Television: Means Of Communication Or Destruction

Invented in January of 1926 by John Logie Baird, television, commonly referred to as “TV”, has become an essential part of the family for many households in North America and all over the world. Earlier, radio provided all listening pleasure, but with the advent of television, life has become interesting for people from all walks of life. It is an important medium of advertisement in addition to the recreation it provides for the young and the old. But, there are also darker sides to it. Apart from being a “family member” that provides entertainment, television has also become a medium for current news and information, unfortunately, at times, the only source for people to refer to. Television, if one is not careful, can have a bad physical and psychological influence on people of all ages, from kids to adults.

Television is a major culprit in giving people the title of being a “couch potato”. It can ruin a person’s physique. It can transform a person’s shape from of Arnold’s to an almond’s. Studies show that children in North America watch three to four hours of television daily. When does one get time to get up from their comfortable “La-Z-Boy” and sweat some pounds out? TVs do not create scientists either. Oh no, they don’t! Thomas Edison, the man with over a thousand inventions probably would not have gotten his achievements if he had a TV in his bedroom. The Discovery channel could be a prime example of how lazy man has become because of TV. It is a saddening scenario that how the activity of exploration with its excitements and adventures is now transformed into something, which can be attained with the press of a button. It shows how “exploration” into deep caves of the world can be done in a period of half an hour, including commercial breaks. When one watches these shows, is he really “exploring”?

What is the point of watching dolphins swim on TV, when others except you, are able to swim with them? With the help of television, it can be very easy to create bias in masses. Television, if utilized effectively and wisely, can result to be the best propaganda tool. In a survey taken, more than sixty percent of people referred to CNN as their trustworthy news source. These people, probably, do not realize that CNN is financed and powered by the United States, which obviously makes it bias towards the US schemes and policies. This discovery, in turn, tells us that the news about the Arab world, Russia, China and other “not so friendly” countries may or may not be accurate. But, more than sixty percent or people, who trust CNN probably believe every word it has to say about these hostile countries, whether its true or not. How many people actually know that the “Article 5′ of the NATO Constitution states that all US media, especially television, is supposed to be controlled by the US Military during war?

Even news channels, no matter how big their reputation is, cannot help but favor their national government in their newscasts. Doesn’t this tell us that all the news we have been watching has been filtered according to the wishes of the “fat cats’ in the parliament? Isn’t this propaganda or what? Television may also help develop thoughts and feelings of hatred in ones mind, which as a consequence, could result in violence and anger. A study in the United States showed that approximately ninety-two percent of the programs on prime time TV have some violent content in them. Studies in the 70’s and 80’s also showed that five to six scenes of violence are shown on prime time TV and twenty to twenty-five scenes of violence are shown on Saturday morning children shows. Studies also show that by the age of 18, teens will see between 16,000 and 25,000 murders on television. How do all these numbers fit in?

Well, studies also show that people, especially children, “become immune to”, “gradually accept as a way to solve problems” and “imitate” the violence they see on TV. This can explain the incidents that took place in Columbine High in which, two bullied students opened fire on innocent schoolmates, which was again enacted in Calgary and in some other schools. The style of this “attack” was clearly evident on, the blockbuster hit, the “Matrix’, a futuristic movie with extreme amounts of violence. Television influence has also been seen recently. Many of the people who choose violence and hatred as a solution to their problems, and who constantly see Osama Bin Laden as being the mastermind behind the September 11th attack on World Trade Centre, have repeatedly tried to vandalize mosques and temples and also harass, and even murder, some innocent people of the Muslim faith.

Even though, television is one of the greatest inventions of the twentieth century and has made life easier and luxurious for many people, it has also proven fatal in many cases. It is not to say that by getting rid of the TV set our physical and psychological problems would go away but one has to understand that the negative views presented on the television, have done their homework in corrupting peoples’ minds.