Television

I wish that I could spout my discontent with the way in which television has manipulated our populace and pride myself in refusing to spend countless hours of my time watching my favorite shows. This, however would be an outright lie and case of hypocrisy. In reality, television has become a daily ritual of stress relief and entertainment. No matter how bad of a mood I am in, 30 minutes of my favorite show can often serve as a temporary answer to my problems. Sometimes these shows are informative, such as news programs and TV documentaries. In this case, television serves as an excellent medium through which information can be communicated as well as a source of education on various subjects. However, more often than not, television uses violence and comedy to lure its watchers. The articles given focus upon this seeming mindlessness and see it as a major source of violence and health problems in society. These correlations presented are undeniable and quite frightening. However, these correlations do not mean that that every person who watches television is going to be violent and inactive. Many of my classmates, as well as myself, are very active and involved and watch television in the tiny amount of free time that they have, between extracurriculars and schoolwork. It is a guilty pleasure in many cases, but a pleasure nonetheless, serving to alleviate stress and humor us. Yes, we could be spending our time more usefully, but entertainment in its purest form has been craved by humanity since the beginning of time. Sometimes we all need a guilty pleasure and this alone doesn't make us bad people. In conclusion, television can serve as both a form of entertainment and a source of degradation in society. In many cases, this effect depends upon the audience and their ability to live multifaceted lives that are not wholy dependent upon this guilty pleasure. As is the case in almost every instance, moderation is the key.