Is Television Ruining America?

Television has long been a part of American culture. From its conception until today there have been people who believe that television is a waste of time and energy and there have been those in the opposite camp who believe that television should be a part of every American life. There is also a middle ground of people who watch television to keep informed on what’s happening in the world as well as entertained by the latest sitcom, or more popularly today, reality show.

In this middle ground, the amount of television watched is moderate, sometimes just turning on the set to catch tomorrow’s weather or the latest sports score, other times sitting down for an extended period. Those in the middle ground don’t believe that television is a total waste of time, but neither is television the main part of their day. These are the folks who remain active and healthy. They are the people who realize that, while there are certainly some negative effects of television, television is not all bad.

In the articles from To The Point (Muller and Wiener, 2009), there are some differing points of view. Karen Springen, in the article Why We Tuned Out, (Muller and Wiener, 2009, p. 293-296) explains that her family has made the decision to not allow their children to watch television at all. She also does not allow them to watch movies or videos. She states that, “without tv our daughters spend more time doing cartwheels, listening to stories and asking interesting questions.” (Springen, 2009. p. 293) She cites some very good evidence as to the link between television viewing and obesity, aggressiveness, and slow learning. These things make it look like she is really doing her kids a favor. But is she?

The reality is that maybe her kids do g...

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...ision viewing. This gives a “best of both worlds” approach to television and media. It leaves people knowledgeable about the world around them and the current trends, as well as giving them free time to spend being active. Going to the extreme, either for or against television, is really not the best way to live in our media-reliant world. The middle ground is the best place to be in our drive to be constantly in touch with the world around us.

Works Cited

Muller, G.H. and Wiener, H.S. (2009). To the point: Reading and writing short arguments. New York: Pearson Education, Inc

Sherwood, C. (2011). The effects of teasing on children. Retrieved from: http://www.livestrong.com/article/509026-the-effects-of-teasing-on-children/?vm=r

Judge orders boys held in Arkansas shooting. Retrieved October 3, 2011, from http://www.cnn.com/US/9803/26/school.shooting/?vm=r