The Negative Effects of Television in American Homes

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.

After sunset, the blue glare of the television screen can be seen in just about any home all

In addition to television, today’s children are inundated with a wide variety of technological choices such as video games, Internet games, and other interactive activities. Despite these advanced technologies, television continues to play a large role in today’s society and while it began as an element to unite the family, it appears to be dividing the family apart now (Winn 437). While television provides us with hours of entertainment, stirs emotions deep inside, and is a tool for gathering information, most experts agree ...

Marie Winn claims that television over the years have effected many American family life. Since television is everyday ritual, many American tend to spent more time with television than they do with their family and this result in unhealthy relation in family. She also acknowledge that television destroy family unique quality that they carry, such reading, cooking, games, songs and other special rituals.

Television did not always play such a major role in family life. It was not a daily activity it was something done on occasion. Before television was in the forefront of daily family life and technology gave us video games that are almost lifelike, children played outside. They played baseball, football and flashlight tag. They built tree forts and rode bikes. These were not organized events, just the way they played, everyday. “A study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, found that our youth now spend an average of five hours a day–40 percent of their awake hours–in front of electronic devices. And the behavior starts y...

Mares, M., & Verma, S. (2015). Television and Its Effects on Interfamilial Relationships. Retrieved September 28,

The Effects of Watching Too Much TV 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.

One invention that poses a threat to kids is television because it provides people with an excuse to avoid their problems. For kids, it is often an escape from homework, and for adults it is a way to escape job pressures and family stress. It is an invention that destroys the concept behind the "family table" because it no longer brings families together, but rather it destroys their relationships with one another. When the television was first invented it was advertised as an innovation that brought families together to spend quality time with each other. Although in present day, "three quarters of all American families […] own two or more sets" (Winn, 217), on which "Mom [is] watching a drama in the kitchen, the kids [are] looking at cartoons in their bedroom, and Dad [is] taking in the ball game in the living room" (217). Television sets were also publicized as machines that provide useful information like the news and the discovery channel. Yet today only one out of every three people receiving cable, regularly watch any type of news' channel (People press).Although the television set at first glance seems to bring about a good change because of the opportunities it presents, very few today take advantage of the benefits of this invention and rather involve themselves in the negative effect of this "mind-altering drug" (Winn 277).

It may be hard to admit, but television has become an intricate part of our everyday lives. People children often find themselves sitting in front of the television screen for a longer period of time than before and this has evolved immensely over the past few years. In this article, “The Trouble with Television,” by the author Marie Winn, mentions that addiction of television is negative effects on children and families. It keeps the families from doing other things and it’s a hidden competitor for all other activities. Television takes place of play and on top of that kids who watch a lot of television grow uncivilized. Also, the author mentioned that televisions are less resourceful for children and have negative effects on children’s school achievement and on physical fitness. Although there are so many other types of addictions but the author Marie Winn’s points of argument of watching television is a serious addiction that our children and families have negative effects.

Society today tends to fixate on and gravitate to television shows. Certain people even believe some of the families depicted on these shows are what a normal family should be. There are two types of television networks, broadcast and cable. Broadcast television stations are the channels that air for free, while cable you pay a subscription for. While television is a great platform for various issues and ideas, I believe that most broadcast television stations’ depictions do not accurately represent families are or what they go through. For example, while soap operas tend to be exceedingly sensational and over the top, most comedies gloss over the terrible things that may befall a family. Gritty crime shows and other dramas try to portray families more accurately, but still must follow certain rules. For this reason, dramas still tend to be unrealistic. The recent rise of popular cable television programs highlight key content regulations that contribute heavily to inaccurate family portrayals and ultimately, the broadcast networks’ decline. I believe these regulations on content are outdated.