The Johnsons Give Up The Internet On 'black-ish'

Dre & Bow are just a pair of normal Generation Xers — tech savvy computer users who love online shopping, looking up things on Wikipedia, and never being without an LTE connection in their pocket. But when their youngest daughter accidentally sees some unsavory content, Diane gets an awkward, too early sex talk and the Johnsons give up the Internet on black-ish. But, of course, it's impossible to totally five up the Internet, between work emails, catching up on the news, and ordering new Jordans.

Diane is eager to avoid accidentally seeing any other inappropriate content, but she is just an elementary school student, and the elder two Johnson kids are a bit more resistant to the idea of giving up their phones, tablets, and laptops. Their defense of their love for the Internet is a little weird — I can understand why Bow would want Zoe to at least put her Instagram account on private, considering she's an eighteen year-old college freshman — but they do make a good point that staying informed, especially by making sure you seek out non-fake news, is a lot easier now that going online is so simple.

I wish the episode had jumped into how online harassment is a real issue, especially for women and black people. There's a slight joke to this effect at the end of the episode, with Diane revealing that the reason she's usually online is in order to cyberbully Charlie, but considering that simply posting opinions about entertainment or politics can be enough to garner a woman death threats, it seems a relevant fear.

In the end, though, running from technology doesn't help the Johnsons avoid their real fear: uncomfortable conversations. In the end, Bow (with a slight assist from Dre) still has to do a do-over on that sex talk with Diane, making sure to neither totally dismiss the situation or create a pathological fear of information. Finding the balance is what makes the Johnsons a pair of awesome sitcom parents.