In 2010, now the number has increased from 2.86 to 2.93 televisions in households. How many televisions do we need!?
In 2009-2010, an individual spends 4 hours and 49 minutes per day on average watching television.
The Kaiser Family study stated that the number of sexual scenes has DOUBLED since 1998!
The average child that watches 2 hours of cartoons a day may see nearly 10,000 violent incidents each year, which the researchers estimate that at least 500 may pose a high risk for learning and imitating aggression and becoming desensitized to violence.
I could go on and on about different statistics and how things have only gotten worse - more corrupt. And I could go on about how people underestimate the negative/harmful effects the media has on them.
What the sad part is, is that we haven't even discussed how many hours are spent on cellphones, internet, and video games.
I know that the typical child, teen, and adult will get home from a long day of work or school and will just want to unwind and relax. The simplest way to relax is to plop right into a couch or chair and flip the "ON" button on the TV. OR now what is becoming more common is people heading right to the nearest laptop or computer and watching movies/shows online, or doing youtube scanning, or better yet spending quite sometime "facebook creeping" on other people's lives. Computers, TV, internet, video games, can be a fun way to get entertainment, but what are the pros and cons? Do the negative things outweigh the benefits? Have you tried to control you and your families tv time, but keep failing? Many people get defensive about their television or computer when they talk about maybe giving it up or decreasing the amount of time spent on it. They think you are trying to take away fun and relaxation they Deserve. BUT, the fact of the matter is, THIS is not the BEST most FUN entertainment. If you think it is, you are being sucked into the lie that many of us American's are believing. It is the easiest way for entertainment,yes, but in the the long run you are doing yourself more harm thinking you're getting a few hours of relaxing time for yourself. Television is a good escape from reality, this is ok sometimes, but too much is not good. We are REAL beings and when you saturate yourself with UNREAL things or fantasies, it becomes unnatural. It becomes addicting, whether it's adventure, porn or violence. And these things are becoming more and more assesable to our society because of the internet on cellphones, and laptops. If you haven't noticed, televisions and Wi-fi are spreading like wild fire into public facilities like restaurants. You just can't get away! What we think is making our life more simpler by upgrading new technology, is only making the American life more Chaotic.Did you know our brains are at their lowest level of activity when we're watching tv?! Even lower than sleeping. This is because, sitting their watching an image requires hardly no thinking. When you're sleeping, you are dreaming/or thinking without even knowing it, and you're not mesmerized by one thing in front of you such as a tv.
Maybe it's time to find a hobby. Something that is productive or more rewarding. After you watch television, thats IT...nothing was accomplished, and it certainly wasn't productive.
Lets put it in perspective and give an example. Say you are deciding between two things to do after you get home from work. And yes we all know that television is so easy to do. I call it the "lazy way to entertainment."
-
1. going out and fixing up your old mustang that you've been wanting to do
or
2. Watching a show on Tv.
(compare the two...)
1. it requires physical activity which is good exercise and benfits the body
2.tv requires no activity at all
1.you must use your skills and brain to perform this task
2. very little brain is involved with tv.
1.you enjoy it, and know you are working towards a goal which makes you feel proud and improves your well being.
2.what you accomplish, is nothing, except dulling your intelligence and stiffening your joints and muscles.
1.You are LIVING and not wasting your time
2.You have one life to live, so you're spending it in your recliner?!
1. You increase your lifespan and improve your health by doing things you love. And as I said, you feel accomplished.
2.There was just a new study that shows that the longer you sit, the faster you will die. yikes!
1. You now have a hot old mustang to show off and drive around!
2.you don't have anything besides the couple extra pounds you gained by just sitting on your butt all day.
(yeah I'm sure the whole scenario of fixing up a mustang was funny, but we do have one in our gargage that needs the-fixing-uping. hmmmmm. Dad?)
So I'll let you decide whether you do something else or watch television/going on the computer. Maybe the family could all do something together and ditch the electronics for a day. .."It seems only natural and normal to have a television these days, but I think it's time we realized that life was not supposed to be this way. It's time to turn "ON" our lives again and turn "OFF" the media!! "
(Since I just mentioned facebook earlier, I would like to say a few words about it, since I know it is becoming an ever growing trend....) FYI- thought the facebook comics were funny ha : )
Facebook has its postives, but with every type of media, or social network, I think it's negatives outweigh the positivies. Yes, it is a good way to connect with the world, with family and friends, but it seems people are getting sucked into it without even realizing. For Goodness sakes, there's personal pictures, job info, the latest relationships and status updates of what people are doing every minute! You practically live with the person, by knowing what they're doing every minute of the day! (For those who don't own a facebook profile, you might not fully understand what I'm describing here, but I know that if you ask anyone about it who owns one; they will agree that it is an easy way to creep on other peoples lives) I can personally say that I found out someone was engaged by reading it on facebook first. The person wasn't even able to tell me in person because I had already read it on facebook!
I think the site is an easy way to gossip, to creep on others buisiness and to "fake" socialize. Gosh people might as well forget about sending Christmas cards, birthday cards etc...because photos and just writing on people's wall is already so easy to simply get the message across. (personally I like the old fashion birthday card sending..etc) I also feel it is an easy way for people to plaster the "good" side of their lives, meaning they can write/post whatever they want, making their lives seem fine and dandy. This is why I also think it is a poor way to check up on someone thinking you REALLY know them just by looking at their profile.
I know you may be thinking that I am making my opinions a little too extreme when it comes to facebook, but I don't agree. I know that others who own a facebook can take it too far and can relate or understand with what I'm trying to explain here. I did have a facebook, and there were a lot of good things about it, but I felt it WAS getting out of hand. I feel that a lot of people are spending too much time on it, searching up people or creeping on others' lives when they should go out and do some real socialization with people in person. And many of the people who have one, don't realize they are getting sucked into it. I had a facebook but deleted it a while ago, and I have to admit I do feel more free. I feel more back to reality and not stuck in an immature "fake" social network. Do you find yourself spending too much time on it(which thats what I found myself doing), or making the excuse that there is nothing else to do? Or the big one is people say, they feel so out of touch with the world if they don't have one. You shouldn't depend on facebook for that! Just remember, have self control and Don't become "Face-hooked"! ; )"Back then people lived farther away from eachother, maybe a mile or two or more, but still people were more friendly and randomly "stopped" by to friends houses to visit and enjoy eachothers company. Now we live in neighborhoods and subdivisions, living only a couple feet from another's home and hardly anyone makes the effort to visit or simply "stop" by. What happened?"
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