Television – An idiot box

It will not be wrong to say that the television was one of the biggest inventions of  the twentieth century and has actually brought a big revolution in mass communication, but if you look at the other side of the coin then it is very daunting. Television or its modern version of plasma or LCD screens can make you sit in front of it consecutively for hours that we are better off calling it an idiot’s box rather than an idiot box. Sometimes you are so engrossed in your favorite serial that you tend to forget what is happening around you or if someone is calling you or not, whether the phone is ringing, which means you are completely cut off from your surroundings. A lot of women are generally seen gossiping about the serial and so its impact is beyond watching it. Many people’s lives revolve around TV programs completely, which goes onto influence decisions like when to cook dinner, when to serve, taking a break during ad breaks and so on. If your life is like this then it is a time to change, as it may affect the development of brain.This is true to a great extent especially in the case of children, even if they are not directly viewing TV, but acting as a passive viewers.

Watching television for a limited time with family is not bad, but too much of it can affect our critical thinking to a detrimental level and change our personality. Excess TV viewing also has a profound impact on our relationships. Noise pollution created by television leads to all this. Spending time with TV also means that you have less time for interacting with your friends and family members. How would you feel if your partner finds watching TV a better option than talking to you ? You will certainly feel bad and as it turns out,watching too much TV has now become one of reasons of divorce cases.

Further with 3D television, the depth perception in children is greatly affected. It has been recommended that children under three should not watch television at all. If elder children are exposed to TV for more than two hours then their health will deteriorate. Your kid may also start showing aggressive behavior and his or her performance at school will deteriorate. In a study conducted by Herbert Krugman in 1969, it has been found out that left hemisphere of our brain is responsible for processing information logically and analytically, but by watching television it goes out of tune.

In order to have a peace of mind and to avoid all this, it is very important to relax your brain, which can only be done in the absence of any kind of noise. Sit with your kid and family and make sure to turn off the idiot box. Have a casual conversation on different topics or what has happened in the entire day. Do not waste time by sitting in front of  the TV as time once lost cannot be got back and you will then either blame yourself or your idiot box.