WHAT TV GETS WRONG ABOUT SMART KIDS

My oldest son goes to an NYC high-school that only accepts the top 2% of its 30,000 applicants. My middle son taught himself computer programming and is trying to prove his contrary theory that light is, in fact, not both a particle and a wave. And my youngest daughter completed the local library's summer reading challenge in the first week and wiped them out of all their prizes.

My kids are - there's no pretty way to put this - geeks.  Mega-geeks. Who don't watch much TV. Not that I have anything against TV. The fact that I write about it incessantly and am ashamed to say even got a Master's Degree in it proves that I think TV is the greatest thing in the history of ever. I also know the effect TV has on the developing brain, and so I limit my kids' screen-time. But, you know what I would really love? I would really love it if on those occasions when they do tune in, there was at least a smattering of programming available that didn't suggest being a smart, bookish kid is truly a fate worse than death, guaranteeing social isolation, the disdain of your peers and a loveless adulthood. For those of us from a previous TV generation, see Urkel, Doogie, the entire Head of the Class, The Smart Guy and more. (Intelligence also apparently causes asthma, near-sightedness, acne and obesity.)

Read the rest of my BlogHer post, What TV Gets Wrong About Smart Kids (and Adults), here, with examples ranging from The Simpsons, Modern Family, ANT Farm and The Big Bang Theory. Plus, find out who's the coolest geek on TV - I guarantee, it's not who you expect!