Essay, Research Paper: Television 2

The impact that television (A.K.A.- TV) has had on mankind in the last 50 years, is rivaled by few other inventions throughout modern history. Recently television has been given a bad wrap, seen by many people as a cruel invention, a boob-tube mesmerizing and brainwashing its viewers. People have forgotten TV is an educational and entertaining tool used in the everyday lives of people around the world. Without TV and its many advantages where would the world be at this very moment, certainly not in the information age that it is in now.
The average person watches on average ten to fifteen hours of television during a week. This seems like an awful lot of time to be sitting in front of a television, but this time can be extremely educational and entertaining. A television equipped with a cable system has a number of educational channels. For example, PBS, The Discovery Channel, The History Channel, The Food Channel, and even MTV are all educational channels. Documentaries, ranging from The Civil War to baseball to home repair are always airing on television. A person can learn things from television that they otherwise never would have even heard about. In other words television can be a great instrument in educational learning.
Entertainment is also another major part of why television is such a great tool. Everyone loves to be entertained and watching television is a pleasurable experience, it offers something for just about everyone. Television shows can easily get you Hooked , making you feel as if it is imperative that you watch the show every time it is on. This is a good thing, if you keep your priorities straight, because television should not be your number one priority. The entertainment part of television contributes to keeping people out of trouble. If a person has nothing else to do and they get into the routine of watching a certain show then they will be off the streets . Characters on shows can act as role models for their audience and promote good morals. Sports are another aspect of television entertainment. If someone can not actually attend a sporting event in person, more than likely they can still catch the action on television. What better way to be entertained than sitting on your couch!
Television is also helpful with product information, and although commercials are not regarded as the most entertaining aspect of television, they sure can be informative. Without television commercials a person may never hear about a product that could benefit their life. For example, a commercial for allergy medication can let someone know that there is relief for their symptoms. This may never have been possible if the person wasn t watching television and saw the commercial for the product. Advertising and product information, is just one more of many reasons why television is so useful.
The News! Enough said, well not really, but watching the news on the television keeps you up to date on world and local information. Television also gives you visuals with the information. A whole New World compared to listening to the news on a radio. With pictures the viewer can get a much better grasp of what went on, rather than just hearing someone report about the story. It also is possible for you to watch news happen live , that beats the morning paper any day!
Overall television should be looked at as a great tool for our society. Education, entertainment, and information are all necessities in our lives and television can provide us with all three of those essentials. Despite all of this, television is still used as a scapegoat for many of our society s ills and is constantly singled out as the cause of these problems. When in fact, it probably has less to do with one thing, such as TV and more to do with all of society itself. Nevertheless, even if TV is responsible for a small part of these problems, it is still responsible for a lot more happiness in our lives than heartache.