Tommy’s eyes were fixed on the screen for the fourth hour that day. He sat there immobile, staring at the people fighting on the TV show. Unsurprisingly, the next day the principal called Tommy’s mom – Tommy had beaten up two boys in his class that day.
TV might seem like an entertaning and harmless passtime. But in truth it has many harmful effects. Is it any wonder that the kids fall asleep and fail in school? Tommy cannot concentrate on his work; the only thing on his mind is the show or movie he watched the night before.
Besides the lack of focus, watching TV causes us to lose track of time. Suddenly, it is three o’clock in the morning and no chores or homework have been done.
Surprisigly, TV can change the way you think and even control your choices. For example, when you see somthing advertised on TV, perhaps a shirt or food, you will find yourself wanting to have it. That is why companies will pay thousands of dollars to make sure their products are advertised during popluar shows or movies.
Coca-Cola experimented once by flashing an image of a can of Coke during a movie; the image moved too fast for a person to notice, but slow enough for the brain to process it. After the movie, almost every single viewers bought themselves a can of Coke.
Another problem with TV is obesity. It has become the norm for family members to relax and eat supper in front of the TV. When are they burning off the calories that they consumed throughoout the day? Also, the lack of focus when one watches leads to mindless snacking, a sure way to put on weight.
True, watching TV may be quite enjoyable, however, the negative outcomes are far greater than the positive. Academic failure, dangerous influences, and obesity are only some of the detriments of excessive televison exposure. Stopping to watch altogether is agreeably hard, but limiting the amount of time you watch is possible.
Is it worth it to risk your famly’s health and future successes just to “kill time”? You , your family and all Amercans will enjoy a real quality of life without TV.
