The danger of Television
Essay : 01
Any man-made invention is always accompanied by good and bad points. The most popular mode of convenience is the motor car but today the motor car is a great contributor of atmospheric pollution. Even antibiotics which were hailed as miracle drugs are not entirely free from bad side effects. The discovery of ‘N’ energy has left the world on the brink of a nuclear disaster and certain annihilation. So too, the invention of Television.
Television was invented following the principle of the movie and the radio. In movies one sees a picture and hears the sound when the film is projected with the help of a projector. The film will have to be made before hand. In the case of a Radio broadcast one hears the sound alone. In combining the effect of the two the television has practically brought the world to one’s drawing room. It is no exaggeration. When the 25th Olympic was being conducted in Barcelona one could see the colorful events in his television set. The lively actuality of the scenes and sound makes the television very welcome.
There are many kinds of programs one can enjoy seeing on television. It may be a live telecast of great events of the world, a cricket match between the West Indies and England, a football match between two internationally famous teams, boxing match or a chess match between two stalwarts of the game.
Many political events may be telecast like the party conventions in the USA. To select its candidate for the future President. Events like the opening of Parliament or the last march for a great national leader. In many of these things the television easily and effectively displaces the morning newspapers and it is more effective than written words. It is both visual and aural and creates a greater impact on the minds of viewers.
Hence the worth of television as an emotional tool has been high. With pre-planning lessons could be broadcast effectively. It is useful for teachers because it can help them in the reorientation and furthering of
children’s’ knowledge. Many subjects could be made more lively with a natural effect. It is a boon to the medical student because he views intricate surgery with the help of television. As an entertainment it is excellent.
But television has also its disadvantages. Unless the light effect is in correct frequency it will affect the eye of the viewer. The television program has fixed hours and one has to tailor time to it. There is also no free choice of programs because channels are limited.
Certain programs may have a corrupting influence on young minds. Cartoons which arc telecast have cruelty as a theme and is a bad influence on the young minds. There has been instances where youngsters have shot their teachers or parents. Television has reduced the influence of discipline in the classroom.
It is quite likely that the happy relationship between the members of the family is likely to be corroded. However, when the history of inventions of this century is written, certainly television shall find a prominent place there along with the X Ray, nuclear bombs and space flights.
Essay : 02
Is Television Good or Bad?
Television is not a bad thing, but in fact is a resource that can be used to educate and entertain people of all ages. There are many programs on television, which do not educate, because everyone needs to be entertained. Television stations should organise their programs so that the education shows are shown when children get home from school so that the children will be able to learn while enjoying themselves at home. Schools often use television as a way of educating students because on television, they can demonstrate many things that cannot be done in the classroom, and often show things that cannot be experienced in the country or area where the school is located. I think that this is an excellent use of television and more use should be made of it in education, because it offers many advantages to classroom teaching. Comedy programs, however, make viewers laugh, feel better, and make people generally happier. These programs should be encouraged, instead of the ‘real life’ dramas. Sports programs and broadcasts of sporting matches are very good. With them, fans of the sports can watch only parts of a match, or watch while they are at work. Without these services, people who are ill or disabled or people that had to work on weekends would miss out on sport all together. These programs show only relevant parts of the match and often include player information and information about the tournament or season. These programs are a great service to the public and encourage a healthy life-style. Television would be one of the most useful resources if some important changes were made.
