Maliek Credle

ENG-111-S01

Mrs. Smith

July 13, 2015

Negative effects of TV

Television has become one of the largest means of communication today. This has
happened by providing informational programs like the news, sitcoms, and sporting events.
Television has influenced our lives since it was developed. TV seem like it is harmless in any
shape or form, but it is. Watching TV on a constant and consistent basis can lead to physical and
emotional impairment that will lead to problems in the other parts of life.

There are some good things that can be said about television because it is something that
cannot be avoided in this age. It gives the viewer multicultural experiences. With channels like
Nickelodeon or Telemundo, the viewer can experience the Hispanic culture. It provides
learning opportunities for the viewer with basic Spanish words and activities that are done in that
culture. TV also can show the past in a way no one else can. Classic movies are not easily found,
because of how old they are. TV is a way to bring them back for a new generation, who might
not have had the opportunity to see it otherwise. Television enforces values in certain individuals

that it speaks too. For example, Uncle Phil from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Uncle Phil, played by
James Avery, became a pillar of the African-American community by instilling values and
purpose to the men of the community who grew up without a father. This becomes clear after his
death when everybody was telling how he effected their lives. First things first; Rest In Peace
Uncle Phil, for real, you the only father that I ever knew (Cole). J Cole said he was the father he
grew up with, and a lot of members of the black community feel the same way. Other shows
have and still to this day can make a personal impact on a certain individual. TV does still have
redeeming qualities, but they are not worth the life an individual possesses.

One of the main concerns of watching TV is the emotional development issues it has on a
kid. Partially it is the fault of the parents, according to a survey conducted by Dr. Singh. During
the survey, the results showed that children are more likely to lean on television when parents
punish them physically and express dissatisfaction with the childs accomplishment (Shamar and
Tomar 20). This happening allows the childs concentration and awareness levels to reduce.
When the levels decrease that has a negative effect on concentration, impulsive behavior, and
increased acts of violence, social skills, as well as the childs reading ability.

Another concern is the development of the childs body as it obtains to physical health.
Children who watch more than two hours a day have an increased chance to become obese and
obtain high-blood pressure. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend all
children under doing not watch television at all and those 2 or older watch a maximum of 2 hours

a day (Dowshen). Kids who also watch more than two hours of television have a higher chance
of becoming Asthmatic (Dowshen).

A huge concern about watching Television is that it shortens life expectancy. Australian
researchers have found that prolonged television watching is positively correlated with death rate
among adults over 25 years of age. (Watching TV) The individuals who watched four hours or
more of TV had a higher death rate risk than those who did not. We know from extensive
evidence that muscle contractions are so important for many of the bodys regulatory processes,
such as breaking down and using glucose, so that loss of muscle movement for prolonged
periods may result in a disruption to the bodys regulatory processes, says Professor David
Dunstan, who led the study (Watching TV). This probably has to do with the task that are going
on while watching TV. This includes mindlessly eating while sitting down staring at a screen.
The crazy thing is the deaths that were recorded, most of them were from cardiovascular
diseases. According to the same researchers, the life that is missed is somewhere between 5-8
years. That is five years less than the ones that watch no TV.

Another effect watching television has, is it causes violence. When Watching TV, the
individual is most likely not socializing with anybody around him. The thing is that some social
skills are learned from television including violence. A child sees almost 200,000 violent crimes
before the age of 15 (Boyse). Two-thirds of all programing on television contain some violence.
For example, Law and Order: SVU is a prime example. Even though the bad guy is eventually
caught, the individuals watching the show can see the violent acts being performed and might

eventually think that it is accepted among the social system. More than ever shows geared
towards children contain more violence than one geared toward adults. Children under eight are
not able to comprehend the difference between reality and fantasy. This makes the child more
vulnerable and susceptible to violent behaviors seen on the television screen. The more violence
that the child is exposed to the less sensitive the child is to the acts and the affects it has on
others.

Constantly watching television can lead to emotional and physical development issues as
well as antisocial behavior. TV has become a part of our everyday lives, but that does not mean
we cannot control how much of it is watched. Like multiple articless says limit television time to
under 2 hours a day. This could eventually raise life expectancy and good health for most people.