--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Consider what a child misses during the…" description: "\"“Consider what a child misses during the 15, 000 hours (from birth to age seventeen) he spends in front of the TV screen. He is not working in the gara..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e1/paul-copperman-130025_children_consider-what-a-child-misses-during-the_1112758.jpg" --- # Consider what a child misses during the 15, 000 hours… ![“Consider what a child misses during the 15, 000 hours (from birth to age seventeen) he spends in front of the TV screen. He is not working in the garage with his father, or in the garden with his mother. He is not doing homework, or reading, or collecting stamps. He is not cleaning his room…” quote by Paul Copperman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e1/paul-copperman-130025_children_consider-what-a-child-misses-during-the_1112758.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e1/paul-copperman-130025_children_consider-what-a-child-misses-during-the_1112758.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e1/paul-copperman-130025_children_consider-what-a-child-misses-during-the_1112758.jpg) > ““Consider what a child misses during the 15, 000 hours (from birth to age seventeen) he spends in front of the TV screen. He is not working in the garage with his father, or in the garden with his mother. He is not doing homework, or reading, or collecting stamps. He is not cleaning his room, washing the supper dishes, or cutting the lawn. He is not listening to a discussion about community politics among his parents and their friends. He is not playing baseball or going fishing, or painting pictures. Exactly what does television offer that is so valuable it can replace these activities that transform an impulsive, self-absorbed child into a critically thinking adult?”” [Paul Copperman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-copperman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It questions the value of television versus hands‑on experiences that shape a child into an adult. **In simple terms:** TV may replace real activities that teach critical thinking. Key Takeaway Prioritize experiential learning over passive screen time. Themes childhood media learning critical thinking Mood concerned reflective Type Children:1 Playing baseball:0 Television:1 Thinking Adult:0 Consider Child:0 Does Television:0 Spends Tv:0 Impulsive Self:0 When to use this quote - parenting - education - family activities - screen time management - homework Key Concepts developmental psychology media influence Questions to Reflect On - What activities are most missing from a child's day? - How can TV be used constructively? A Different Perspective Television can also provide educational content when used wisely. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Consider Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consider-child-668413/) [Does Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/does-television-1780709/) [Impulsive Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impulsive-self-2972187/) [Playing baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-baseball/) [Spends Tv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spends-tv-2972186/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Thinking Adult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-adult-238062/) ## Related quotes > [“Monasticism resonated with me, with my imperfect, impulsive self, because it encompasses all human activity and asks that the disparate parts and moments of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wilkes/monasticism-resonated-with-me-with-my-imperfect-impulsive-self/) [Paul Wilkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wilkes/) > [I feel as though I've fooled the world into thinking I'm an adult and now they're letting me procreate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/i-feel-as-though-i-ve-fooled-the-world-into-thinking-i-m-an-adult-and/) [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) > [I think thinking about becoming an adult, and having to face up to your problems and face up to your insecurities, is difficult for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-winstead/i-think-thinking-about-becoming-an-adult-and-having-to-face-up-to/) [Mary Elizabeth Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-winstead/) > [I think for television generally, the question that often arises is, "Does television lead, or does it follow?" 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I've got baseball in my blood. I love baseball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanley-ramirez/i-ve-been-playing-baseball-since-i-was-four-i-ve-got-baseball-in-my/) [Hanley Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanley-ramirez/) > [Playing baseball is not real life. It's a fantasy world... It's a dream come true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-murphy/playing-baseball-is-not-real-life-it-s-a-fantasy-world-it-s-a-dream/) [Dale Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-murphy/) > [You want to impact your community, not just in terms of playing baseball, but you can give people a little bit of an inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-schwarber/you-want-to-impact-your-community-not-just-in-terms-of-playing/) [Kyle Schwarber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-schwarber/) > [Pro-rated at 500 at-bats a year that means that for two years out of the fourteen I played, I never even touched the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norm-cash/pro-rated-at-500-at-bats-a-year-that-means-that-for-two-years-out-of/) [Norm Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norm-cash/) > [Back in East St. Louis, tennis wasn't the real thing. If you weren't playing baseball, basketball, football, you were kind of on the outside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-connors/back-in-east-st-louis-tennis-wasn-t-the-real-thing-if-you-weren-t/) [Jimmy Connors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-connors/) > [I enjoy playing baseball. 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