Do you think television does more harm than good?

[Shu]

I am sure there is a similar post somewhere around here, though I couldn't spend my time finding it. I recently started watching television again, and even in moderation, I wanted to get your opinion about it in general.

Do you find it more harmful than good?

 

[Cardinal Copia]

I don't think television in general is bad. It offers people a chance to view sporting events they otherwise couldn't, be entertained by tv shows, offers people a chance to relax while they watch a movie, catch up on news around the world/in their area. I think in general tv is good.

What ISN'T good though(and perhaps is a topic for a different discussion) is how technology has made this generation of kids lazy. I never ever see kids out playing with their friends like we used to in the 90s. I was never inside as a kid. Our block used to be full of us kids playing and having fun. Now? It's a ghost town outside.

 

[FinalxxSin]

I am sure there is a similar post somewhere around here, since I used to dig and dig around for it. I recently started watching television again, and even in moderation, I wanted to you what your opinion about television was?

Do you find it more harmful than good?

It's a subjective thing. For some people it will do more harm than good based on what they choose to watch. For example, a person may watch some show called "The Real Housewives of Atlanta", which is really just a lot of drama. Another person could watch cartoons that mainly cater to the lowest common intelligence and be fairly stupid in the grand scheme of things without a lot of substance. On the other hand, another person could watch a history focused channel and gain a lot of knowledge from that over time, or a child could watch an educational cartoon/show more catered to their age range.

I could take your question and apply it to food. While food is a requirement to survive, food will do more harm than good to some people. For example, a person decides to eat at McDonald's just about every single day in unbalanced proportions. So obviously that person is in higher risk of diabetes and no telling what else. Another person may be the opposite by never eating at McDonald's by buying most of their food from a store and fixing it themselves, while also being aware of proportions as well.

 

[ZaXo Ken'Ichi]

As far as influencing normal, mentally healthy people in negative ways, no. I'd say at worst it has no real impact at all, at least no more than any other form of media or entertainment. People tend to look at each other as much more two dimensional than themselves. They therefore find it rather easy to believe that others are being manipulated by the things they see on TV, or hear in music, or play in games. But in reality, very, very few of us don't understand when we're being manipulated; if we are, we're usually choosing to let it happen to at least some degree. Sure, there's something to be said for stuff like "Showing a cheeseburger on screen might make you hungry for a cheeseburger.". But it's not suddenly going to make you like cheeseburgers if you don't already enjoy them. And it's not forcing your hand if you shouldn't be buying/eating said cheeseburgers. You're doing that yourself.

The only harm I think television consistently does, is in warping our perception of the world through the news. Like I alluded to up top, most people understand that fiction is just fiction. But the news is supposed to be based in unbiased reality and facts. So it's a lot easier for people to be yanked around by news outlets. And holy freaking crap are they corrupt as heck at this point. There's not an unbiased outlet in the bunch, and every single one of them is more concerned with creating good ratings through entertainment, than actually relaying real news and information. In this way, yes, television does much more harm than good.

 

[redgrave]

In a word, yes.

The negative effects of television far outweigh the positives regardless of age, gender, race, I/EQ level, mental state n socioeconomic status. You're better off going for a run/walk or doing some form of physical activity, reading a book, social interaction, cooking a healthy meal or even listening to music. If someone was genuinely looking for something educational or interesting, it speaks volumes if they were to make the effort to seek out the information n research themselves as opposed to stumbling upon it amongst all those trashy programs.

Television has made society apathetic, materialistic, envious, dissatisfied with a constant longing for illusory happiness. It's one of the most influential instruments of control and propaganda. For eg the goal of most ads is to leave us with the impression that buying a particular product will make us happy. And when good-looking celebrities are used to sell products, the underlying message is that owning these products will enhance our image and ensure our popularity with others.

The proposition that happiness is something that can be bought is literally too stupid for words - which is why it's never put into words but is insinuated at a sub-rational level. And don't let us kid ourselves we're impervious.

To the extent that we're influenced by the continuous bombardment of these messages, we're made to feel dissatisfied , that there's always something missing, something sub-standard about our lives.

I mean its not called the idiot box for nothing.

 

[Shu]

Lot's of feedback here folks. I went back and saw my completely incorrect grammar and corrected a few things.

Anyway, here's my take after reading some. Yes does more harm than good, but I think it's still salvageable.

To my knowledge, the first usage of television was more for a media outlet. The issue I see now is the media outlet itself. Think about it, the first form of political propaganda was by radio. Whatever the man on the speaker box said back in the days without television was more believable even if it was embellished. Why would you as the consumer, question something so new?

When television came out it was used to influence your opinion right off the bat about the state of the world. Now a days you might not think it, but it does the same thing and at an even lower subliminal nature.

1) Name a legitimate news outlet.
2) Name an advertisement that actually made you go out and buy something.
3) Name a television show in which tried to take an actual issue and dramatize it with a television show.
4) How quick does an atrocity make ratings go up? As a caveat, how long do they air these atrocities for ratings?
5) How many television channels now actually play reality television shows?
6) How about game shows, what do they really have to offer aside from occasional Jeopardy type show?
7) Talk shows.. All this self praise and scripted talk on Oprah, Geraldo, Dr. Phil, Jerry Springer, Judge Judy, People's court. How does that influence you about people?
8) Cartoons for kids.. how intelligent is this humor? What's the extent of stupid stuff you can put into a growing mind?

My issue with television is not any of this, but that it is a distraction for humanity. While I could argue that distractions are always needed and so forth, a television is not going to make you want to get out the door and do stuff.

Think about it.

1) What are relevant bar conversations? Mostly what's on the Telly.
2) How likely are you to sit on the couch and watch a sport than go out and see it live?
3) What's the most likely unwarranted form of media that you will receive? Telecommunications wise it will be mostly via TV, because even the smallest of channels tries to slip something political in place about election processes and sway your bias.

Society itself is tied closely to what the box in the corner will do for us.

So let's try something, for experimental purposes, go without. Try a day first, then a week, a month.. and if you are really brave a year. This way you have to research your news, sports, and other items. Sure you can keep netflix, for your purely fictional films. Though get rid of anything that has reality television or is complete dribble.

Come back to television after your break, and see what your mind will do. With all this negative talk though, I still think television is salvageable. I just think there needs to be a revisit globally. The focus on TV is what drives most viewers. Would people watch it if they no longer have any of the mentioned above? Let's say you could pay more for TV without ALL of the distractions. You get your TV show and you are out the door, not standing around like a zombie waiting for the next "Walking Dead" or "Game of Thrones" to slobber about. There are season breaks for these things, it's not all there is. I'm far more apt to talk to someone who has a relevant conversation than someone who is constantly distracted by the man on the tube.

 

[FinalxxSin]

I haven't had TV channels in a few years now. What I don't like about it is the commercials and the fact I can't watch what I want to watch when I want too. I rarely even watch new movies as well. Only time I do watch television is if I am visiting somebody, but that's where it starts and ends.