Effects of Television

EFFECTS OF TELEVISION

Television has been in our lives for a long time. It is a controversial topic whether television is good for people or not. The good side of television is giving information. However, when you think about the bad sides of television, you will see that they are much more than the good this good side. They include making people asocial, causing them to have bad habits and breaking the moral values of the society. As people do not know how to use television appropriately, they are generally affected from the harms of television.

Firstly, television makes people asocial by holding them in front of the screen for a long time. Dietz says “The physically inactive behaviour that watching TV is, may displace other leisure time behaviours that are more active” (qtd in Bulck, 1999, p. 274). An opinion often voiced by the general public is that TV viewing makes people more passive, thus reducing time spent on other pastimes that are more energetic such as sports (Bluck, 1999, p. 274). People acquire the habit of watching TV and cannot help of doing it. They do not carry out even their responsibilities because of continuously watching TV.

Secondly, TV causes people to have bad habits. TV shows and commercials usually show violence, alcohol, drug use and sex in a positive light and people take them as an example. For example, twenty years of research has shown that children who are more exposed to media violence behave more aggressively as kids and when they are older. They are taught by TV that violence is the way to resolve conflict.

Lastly, TV breaks the moral values of the society. It shows bad scenes which are very harmful especially for children. It depicts an immoral behaviour like a quite normal thing and as people watch those things, they start to treat those behaviours like normal. In this way, the society gets far away from its moral values and acquires a new identity.

As a result, we can say that TV affects people in a bad way as they do not use TV in an appropriate way. Therefore, the quality of the programs on TV should be revised.