This is the essay, I wrote at school and got prize on it. It is an essay that tells about the good and bad influence of television from us.
Since
the invention of television, it has always been used as mean to
educate, entertain and instruct. It is also used to public awareness
about matter relating to crime, punishment, social responsibilities and
government policies.
The influence of television, when controlled by authorities in the
country can maintain the moral fibers of the country. But today this
control is no longer there. Many channels have been set up where we
watch different programs from the different countries. They influence our
behavior in good and bad ways.
Programs with scenes of violence are being shown on television
every day. Youth are generally impressed by images. They emulate images
they perceive from television. For example, Television is showing
now-a-days the popular channel among children, that is Cartoon Network
where young viewers watch negative roles in some scene and instead of
taking as positive and just forget them, they become proud of these
scenes and try to imitate the actions as shown.
Television where children are influenced by such scenes of Cartoons,
teenagers also become impressed by the actions often run on movies.
Instead of taking positive roles so as to increase their knowledge from
movies, they take negative role and try to become one of the characters
of the movie. Teen girls take some negative roles or see dresses on
the movies and try to make and wear clothes just like them and imitate
these roles with the help of actions. More then teen girls, teen boys
take the thrill action of robbery, smoking, drinking alcohols seriously
and then start those habits as luxury or leisure.
Some Television dramas also run on television for the elders to show
negative values of the society as positive. Media try to show some of
the scenes that are now become common and make these as agreeable to do
these in interested ways. Apart from these bad influences there are
many more such things which are not to be mentioned.
On the other hand Television programs provide today to do activities
for many victims of the disaster around the world. Families spend their
time in front of television and this help them to gather closely. Many
informative programs increase our knowledge about the world and become
closer by the television and cables.
Such programs regarding Quiz, culture, religious education and information influence positively on our behavior.
So it’s not true that television is only for entertainment or for
pleasure only. It really put impact in good or bad ways on our behavior.|
Written by Bottleblondesurfer (3352 comments posted) 5th February 2008 | I admire you for tackling a difficult and complex subject. Television does have the power to influence people, young people especially, and you did try to put both sides. There was one sentence here that made my blood run cold, though:-
The influence of television, when controlled by authorities in the country can maintain the moral fibers of the country.
The fact that you got a prize for an essay with a sentence like that in it says a lot about the attitude of the teachers and the sort of regime you are living under.
When authorities seek to control the mass media, whether newspapers or Television it is NEVER EVER to maintain moral fibre it is to control and influence in order to keep there power base.
In a democracy the press and media are allowed a large amount of freedom. This has good and bad results but that's how it is in a democracy. Democracy isn't neat and ordered and tidy but if you want tidy order then there is always Hiltler, Mussolini, Pol Pot, Mugabe,Sadam Hussein
the list is a long one.
There is a lot I dont like about television, here but if it ever starts to control my moral fibre I'll be the first on the barricades with my heaviest handbag |
Written by Fledermaus (3281 comments posted) 5th February 2008 | Another interesting essay. It's something I have been thinking about too, and I do agree that the press is a more dangerous tool than most people imagine. I'm pretty sure that if you could see what some Dutch TV channels broadcast, you'd be disgusted (which is why I prefer to watch the BBC and Belgian channels instead).
And you're absolutely right about the negative roles: Just a quick look at MTV and likewise channels shows me a world I certainly would not want to live in, but then, it seems many teenagers do take those gangsta-rappers and indecent women as their role models...
And then I have not even mentioned those people who deliberately insult people of certain faiths and create tensions between different groups or who break the law to make sensational programs.
Freedom of press is a worthy thing, but I sometimes wonder if the media are responsible enough to handle it. |
Written by coosh (867 comments posted) 6th February 2008 | A massive subject and a very interesting and balanced essay which naturally raises a fair few points. I recall there was film many years ago which depicted a quite specific and brutal rape scene, after which there was a series of offences committed in precisely the same way in the US, proof, if proof were needed, of the influence of TV.
I too was struck by your reference to "moral fibre", particularly in the light of countries where media and government go hand-in-hand. In Italy, for example, the notion of a politician owning a huge media network is not countered by any meaningful legislation regarding "conflict of interest". In Brazil, the owners of the largest TV station have remained more powerful than the president for quite some time - an endless mass of soap operas, films and a bit of glitzy news serving to detract people's focus from political matters instead of trying to educate (and even the poorest home in the poorest shanty has a television). Your essay was certainly worthy of its prize. |
Written by JohnFHamill (34 comments posted) 6th February 2008 | It's very true that television contributes significantly to the shaping of society. Studies have shown that a lot of children spend much of their spare time watching it. This is probably due to the fact that most of the time the viewer isn't challenged to participate, but to simply watch.
This means that theoretically people aren't developing their talents as much. For example sport professionals today aren't generally as good as those from the sixties. The same goes for music. Why is that? Have we really lost a lot of potential through people who didn't try as hard at their interests, and instead spent that time watching tv? My father believes without a shadow of a doubt that the television is the worst thing to enter a house. It doesn't challenge the imagination to picture what is happening, unlike reading where you develop your own mental image of the story.
Some say that television "rots" the brain, although they did say the same about novels whenever they first became popular.
I enjoyed reading this essay and it fully deserved its prize. | congrats .........
Written by Bagheera (683 comments posted) 6th February 2008 | You chose a difficult subject to tackle head on, and deserve a prize for the CONTENT of your essay.
I see from your grammar and syntax that you live on the "wrong" side of The Pond (and there's nothing wrong in that! You didn't choose your place of birth!!  )
I'd look for consistency, however: and your teachers apparently failed to spot "behaviour" in the TITLE vis-à-vis "behavior" in para. 2
Being a real pedant, I might also ask if "setup" (also para.2) might read better as two words, "set up" - and in the same sentence "from the different countries" sounds more 'natural' to my UK-trained ear!
Please don't take this as a negative comment, it didn't spoil the overall impression of the piece and the quality of your research and arguments more than compensate for what I've plucked out - it's only a personal opinion anyway, and the assessment is going to be different from one teacher to another!
Thanks for an entertaining and thoughtful piece! |
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