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Natale 1
Brooke Natale
Professor Thoreson
English 101
10 October 2006
Unplugged
In Marie Winn’s essay, “Television: The Plug-In Drug,” she states that television once was viewed as something that was positive and brought families together; it now has more negative effects. Winn puts it best when she talks about “early illustration…a family cozily sitting together before the television set, Sis on Mom’s lap, Buddy perched on the arm of Dad’s chair, Dad with his arm around Mom’s shoulder…twenty years or so later Mom would be watching a drama in the kitchen, the kids would be looking at cartoons in their room, while Dad would be taking in the ball game in the living room” (par. 5). There is no such thing as family television anymore. It seems to be segregating families more today than bringing them together. I feel that television is no longer used as just entertainment. It is used as a baby-sitter, a bribe, and a punishment. Children and parents are becoming too dependent on television.
My friend Kristi has three boys under the age of seven. They are a handful and she definitely uses her television as a baby-sitter. If she needs to do laundry or clean the house, she knows she can put on a certain movie and she can get her two-year-old to sit still for a whole two hours. There will be times I am on the phone with her and I will mention how quiet her house sounds and she will say she just put on a movie for the boys. It will be two o’clock in the afternoon on a Saturday and her boys will be parked in front
Natale 2
of the television. I understand that moms need down time now and again, but she could have just as easily taken them in the backyard to play. She could have let them run around and exert some of that energy they have been driving her crazy with.
It was always a treat when we had friends stay the night. We got to stay up late and watch television and movies. It was...