television addiction Essay - 1578 Words

Addicted to Television nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; The temptations that can disrupt human life are often caused by pure indulgences. That which we most desire may ultimately harm and destroy us. For example, no one has to drink alcohol. Realizing when a diversion has gotten out of control, such as alcohol, is one of the greatest challenges of life. These excessive cravings do not necessarily involve physical substances. Gambling can be compulsive, leading to great financial distress; sex can become obsessive, often altering a persons mentality and behavior. However, one activity is repeatedly over-looked. Most people admit to having a love-hate relationship with it. It is America’s most popular leisure past-time, the television. It is†¦show more content†¦What causes our profound interest in the television? The amount of time that people spend watching television is astonishing. The average individual will devote three hours a day to watch television. At this rate, a person who lives to be 75 would spend a total of ni ne years in front of the television. Based on polls taken in 1992 and 1999, two out of five adults and seven out of ten teenagers said they spend too much time in front of the television; roughly 10 percent of the adults called themselves television addicts. To study the physical and mental reactions to television, scientists have conducted experiments monitoring brain waves, skin resistance and the heart rate of people watching television. After analyzing the data, scientists discovered that people viewing television reported feeling relaxed and passive. More relaxed than while reading a book. Studies have also shown that the relaxation caused from watching ended once the television was turned-off, but the feelings of passivity and lowered alertness continued. Viewers reported having difficulty concentrating after viewing than before. After playing sports or engaging in hobbies, people repot improvements in mood. After watching television, people report that their moods are about t he same or worse. One of the reasons that we are so attracted to the television is our â€Å"orienting response†. First described by Ivan Pavlov in 1927, â€Å" †¦ the orienting response is our instinctive visual or auditory reaction to anyShow MoreRelated Television Addiction Essay1004 Words   |  5 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;For roughly sixty years television has been a part of most Americans lives. For some, it is mainly a source of information. For others, television takes on a much more significant role. Many Americans spend hours of their daily life in front of the tube, but are the people entwined in the plot of the average sit com., or are they trapped by the clutches of perpetual, mind- numbing entertainment. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Addiction is a strong word. It is now even consideredRead More Television Addiction Essay1028 Words   |  5 PagesTelevision Addiction Marie Winn makes a convincing argument that watching too much television can be considered an addiction. Television has become a way of life for most families. Television viewing is so overwhelmingly prevalent nowadays that living without TV is often considered an extreme deprivation. TVs are everywhere, whether you are in a hospital, auto shop, or in the dentist’s office, there’s always a television by the waiting area. It’s a useful tool to help you from the boredom ofRead More Television Addiction related to Children Essay703 Words   |  3 Pages According to Rita Dove, the author of â€Å"Loose Ends,† and â€Å"Television Addiction,† by Marie Winn. Both authors often share the same the views about television. But television addiction is more expressed in Ms. Winn’s essay. However, Ms. Dove speaks of a more personal experience with her daughter, and how the television is an issue in her household. Although, Ms.Dove says in her essay, â⠂¬Å"For years the following scene would play daily at our house: Home from school, my daughter would have her backpackRead MoreReview of Television Addiction is no Mere Metaphor Essay examples603 Words   |  3 PagesTelevision Addiction Is No Mere Metaphor Have you ever heard the expression love hurts? Sometimes its the things that we want most that can hurt us. In Television Addiction Is No Mere Metaphor, an article published in Scientific American on February 23, 2002 by Robert Kubey and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, we see how this expressions meaning has some truth to it. The things that we are addicted to are not necessities but are desires instead. Kubey and Csikszentmihalyi give the best exampleRead MoreTelevision Addiction1606 Words   |  7 PagesAddicted to Television The temptations that can disrupt human life are often caused by pure indulgences. That which we most desire may ultimately harm and destroy us. For example, no one has to drink alcohol. Realizing when a diversion has gotten out of control, such as alcohol, is one of the greatest challenges of life. These excessive cravings do not necessarily involve physical substances. Gambling can be compulsive, leading to great financial distress; sex can become obsessive, often alteringRead More The Negative Impact of Exposing Children to Media Violence Essay1448 Words   |  6 Pageswill limit the definition of (mass) media to television, and, subsequently, violent (mass) media to television programs that contain violent acts. By children, I will be referring to people of age 18 and below who live in the U.S., since this group is the focus of the majority of the research data that I have used. I will begin my argument by acknowledging a counter argument to my position. I will then go on to disc uss the negative effects of television on children. These effects include an increaseRead MoreThe Importance Of Television In Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury997 Words   |  4 PagesYour average American spends 5 hours a day watching television. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a science fiction novel where the characters spend a majority of their time in their tv parlor. Taken as a whole, television is a source of evil in 2017. First, television poses a distraction from real life both in Fahrenheit 451 and in present 2017. In the chase scene, Montag demonstrates that people are so caught in television they forget or don’t know reality. It says on page 131,† With an effortRead MoreHow Technology Has Changed Our Lives1217 Words   |  5 Pageswatched a television. Televisions are so familar to many people. It is one of the blockbuster inventions of all time. Back in ten years ago, the television is how people get the news, and how they entertain themselve, not a computer. Computers in ten years ago were a comlicated machine to use. Even in the twenty first century, the computers or many other high technology machines have much more advance features than a television, but they can be seen as present-day duplicates of televisions. MostlyRead MoreViolence in the Media Essays684 Words   |  3 PagesFarnsworth was the true inventor of television in 1927. He had no idea that thirty-five years later his inventions would not only be in ninety percent of Americans homes, but also strongly effect everyone that watched it. Following the introduction of television into the United States, the annual homicide rate increased by ninety-three percent(Journal of the American Medical Association). With the invention of television came the job of broadcasting shows on to the television. Broadcasters soon found whatRead More Affluenza: An American Epidemic Essay examples852 Words   |  4 Pages affluenza is a compulsive addiction to shopping, which can be cured by spending less time consuming and more time enjoying life. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;As the majority of parents work longer hours then other parents did in the past to support their families, children are left at home under the supervision of a television set. The television set constantly teaches children how to be good consumers. Advertisements which appear on television are designed to make children