Torres 1

Maria Torres Composition 1 25, November 2013

Torres 2 Television has been around since the 1900s it began with the intention of letting people see places and shows without leaving their homes. It grew to be a phenomenon who didnt want to have a television. In the beginning of course it was the privileged ones who can afford the expensive entertainment system into their homes. The power of television increased during the years giving television more and more power to control and to inform what they wanted to inform. The demand and the increase grew so rapidly that everyone had a television some even had one in every room. Families united together to watch. Television became a babysitting instrument for some. We let the television practically control and dominate and execute our very existence. People sat and watched others do while they just did nothing. They let television control our minds and let us in paths we never thought we would. Not anymore was television an innocent pass time it became a part of necessary life for some and for others even more. The pros of television are television makes news immediate from anywhere in the world, television allows viewers to see, up close, the actors in important events, television brings home wars, natural disasters, plagues, and famine, which in turn spurs on people and organizations to counter these problems, television is an effective medium for the investigation of criminal behavior, reporters can interview victims, suspects, witnesses, police, and lawyers; give important background information; follow trials day by day; and summarize important points of law. (Streissguth p. 33). These are great reasons to watch television but all is not what it seems contrast to this after you have watched the news the network releases a written and verbal message telling the people that what youre watching is their interpretation and their views. It seems as anything is allowed as long as long as they provide that statement. So the facts become their opinions of the truth and we are left there to decipher the truth.

Torres 3 Government efforts to restrict violent content in entertainment threaten to undermine the First Amendment. (McMasters p. 98). So where do we draw the line do we let them air whatever they want because of freedom of speech. Not everyone agrees with this is a touchy subject, but as violence grows and televisions violence grows even more the media must accept more responsibility they must understand that television has become a drug a means to go on living and the people young and old are interacting to television in ways that is not positive. A separate longitudinal study from New Zealand followed 1,037 people from birth to age 26 years and found a significantly increased risk for anti-social outcomes in adults who had watched the most TV as children. Every extra hour of weeknight TV watching as children was associated with a 30% increase in the likelihood of having a criminal conviction by age 26. (Boschert p.28). These studies conducted anywhere in the world are rising with alarming outcomes. Who is now taking responsibility for the time being no one is and our children continue to suffer. Young people who watch three or more hours of television per day face an increased likelihood of developing learning difficulties and experiencing outcomes. (Gross p.7). This is a problem children are being affected in their development to learn. The television has now gotten in the way of our performance and intake to survive in the educational world . The educational factor is not being filtered appropriate. Of all the media distribution channels the most influential has been the television, we are constantly exposed to thousands of images of violence, advertising, sex, celebrities and much more, in fact a its known that a child is exposed to about 40,000 ads a yearly and being filtered less and less. (Rayuso). The more I watch television the less censoring it has become. Parents are in the best position to monitor their childrens media habits because parents know the needs of their own children better than anyone else. (Hogan p.149). This is very true

Torres 4 parents need to take responsibility and control their power over what is good programming over bad. They need to step up to the plate and realize that not everything on television can be filtered by a child taking the negative and positive of what they just viewed. Their interpretation of the negative may just be just that and that is what you want to avoid. You want the young viewer to know whats right and whats wrong how we can accomplish this when the media is saying is ok to be bad but youre still good. That is where the distinguishment gets lost. In addition to that parents think its ok to say no even if the child does not understand take a few minutes and explain. Television is no longer free you can just apt for not having it at all more and more people I know are now refusing to watch television. We are in an age that technology has been dominating the airways and everyday new and better things arise thats great, but we as consumers must rise to the challenge and take the good of what is out there. Television has gotten clearer and easier to obtain but we have to pick and choose what was the real good purpose of television in your lives. How you can take the positive of what television has to offer? Television can teach, can reach out to people in places people would never be able to imagined existed, it can let you communicate anywhere in the world. What a great learning tool is television if used properly. Television is responsible for teaching kids in other countries how to read and write now thats great television. Television also has the power to be a negative source of information where views and interpretations are not positive in any shape or form.

Torres 5 Interview with Professor A. Abu-Baker St. John Fisher Professor of Pharmacy

1.

When you were growing up what was your right television experience in your country?

In my country TV was censored, so sexual content. We had cartoons and comedies; most viewable was actually suitable for children.

2.

Do you use television in your teaching profession? I show educational programs DVD,

YouTube, videos. I use them together with my lectures.

3.

At home how do use television? My wife and I watch cooking shows and we like to pick

and choose some educational shows suitable for children, the children also watch religious cartoons.

4.

In your profession do you think kids will benefit from the television? It has its role in

educating them, but its only a part language skills and a conversation are some good reasons.

Torres 6 5. What is some good advice you can give parents about good television use? They should

pick and choose and not depend on also they should sit with their children and watch what their watching so they are able to answer questions.

Torres 7 Works Cited Boschert, Sherry. TV content effects childrens behavior over time. Family Practice News.
43.4 (Mar. 1, 2013): p28. Go.galegroup.com. 23 November 2013.

Gross, Kate. TV Junkies face school failure. Youth Studies Australia. 26.3 (Sept. 2007): p7. Go.galegroup.com. 23 November 2013 Mass Media Influence on Society Hubpages.com. n.d. Rayuso. Web. 25 November. 2013 Streissguth, Tom. Open for debate: Media Bias. New York: Tarrytown 2007. Print. Szumski Bonnie, Leone Daniel, et al. Media Violence: Opposing viewpoints. MI; Farmington Hills 2004. Print