truckin'!
LGDravere's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 18:31
LGDravere
Wow, go daily fail!
did the article have a point or was it just a rant? can anyone link to it? id love to read it.

i wonder if people were worried about cinema rotting the youth of the 20th century when it first started. So what if were more techno savvy than the victor meldrews of the world. Its no anyone elses fault that they refuse to catch up other than their own.
HiddenAHB's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 18:58
HiddenAHB
Are the British trying to compete with the American press!?
Xzyliac's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 19:02
Xzyliac
@LGDravere
Actually yeah we were very paranoid about technology invading our lives. Same goes for the invention of recorded music and even color movies.

There is a paranoia behind every technological jump in entertainment. Some are artistic paranoias, others societal, sometimes both, but there is always a party pooper.
comradetrotskii's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 19:50
comradetrotskii
So what?

The screen is nothing more than an extension of paper, the newspaper, the screen has become the source of information. The type of information which can be delivered on a screen can also be far more advanced. The only issue should be the quality of information which is delivered on the screen not the fact that it is on a screen.
ShadowKirby's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 20:02
ShadowKirby
Damn screennagers! They should walk around with knifes like all other british teens.
SubOrbital's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 22:20
SubOrbital
I love my video games and PC a bit more than is probably healthy. Key word here is moderation. Seems like a certain someone doesn't grasp that concept.
comradetrotskii's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/17/2009 23:13
comradetrotskii
the papers kept telling us not to vote for the British National Party so I voted for em :p. It was the best day of my life doing that.

What a ridiculous statement.
Splaa's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/18/2009 00:12
Splaa
@devilcrack

congratulations on voting for fascists
CaptainBus's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/18/2009 03:28
CaptainBus
Here's the link to the article.

Love this comment from John Bull, Wolverhampton:
From the government's point of view, it's cheaper than dosing the water supply, so they aren't going to mind. One thing is for sure though: the A Level and GCSE grades will be up again this year, so all this screen gazing must be good for teeenagers, mustn't it?

Kind of puts you in the (narrow) mindset of the average Daily Mail reader, doesn't it?
BurningHammer's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/18/2009 05:28
BurningHammer
@devilcrack By doing that you in essence voted for Nazi's, congratulations on being a retard.
BurningHammer's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/18/2009 05:29
BurningHammer
@devilcrack By doing that you in essence voted for Nazi's, congratulations on being a retard.
BurningHammer's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/18/2009 05:29
BurningHammer
@devilcrack By doing that you in essence voted for Nazi's, congratulations on being a retard.
Soulwax's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/18/2009 06:00
Soulwax
All this article says to me is "We're a dying medium and are struggling to stay relevant."
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