Has TV Destroyed communication?
To agree or disagree with the statement that television has destroyed the communication among family and friends is a matter of balancing its pros and cons. However, if one considers the following reasons, he or she may disagree with the title statement as I do.
First, some people may hold the view that friends and family would easily fight with each other for the programs on the television that he or she wants to watch. For example, the child may be likely to switch to the cartoon channel while the father wants to see the news program, and the mother prefers a romantic movie. However as far as I am concerned, the scenario is an exaggeration. I do not think such a trivial quarrel would destroy anything important, and as friends or family, the one result is to attribute to the communication. Each person would present their reasons for watching the program, so that next time they would not argue for the same thing again. They know the taste of each number of the family and they will probably try to avoid such conflicts.
In addition, television offers us numerous topics to talk about. Television informs us of what is happening around the world. Everybody has his/her own reaction towards these events. Without television, we may hold the idea that no one would have the chance to share. When the friends and the whole family sit tighter in front of a television, a nice and intimate atmosphere is provided for communication. Through such kind of communication, family members can understand each other better. A small example may give some light to this point. Once I had some disagreement and had not talk to my dad for several days. One night, when my dad and I were watching television together, we found an interesting topic that both of us wanted to say something about it, so we said a little first and talk much later and all the unpleasant disappear out of existence.
So, in my point of view, nothing has been destroyed by television. On the contrary it might improve our communication.
There are always good and bad consequences following technological developments. Television has served many needs of people. But, unfortunately, it has destroyed communication among friends and family. The reasons are that people are getting maximum information, entertainment and time pass through various channels. I will explain these reasons in detail further in my essay.
Though there are many sources of gathering information we rely on people for information most of the times. This is gradually replaced by countless advertisements coming up in television. They show different products, their prices and their availabilities in stores. They even give phone numbers to order by calling. Certain products which, we don’t even know the purpose is also explained these days. For example, I have seen an ad about a hair dryer stand 2 days back. Initially, I didn’t even understand its purpose but as it continued, I could easily make out and so I bought it the very next week with out even bothering to ask any of my friends.
Man is a social animal. He likes to be in society among people, which keeps him entertained by gatherings with friends and family. In television, different serials and movies are played. There are thousands of channels offering variety of programs. Once we get used to watching these programs, we don’t see any point in going out and meeting friends. For instance, when I was a child, our family members and friends used to gather every weekend and watch a movie in a theatre. But now, every one watches movies in their own homes as there are some paid channels where we can watch latest movies. It saves time and money.
People are anyway busy these days with personal and professional works. On top of this, some channels like discovery, BBC, CNN, ESPN keep people occupied with all the knowledge they need. They don’t see any time to meet friends or family. For example, they are even having dinner watching television.
There are advantages and disadvantages of everything created on earth. It depends on human beings to utilize or exploit them.
What do you usually do to relax yourself and have some fun after a whole day’s work? How do you spend most of your spare time with a lowest cost of both money and energy? Most of us will give the same answer: watching TV. As promoted by the development of modern science and technology, television programs today attract a vaster group of audiences by tremendously enriched contents and a 24-hour rolling schedule than ever before. The fact that television seems to control our choice of leisure and entertainment has recently brought a problem to focus: whether has television destroyed communication among friends and family? Those who agree with the statement insist that such lack of communication should attribute to television. However, I hold just an opposite point of view and I will demonstrate my opinion as followed.
First of all, the advantages of television will speak for it self. As known to all, what we find in television is not only some enjoyment or recreation to kill time but also an important source of knowledge and information. Imagine how television makes us familiar with the miracle creatures in the deep ocean that is unavailable otherwise. Undoubtedly television is an indispensable channel for us to learn the world outside.
As far as the interpersonal communication is concerned, television also plays a key role in improving, but destroying like someone thinks, the relationship and understanding among friends and family. A good case in the point is that television often focuses the attention of public by broadcasting current events, social news and popular teleplays. It is always easy to find interesting topics with friends and colleagues if you have watched the same TV program lately and want to share your ideas about it. Besides, in my own family, my parents and I enjoy the time when we are sitting together and watching tele-films. Because it is the moment for us to feel and enjoy the peacefulness and happiness of family life.
I do not deny that there may be some cases that people are so addicted to television or some other habits that he/she will probably ignore communication with friends and family. Yet it is the wrong attitude of the person him/herself that results the problem but television. Thus, for the reasons above, I shall say: television, like many other important inventions of human beings, benefits our life with both enjoyment and knowledge.
