Television-The Unnecessary Evil

1387 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Television and education effects

Television-The Unnecessary Evil

Television, called TV for short, is found in most of the homes across America and most people consider it a necessity for their life. It was made popular in the ‘50 and without doubt, the television has had an incredible influence on the lives of Americans and on our culture as a whole. It has been a fixture in most homes since it’s debut, and according to In Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Psychology, it is said that that 90 per cent of homes in “many western societies” have it (In Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Psychology). It has connected our nation and the world unlike most other inventions before it.

The question that we need to ask when considering the things that have an influence on the lives of Americans, is whether or not the influence is a positive one. We also need to consider whether the television is truly a necessity. We need to think about whether it is truly a necessary tool for living an educated and well-informed life. Some would say that it has increased our awareness of the world and politics, and made us more knowledgeable. Others would argue that it has had a negative effect and that the negative aspects would outweigh any good in it.

I am of the opinion that television has had a detrimental influence on the generations following its appearance, and that it has been an unnecessary necessity in the lives of Americans. I believe that we as a nation have seen violence and an adverse reaction, especially in children, as a result of this poison that resides in the homes. Studies have shown that scenes of violence on television have increased and as a result there has been an increase in violent behavior. “The average child will watch 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence on ...

... middle of paper ...

...

Works Cited

Clemmitt, Marcia. “Reading crisis?” CQ Researcher, 18, 169-192. 22 Feb. 2008. Web. 29 Apr. 2011.

"Can Television Educate? (sidebar)." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues &

Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 7 Aug. 1998. Web. 29 Apr. 2011.

“Supporters Describe Urgent Need for Violence Restrictions” Facts on File. Issues & Controversies. Issue Date. October 05, 2007. Web. April 21. 2011

Television. In Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Psychology. n. pg. 2006. Web. 29 Apr. 2011

"Update: Television Violence." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies.

Facts On File News Services, 5 Oct. 2007. Web. 29 Apr. 2011.

Violence." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News

Services, 12 Feb. 1999. Web. 29 Apr. 2011.

Show More
Related

  • The 1950's: A Deacde of Progress and Change in America

    1025 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many of the technological advancements in entertainment helped people live a much happier and exciting life. The television was wanted by almost every average American family in this decade and overwhelmed millions of baby-boomer children who’s relationship with TV has influenced the United States’ culture and politics. Television

    Read More

  • Causes And Effects Of The Silent Killer Essay

    1442 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the largest “booms” that this country has witnessed is in the area of the ultimate “entertainment” source, the television. The growth in popularity of the use of the television is harming Americans in every aspect of their lives,

    Read More

  • Violence on TV

    2095 Words  | 5 Pages

    For a long time now the debate has been, and continues to be, as to whether or not violence on television makes children more violent. As with all contentious issues there are both proponents and detractors. This argument has been resurrected in the wake of school shootings, most notably Columbine and Erfurt, Germany; and acts of random violence by teenagers, the murders of two Dartmouth professors. Parents, teachers, pediatricians, child psychiatrists, and FCC Chairmen William Kennard and former Vice President Al Gore say violent TV programming contribute in large part to in violence in young people today. However, broadcasters and major cable TV providers like Cox Communication say that it is the parent’s fault for not making it clear to their kids as what they may or may not watch on TV. The major TV networks and cable providers also state it is the TV industry’s fault as well for not regulating what is shown on TV. So who is the guilty party in this argument of whether or not TV violence influences of the behavior young people in today’s society?

    Read More

  • How Did The 1950's Influence On American Culture

    699 Words  | 2 Pages

    Television influenced people’s lives like no other phenomenon of its time in the 1950’s. Culture and politics was effected by the 1950’s through television programming as shows changed how people viewed the world, commercials stimulated the growth of both new and old products and news could be seen and not just read in the newspapers. When television first came on the scene, it was considered a toy for the wealthy but by the 1950’s most homes had a television as their new form of entertainment. Families changed their routines so they could gather together to watch their favorite television program. As television brought information and entertainment into homes, the world became smaller as people watched the same programs at the same time

    Read More

  • Linking Media Violence and Negative Behavior

    2360 Words  | 5 Pages

    Many Americans feel that the viewing of violence in the media reinforces negative behavior in society, especially among children and young adults. "Three thousand studies have been done since 1955 on the link between television and violence; 2,980 of them found a correlation between the two.  We hear little about that because we get most of our news from television" (Peterson).  With this much research one must acknowledge that there is a problem in America involving sex and violence in the media.  We cannot blame all societal problems on the media and its portrayal of these issues, but we can become educated, ourselves, in order to better facilitate the healthy lives of our children.

    Read More

  • Censorship: Simply Not Enough

    2117 Words  | 5 Pages

    In 1973, Thomas Elmendorf, an emergency room physician, made a speech to the American Medical Association about the increase in violence behavior among young adults and it’s correlation to violence on TV. In it he cited that “Murder is the fastest growing cause of death in the United States. The annual rate of increase exceeded 100 percent between 1960 and 1974.” He also goes on to explain that by the time a child graduates high school, they have spent an astonishing 18,000 hours in front of the TV, not to mention other forms of media, versus 15,000 hours in the classroom. Elmendorf also elaborates that within those 18,000 television hours, a young adult will have witnessed “18,000 murders and countless highly detailed incidents of robbery, arson, bombings, shootings...

    Read More

  • Violence in Television

    1911 Words  | 4 Pages

    addition the average American child will witness over 200,000 acts of violence on television including 16,000 murders before the age of 18 (DuRant, 445). Polls show that three-quarters of the public find television entertainment too violent. When asked to select measures that would reduce violent crime “a lot”, Americans chose restrictions on television violence more often than gun control. Media shows too much violence that is corrupting the minds children, future leaders of our society. In a study of population data for various countries sh...

    Read More

  • Advantages And Disadvantages Of Watching Too Much Tv

    1074 Words  | 3 Pages

    Before television existed people had to depend on Radio stations to receive their little bit of entertainment and news. But in 1878, the invention of TV began. The first TV made didn’t look anything like the way TV’s look today. It was a mechanical camera with a large spinning disc attached to it (Kids Work). But as over the years, of course, inventions of different TV’s progressed and by the 20th century about 90 percent of our population had a TV in their household (MGHR). Television today is mainly used for people take a break from their life by relaxing and enjoying some entertainment.

    Read More

  • George Orwell's 1984 and Today

    1457 Words  | 3 Pages

    Presently 98% of the households in the United States have one or more televisions in them. What once was regarded as a luxury item has become a staple appliance of the American household. Gone are the days of the three channel black and white programming of the early years; that has been replaced by digital flat screen televisions connected to satellite programming capable of receiving thousands of channels from around the world. Although televisions and television programming today differ from those of the telescreens in Orwell’s 1984, we are beginning to realize that the effects of television viewing may be the same as those of the telescreens.

    Read More

  • The Negative Effects of Television

    1445 Words  | 3 Pages

    Even though violence is apart of our lives, I think society can limit the amount of violent programs that they watch. If people limit watching violence on television maybe the world wouldn’t be as involved with violence as it is now. Based on this data, I have concluded that Marie Winn is correct about television being a serious addiction.

    Read More

  • Government Censorship

    426 Words  | 1 Pages

    The government should not control the content of television shows and limit the amount of weekly violence shown. The responsibility of controlling the viewing of television shows expressing acts of violence should specifically be in the hands of parents. Parents are becoming too reliant upon governmental provisions with respect to raising their children and television violence is becoming an excuse for criminal acts. Children, especially younger children, are impressionable, but with proper guidance from a parental source in regards to television viewing, kids are not likely to act out violent television images.

    Read More

  • The Changing Role Of Television Violence In The United States

    1427 Words  | 3 Pages

    However, unlike in other countries when television hit America it proceeded to explode in popularity. For example, in the 1950’s only, “8% of American households owned a TV”, but by 1960, “ 90% had one”. (Sachs 441) This trend of America being the “greatest TV watchers” has still not changed today with Americans typically watching “more than five hours per day of television on average”. (Sachs 441)

    Read More

  • The Effects of Violence in Children Cartoons

    2392 Words  | 5 Pages

    Television is everywhere these days, not just in our living rooms but in bathrooms, kitchens, doctor's offices, grocery stores, airplanes, and classrooms. We have access to TV virtually anywhere and as American's we are taking advantaged of it. Adults aren't the only ones watching TV; children today are watching more TV than ever before. TV has even become known as "America's baby-sitter." (Krieg). Meaning that parents are now using the television as a way of entertaining their children while they attempt to accomplish other things such as cooking and cleaning.

    Read More

  • Television and Media Essay - TV, Violence, and Censorship

    1037 Words  | 3 Pages

    Society has been bombarded with violence from the beginning of time. These concerns about violence in the media have been around way before television was even introduced. Nevertheless, there have been numerous studies, research, and conferences done over the years on television, but the issue still remains. Researchers do acknowledge that violence portrayed on television is a potential danger. One issue is clear though, our focus on television violence should not take attention away from other significant causes of violence in our country such as: drugs, inadequate parenting, availability of weapons, unemployment, etc. It is hard to report on how violent television effects society, since television affects different people in different ways. There is a significant problem with violence on television that we as a society are going to have to acknowledge and face.

    Read More

  • Negative Essay: The Effects Of Watching Too Much Television

    1082 Words  | 3 Pages

    Television has become one of the major entertainment providers in our modern life. It sits in the living room of about almost every home in the world and it is the one thing that most people like to come home to after a long day of work or school. Not only does it give us something to laugh or get scared at but it also provides us with valuable information about what is happening around our local community and around different places in the world. But, as good as this sounds, Television may be affecting us without even realizing it. Being one of the major distractors in today 's society, it gets us attached to its content in which a lot of people spend a lot of their time watching. Being thus, watching too

    Read More

More about Television-The Unnecessary Evil

Open Document