FREE ESSAY ON TELEVISION: DESTRUCTIVE OR INSTRUCTIVE?

TELEVISION: DESTRUCTIVE OR INSTRUCTIVE?

Television: Destructive or Instructive?
A boy sits on the floor, his eyes glued to the television screen. His mother calls him
for dinner and there is no movement, he is so drawn into what he is watching that he has
blocked out reality. Is this a familiar picture? This situation is becoming an all too
common scene for American families. I believe television is becoming the center of too
many people's lives. Television causes inactivity, promotes violence and questions
morality.
First of all, according to Postman, "The average American child watches 5000 hours of
television before he or she ever gets to school." Television causes people to become lazy
and inactive. Watching television consists of sitting on a couch and focusing on the
images brought to live on the screen. Viewing television programs takes away time that
could be used for physical activity. For example, take what a child's daily schedule used
to consist of years ago before television was so popular. Children would spend countless
hours outdoors: playing games, running, and interacting with neighborhood friends. When
their mothers would call them inside for dinner or for the night, they would give the
response, "Just five more minutes, please?" Nowadays, it is a struggle for parents just
to get their children away from a television set and go outside for a few minutes. These
children become "housebound, inactive, and solitary", according to Kael. Also, people
that spend more time in front of the television spend less time reading and doing work
that needs too be done, such as homework and errands. Watching television does not make
up for the time that should be spent improving reading and writing skills. 
Secondly, television promotes violence. Sure, some television programs have a few
educational aspects; however, many are made just for the entertainment. And violence, to
many, is the most entertaining feature of television. When networks see how much people
enjoy viewing programs with violence and profanity, they put more of it on. Viewers
exposed to this type of activity are more apt to imitating it. There have been many cases
where television is blamed for violent acts. For example, Dr. Leonard Eron of the
University of Illinois found that people who had watched the most violent TV between
birth and age eight had committed the most serious crimes by age 30. Watching violent
television programs teaches aggressive attitudes and behaviors. People become
desensitized to real world violence. Because heavy viewers watch so much violent acts on
television, they come to see violence as a normal and accepted way of life. People become
drawn into what they are exposed to on the television screen, and it is hard to
distinguish fact from fiction. As Doerken states, "So much TV is based upon illusion and
fantasy that it becomes very difficult at times to know what is truth and what is not."
This is especially true for those children that have yet to learn that television is not
always what it seems. Also, surprisingly, the programs that are especially designed for
children, such as cartoons, are the most violent of all programming. 
As well as violence, profanity is also very easy to imitate. Viewers, children
especially, hear all the profanity used on these programs, and think it is okay to use
too. For example, many sport's figures use foul language constantly. Children see their
role models using these words, and think it is cool and appropriate. Also, talk shows are
filled with profanity, and there is always a talk show on in the after school hours of
the day. Children are exposed to this type of behavior everywhere, and want to imitate
it.
Another bad aspect of television is its affect on a person's morals. Television erodes
the traditional morals of American families by the poor example it sets forth for the
nation's youth. Some television programs teach all the wrong lessons, and children think
what they see on television are the right things to do. Television also corrupts our own
personal beliefs at times. Watching something can get a person to go against his or her
own beliefs in order to be like everyone else. If the majority of the population thinks
one way about an issue, the average person is apt to want to be like them, as to not be
different. Television contains many of these controversial issues.
Television has also loosened the bonds of the American family. In this day and age
everyone spends more and more time with the television and no one spends time with each
other anymore. The idea of a good wholesome dinner with the family at night to talk about
the day has been replaced by eating in front of the television, often each family member
in a different room. 
In conclusion, television is destructing our country. It has more a more negative impact
on viewers than positive. I strongly agree with the viewpoints of the critics who state
that television is a bad influence on our nation. It is taking away from physical
activities, schoolwork, and family time. It promotes hostility, violence, and profanity.
If television programs contained less violence and provided more education, the
advantages would overpower the disadvantages. Television would then be a wholesome, moral
experience for the American family. If parents would screen what them and their children
viewed it would more than likely cut down on violence. The question should not be if
television is bad, but what programs on television are bad. 
Works Cited
Doerken, Maurine. Classroom Combat: Teaching and Television.
Kael, Pauline. Movies to Television.
Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death.