ve Effects on Children Media Argumentative Persuasive Essays
T.V. Can Have Negative Effects on Children
Each day after school, thousands of American youngsters sit in front of their T.V. sets in the semi-darkness at their homes and kill their precious time watching T.
V. programs. A typical scenario would be that a mother would put her kids into the living-room in front of the T.V so that she can attend to her own business. Some believe watching T.V.
is the best way for children to get better-informed about what is happening around the world and other educational information. However, have they ever thought about helping kids’ learn about news or other educational programs through other technological devices such as radio or computer systems? Compared with T.V., these devices are more engaging and productive for kids.
I don’t believe T.V.
is the ideal home entertainment for kids because it is a passive activity compared with outdoor activities by tying the individual to the screen for hours; it allows kids to use time inefficiently, therefore, watching others working while sitting there and doing nothing. And it is bad for kids’ health through gaining weight from eating T.V. snacks and hurting one’s eye-sight.
First, watching T.V.
can be very passive both physically and intellectually. When sitting in front the screen, what an individual does most is to watch and listen to what others have accomplished such as news, reports on a certain incident, and research results. For example, when we watch sports on the weekends, we are mainly watching what other people are doing outside our semi-dark living room. A young friend of mine, who is not very sporty and active but introverted and passive, would spend the whole day Saturday and Sunday, sitting in front of the T.V. set and watch others golfing or playing baseball in the beautiful sunshine and breathing the fresh air.
Physically speaking, those who sit in front of T.V. sets and watch others play sports are much more passive than those who actually go out and do some exercises by themselves.
Again, watching T.V. is not as engaging intellectually as reading a book or writing a diary by oneself.
This is because these activities make a person creative and active and productive. For example, when we watch a program on the historic exploitation of the Spaniards on the west coast of the States, we are watching a program which others have put together. This is much more passive intellectually than going into the library and research on the topic. I am sure within the same time limit, a person can obtain more knowledge from the books and put up a collage by themselves about the subject than from watching a one hour program on T.V..
Bill Holm, a friend of mine and novelist in Minnesota, is the only person in the whole town who doesn’t own a T.V. set. On the contrary, he encourages his students who come to visit him to search and browse in these libraries; he has four or five libraries in his house, and these libraries are categorized accordingly. He has a library of British literature, books on China, cooking, and on other subjects areas. Secondly, watching T.
V. doesnt encourage a person to use time efficiently, and it can be a waste of time for intellectually-motivated individuals and those who are in school. If they have chores at home, it is more productive for them to listen to the news on the radios while doing their own things with hands such as ironing and organizing things. In other words, watching T.V. engages not only one’s eyes and ears but binds one’s hands and legs, restricting a person from moving and doing anything productive.
For some people, it would be more desirable to listen to music from a C.D. player while arranging their books and organizing things. Thirdly, constant staring at the screen for hours can be harmful to one’s health, especially in terms of gaining weight and hurting one’s eye-sight. Some mothers like to shuffle their kids into the living room to watch T.V.
so that they can attend to their own business, .
