The DVR has changed the way my wife and I watch TV. I have never been a big TV watcher, but there are a few shows that I enjoy, if nothing else to help pass the time while on the treadmill. My wife and I have a handfull of comedies that we enjoy watching together, but I couldn't tell you what day or time they are on. Lately, we have been watching pre-recorded broadcasts of "How I Met Your Mother" and "The Office" on Monday nights, after our toddler goes to bed.
My daughter is 22 1/2 months old, and the thought occured to me that she has probably never seen a TV commercial thanks to the wonderful technology of DVR. Thanks to our DVR, we are able to record, automatically, all occurances of Winnie the Pooh, Jojo's Circus, Mickey's Clubhouse, Sesame Street and her all time favorite Higgley Town Heroes. All of these shows have a positive message and offer some modicum of educational value in our judgement as parents and what's more, we are in complete control of when and where the shows are viewed.
Of course, her love of Winnie the Pooh or Higgley Town Heroes is no coincidence- the producers and writers are experts at creating content that appeals to young audiences. Any doubts about this are easily dispelled by witnessing how my daughter goes crazyy for Elmo on Sesame Street, who, just happens to be a toddler as well.
I am not so naive as to think that she isn't being marketed to at all, it is just much more innocent and subtle that in your face "buy this now" advertising. Sure, as consumers we are "buying" the aferomentioned programs, but my daughter lives in an age where the consumer is in charge of the how and when media and content is consumed. As soon as a commercial comes on while viewing one of these pre-recorded programs, we fast forward through them until the program resumes.
This is a significant shift from how we were marketed to via cartoon commericals, because in our case, our daughter simply is oblivious to their existence. Sure, cereal box adverts and kids meal promo toys make their way into our home, but our ability to exercise descretion with these items also puts us in more control.
Now, I don't mean to give the impression that I am against marketing. On the contrary- I am every bit a red-blooded American that believes in capitalism and I understand that there are some "necessay evils" implicit in it, but the fact that technology has given me, as a parent more control over what kind of marketing material my daughter is exposed to is a positive step forward and is a good example of how technology is changing our lives for the better.