TELEVISION

Is Television A Malign Influence on Society ?

Presented By :1. Mia Saskia (093174204)2. Vivin Septiana R.P. (093174206)

ABSTRACT

Nowadays television plays a significant role not only in social and political life, acting as a tool for spreading information and forming people’s mentality, but also in the everyday life of individuals as a source of entertainment. It affects our minds and plays a role in shaping social changes. It is argued that this may be harmful as television shows more and more sex and violence, sacrifices the quality of the programs for the sake of commercial benefit and takes away the biggest part of our free time. On the other hand it is impossible to imagine the life of modern society without television, especially keeping in mind the crucial importance of spreading information around the globe.

Dr. Ruth Mock (1970), states, “television is the one influence, common to us all today, which replaces the social, religious, and political meetings and festivals which were potent expressions in the past.”

Is Television A Malign Influence on Society ?

YES NO

YES Violence and sex shown on television results in higher

rate of crime and pregnancies Television is greatly abused for commercial purposes,

in which audiences are constantly sold to A big part of TV audience consists of teenagers, which

is particularly vulnerable to the violence and various stereotypes, promoted by TV

Television is mostly directed to films and shows that have commercial purposes but little cultural value

TV has an impact on health by discouraging exercise (Obesity)

It Promotes Passivity and Wasting Time etc

Violence and sex shown on television results in higher rate of crime pregnancies

Researchers from RAND Health say that exposure to sex on television may influence teen pregnancy by creating the perception that there is little risk to engaging in sex without using contraceptives and accelerating the initiation of sexual intercourse.

TV and SEX source : www.rand.org

A big part of TV audience consists of teenagers, which is particularly vulnerable to the violence and various stereotypes, promoted by TV

By age 18, the average American child sees 200,000 violent acts on TV. By age 18, children witnesses almost 20,000 murders on TV — most by handguns. 73% of the time the people in TV dramas who commit violent acts go unpunished. 47% percent of violent situations show no real harm to the victims, and 58 percent show no real pain. Only 4 percent of violent programs show nonviolent alternatives to solve programs. 80% of Hollywood executives think there is a link between TV violence and real-life violence.

Television is greatly abused for commercial purposes, in which audiences are constantly sold to

Forty-nine percent said commercials exert a lot of influence over kids' "food choices and eating habits."

A lot of money goes into making ads that are successful in influencing consumer behaviour. McDonald's, the largest food advertiser on TV, reportedly spent $500 million on their "We love to see you smile" ad campaign.

Viewing Ads in an Hour

Advertisers try to convince the audience that the solution to a problem or the fulfilment of a desire can only be achieved through the purchase of a product. It is designed towards blind acceptance by the viewer. In this way TV negatively affects the human mind, by limiting the possibilities of conscious choice, and promotes a consumer society.

TV has an impact on health by discouraging exercise (Obesity)

During Saturday morning cartoons there are typically more than 200 "junk-food" commercials.

At least 12 medical studies link excessive television watching to increasing rates of obesity.

In 1963, 4.5% of children ages 6 to 11 were seriously overweight; by 2009, this percentage had more than tripled.

As well as encouraging a sedentary lifestyle, television can also contribute to childhood obesity by aggressively marketing junk food to young audiences. According to the Canadian Pediatrics Society, most food advertising on children's TV shows is for fast foods, candy and pre-sweetened cereals. Commercials for healthy food make up only 4 per cent of those shown. .

According to the statistics, the average American child watches 26 hours a television per week. That’s how TV programs reduce the quality of real life by narrowing people’s outlook, limiting the variety of free time activities, affecting family relations by reducing conversation, and even having an impact on health by discouraging exercise.

It Promotes Passivity and wasting time

Duration Watching Tv/day

According to researchers, viewers feel an instant sense of relaxation when they start to watch TV—but that feeling disappears just as quickly when the box is turned off. While people generally feel more energized after playing sports or engaging in hobbies, after watching TV they usually feel depleted of energy. According to the article "this is the irony of TV: people watch a great deal longer than they plan to, even though prolonged viewing is less rewarding."

The Good Things About Television

Television reaches very large audiences - usually much larger than the audience your local newspaper reaches, and it does so during a short period of time.

It has the ability to convey your message with sight, sound and motion, and can give a product or service instant validity and prominence.

You can easily reach targeted audiences. Children can be reached during cartoon programming, housewives during the afternoon soap operas, and insomniacs after midnight.

Shared viewing gives family members of all ages an opportunity to spend time together.

NO There is no direct link between mass media and antisocial

behaviour Television is not the only tool for advertisement It is obvious that the influence of family, friends, religion and

school is decisive in forming the moral values of young people Many scientific and cultural programs are shown on

television, which give new educational opportunities for our society

People are conscious creatures and they can choose the way to spend their free time that they prefer

People should be informed about the World they live in and its problems, and through visceral images on tv that represent that reality honestly

There is no direct link between mass media and antisocial behaviour

Such behavior is usually determined by social environment, family, peer pressure, or other factors. Many antisocial people even do not watch TV, while others may claim it is responsible for their actions simply to avoid taking responsibility for themselves. Psychologists claim that television does not have a simple, direct stimulus-response effect on its audiences. This can be illustrated by the example of Japan, where TV movies are famous for extreme violence, but the crime rate is low – much lower than in many societies where TV viewing is relatively rare.

Television is not the only tool for advertisement

The influence of commercials reaches our society through newspapers, radio and other sources of information. On the other hand, advertisement is just a source of information for consumers, which enables them to choose between different products. Advertising can also be regulated in different ways that do not relate to a debate about television. Indeed television broadcasting can be run without advertising at all; the U.K.’s BBC runs no commercials but is paid for through a licensing fee, while commercial broadcasters are increasingly promoting pay-per-view options.

It is obvious that the influence of family, friends, religion and school is decisive in forming the moral values of young people

If parents and teachers are not willing or capable of performing their proper role, then teenagers can be negatively influenced not only by TV, but also by friends, their social environment and other factors.

Many scientific and cultural programs are shown on television, which give new educational opportunities for our society

In addition TV is a very important factor in our information society. It enables the spread of information and opinion on important political and social issues, thus encouraging individuals to participate more actively in the life of society. Call-in shows and other programs help to establish closer links between politicians and electors. TV represents different interests and gives more opportunities for self-expression, thus forming a more open society. Interactive digital channels promise even more such opportunities in the future, perhaps creating electronic town-halls to assist democratic decision-making, and allowing niche channels to address particular cultural traditions or interests.

People are conscious creatures and they can choose the way to spend their free time that they prefer

Parents should be blamed for the habits of their children, but not television. The life style of the individual determines the role of television in his or her free time, but not vice versa. In any case, young people in many countries are now spending less time watching television than they did ten years ago, preferring to surf the internet instead.

People should be informed about the World they live in and its problems, and through visceral images on tv that represent that reality honestly

This kind of information is the first step towards solving them. Besides TV shows, comedies, musical channels perfectly serve as a source of entertainment and positive emotions, helping people to take their mind off their troubles.