This article has been written by Riya Pareek, a 1st-year law student from Lloyd Law College. 

INTRODUCTION-

Can you picture a world without television? With the aid of numerous devices made possible by modern technology, individuals may watch programmes and shows, and it is difficult to envisage a day without watching TV or utilising it as background noise while engaging in other activities. Many people now spend their free time in front of screens viewing numerous shows that are actually unnecessary to watch because they don’t provide any valuable information. 

Also, they may negatively affect the general public’s consciousness. One of the most influential components of modern life is television because it actively shapes people’s perceptions of various situations and phenomena impact of television affects a lot of people. 

Television has long been referred to as the “idiot box” by individuals and professionals who think that kids who spend most of their time viewing the tube do not benefit from it either physically or educationally. I believe that viewing television with children can either be harmful or good. Yet how the parents enforce rules about television viewing time would determine everything. Keep in mind that everything in excess is dangerous. Regrettably, the majority of parents, nannies, and other carers believe that television is a very efficient way to keep their charges under control. Their charges are kept amused by the mindless entertainment, which frees them up to complete other tasks. What they fail to recognise is that the kids they leave in charge of the moving screen are at risk of an impressionable age wherein they consider everything they see on television to be a part of reality because nobody is there to tell them otherwise.

Hence, television has a harmful impact on society since it affects people’s mental health and cognitive abilities, as well as their emotions and moods, attitudes and moral beliefs, and their ability to make wise judgements on their own.

Whom does television affect?

There aren’t many individuals who don’t notice how television affects their lives since, even when people aren’t interested in the programmes and shows, advertising seems to follow us everywhere, influencing our choices every day and shaping our preferences and styles. All age groups are impacted by television. Yet, since youngsters lack the capacity to critically evaluate the information offered in TV programmes and shows, their effects are the most damaging. 

Many parents have a tendency to use television to entertain their kids without considering the potentially detrimental effects it may have on their brain development and emotional well-being. Also, it is today, there are likely many young children who watch television without their parent’s permission. The effect of television on children is thus a hotly debated topic. 

Adults, however, are also greatly affected by television since they frequently watch it while doing things like eating, sleeping, talking on the phone with friends, and doing other activities that are part of daily life. Due to the fact that television is currently the most accessible form of entertainment and information, it is vital to note that it has an impact on the majority of people regardless of their age or social standing.

How does television affect the public?

What makes the harmful effects of television on children and adults different? As a result of their limited ability to discriminate between fiction and reality, youngsters are more susceptible to the information offered in TV programmes nowadays, according to numerous experts and medical professionals. The effect of violence portrayed in TV shows on children’s minds and psychological states is the most troubling subject. Children view the violent behaviour depicted in TV shows as real, and they may think that they may copy it. TV can thus alter the idiosyncrasies of how youngsters perceive moral principles and clear qualities.

Due to children’s propensity to imitate the behavioural patterns they observe, violence in TV shows and cartoons can really cause children to act violently and cause conflicts with their friends and classmates. Furthermore, children can be influenced by more than just the content of information. The habit of allowing kids to spend a lot of time in front of TVs can have an impact on how well they do in school and how engaged they are in class since it encourages kids to be passive, lose interest in schoolwork, and have trouble focusing.

Those who are swayed by advertisements tend to purchase a lot of pointless goods. They may also experience dissatisfaction due to their inability to follow all fashion trends and purchase all the goods advertised in ads. Nonetheless, a lot of individuals watch television to pass the time. In this situation, watching TV and other entertainment content makes people inactive and helps them form sedentary lifestyle patterns. 

Only when the process is active, the programme selection is pertinent, and the family members have the chance to discuss it can the evening TV tradition be praised as a good one. Because of this, it’s equally crucial to focus on the drawbacks of television on people’s health, especially on their eyes, which are affected by the usage of different technological devices.

Suggestions for reducing the time spent in front of screens-

People must spend less time in front of their TVs in order to lessen the detrimental impacts of television on society. Children should limit their TV viewing to no more than two hours per day. It is also beneficial to avoid watching TV on weekdays and to cut back on other screen-related activities that are bad for kids’ health. Children emulate their parents’ behaviours. 

Because of this, adults should also set out a specific time each day to watch TV, focusing primarily on nature, history, and science-related shows. When people avoid watching television when they are eating and conversing, the harmful effects of television can be successfully mitigated. Moreover, placing TVs in bedrooms is also a harmful practice. The habit to watch TV in order to spend spare time can be successfully changed with the habit to walk with friends and children. 

CONCLUSION-

Consequently, without our knowledge, television can affect our perspective on life, our choices, and our decisions. Both conscious and unconscious responses to the information offered in TV news and shows are possible. Because of this, it is incredibly difficult to forecast how watching television may affect our future actions, behaviours, or emotional states. 

Due to the inability to regulate the amount of time spent in front of screens and the programming choices, television has a frequently harmful impact on people’s minds and health. But, it can be lessened by reducing the influence of television in people’s daily lives.

We all come to the conclusion that watching television is very bad for our kids. But why do the majority of parents decide to ignore it? Later, they lament because they are unsure of the reasons behind their kids’ undesirable behaviour. As it has been around for almost a century, television will only continue to have a bigger impact on the lives of the next generations. Parental oversight of mitigating the detrimental impacts of television viewing will always be required. Thus, parents must go above and beyond to be aware of the media their kids consume and to teach them about responsible television viewing.

References- 

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