Television:

Good or Bad?

Garrett Lyons

English 111
Mrs. Erskine 1A
December 20, 2015

The invention that revolutionized the world we live in today,

the television, comes with many advantages and disadvantages to
both the human body and brain. The most widely used resource in
todays society brings upon a plethora of positives and negatives to
a persons health, intelligence, and social skills.

Watching television can be harmful to both a persons mental

and physical health. Too much screen time can cause weight gain
and many other health risks such as cardiovascular disease.
Television can also corrupt a child if they are watching a movie or
show that is inappropriate for their age and teach them bad things.

Excess TV watching is one of the causes of obesity around the

world. When study participants watched 40-plus hours of TV a week,
fat-promoting variants of their genes were three times more active
than those of similar people who watched much less TV (ON OUR
RADAR: Dont wear your fat genes). Gaining weight from watching
too much TV can also cause health and social issues. Putting on
extra pounds can increase the probability of someone acquiring
greater health risks. In addition, children who watch many hours of
TV can gain weight and their peers may bully them for this. This can

lead to insecurity in children and cause them to obtain social

disorders.

Children can develop bad habits from some TV shows that are
meant for older people. They can be encouraged to make bad
decisions from inappropriate TV shows. Parents are less able to
control what their kids see if they have bedroom televisions
(Ridder). Kids can learn words they shouldnt be using and see
things they shouldnt be seeing. Some shows will also influence a
childs behavior, such as shows about fighting, like MMA, will
influence a kid to become more aggressive. Parents should be aware
that these types of shows are available to the public and should
monitor what their kids view in their free time.

Too much TV watching will cause deathly physical problems to

a persons body. Researchers discovered that each hour a day
watching TV would cause an 18% greater risk of dying from
cardiovascular disease (Stein). Too much viewing of television
causes risks to their heath and increases their chance of death.
Television watching is a cause of cardiovascular disease and other
heart problems. Excess TV-watchers will have a greater chance of

suffering from a heart attack, so viewers should only stay glued to

the screen to an extent.

The TV also contains many benefits to it as well. It provides an

abundance of informative shows that anybody can take advantage
of. Viewers can also turn on their TVs to escape the stress and hard
times that life throws at them. It also provides a topic of discussion
to strangers that have similar interests. Although there are multiple
cons to television usage, there are a fair amount of pros that come
with it too.

Some may argue that TV is very educational for kids and

everyone in society. Some shows may teach children and adults
very knowledgeable things. Channel One is a TV station that
provides educational videos everyday for children. About 12,00
American schools subscribe to it and over 8 million kids watch it
each school day (Television). This is a great use of the television
in schools because of its vast opportunities to view channels like
this one for educational purposes. Studies have shown that children
who have viewed educational programs like Channel One tend to
have higher grades, are less aggressive, and value their studies
more when they reach high school (The Good and Bad Effects of TV

on Children). This channel along with many others can influence

maturity in kids at an early age, which will benefit them greatly later
in life.

Television can also offer inspiration and spark interests in the

brain. Channels such as PBS, Discovery, and the History Channel
can expose viewers to people and places they wouldnt otherwise
encounter in everyday life. Viewers can learn about what goes on in
other parts of the world, or they can learn about the many other life
forms we cope with on planet earth. Many also rely on TV to show
them how to do certain things. How-to shows, such as the cooking
channel, demonstrate to viewers how to make certain recipes. Many
people who enjoy the hobby of cooking find great excitement from
shows like these, constantly whipping up a new dish to please their
families for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are channels for all
interests and many people go to these when they have some time
to spare.

The benefits of television arent just educational; people can

turn on their TVs for stress relief and relaxation also. Cartoons and
comedies are very popular among people of all ages that are
looking to escape everyday life and enjoy a good laugh. Laughter is

good for everyone because it increases circulation throughout the

body and lowers blood pressure. It is necessary for humans to get a
good laugh in every once in a while, as it is beneficial to their
health. Television can also offer comfort to those with physical or
psychological barriers that make social interaction difficult. TV can
give people with little in common something to talk about. This is
known as the water cooler effect and can help people with these
issues talk to others about their favorite shows or movies (Top 10
Benefits of Watching Television). Starting off a conversation with a
stranger about a mutually enjoyable show can break the ice and
lead into new discussions that can help the two people get to know
each other. Television can offer endless possibilities of subjects to
help people be more sociable.

The television has provided mankind with an abundance of

possibilities in everyday life. When learned how to be used in
moderation it can be an extremely beneficial tool to anyone. It
provides many opportunities to people of all ages, but there is still
one question that can be evenly argued from both sides. Is
television good or bad?

Work Cited
ON OUR RADAR: Dont wear your fat genes. Mens Health July-Aug.
2012: 032. General Onefile. Web. 26 Nov. 2014.
Stein, Jeannine. Hours of Sitting in Front of TV Found to Shorten
Life.
Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA). 12 Jan. 2010: A.10. SIRS
Issues Researcher. Web. 04 Dec. 2014.

Study: Bedroom TVs may be harmful to kids. Kight Ridder/ Tribune

News Service. 21 May 2002: K1911. General Onefile. Web. 24
Nov.
2014.
Televison. Current Issues: Macmillan Social Science Library. New
York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2003. Opposing Viewpoints in
context. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.
The Good and Bad Effects of TV on Children." Raise Smart Kid. N.p.,
24 Aug. lllllllllll2015. Web. 20 Dec. 2015.
"Top 10 Benefits of Watching Television." Connect With Your Teens
Through Pop lllllllllllCulture and Technology. N.p., 16 Aug. 2009.
Web. 20 Dec. 2015.