Interesting read! Thanks for sharing, I know a handful of parents on both sides of this debate and it always makes me curious. I grew up watching television/reading pretty much all day every day. Luckily, I was also pretty active and into sports so I got to see the sunshine sometimes, but generally, my entire moral code and understanding of the world as a child came from my favorite cartoons and then drama tv shows as I hit middle school and older. 
everything has it’s pros and cons.

I think generally I stunted my imagination- to this day television, film and animation heavily influence my dreams, wandering thoughts and the way I think of narrative and time. I wonder what would be in my brain if it wasn’t conditioned to think within these parameters, something I don’t know that I can ever fully undo; especially I guess since I studied animation in college. I also think it made me a bit socially awkward. I never fully engaged with my peers because I had stronger emotional relationships with characters on tv shows. It allowed me to put off really getting to know people because I knew there was something good waiting for me when I got home. Obviously not everyone has these reactions, but that was my experience.

Without television though, I don’t know if I would know how to relate to others, have empathy, have basic knowledge of how relationships work or have any sort of moral code because there was basically no parenting happening in my household at all. I also wonder what I would have gotten myself into if I didn’t have such a pleasant distraction from everything else going on in my house. Having positive role models is important, and they aren’t always readily available in every kid’s life. Basically, Buffy saved my life. or more specifically: Willow Rosenburg.

So: pros + cons I guess.