Television: A Distortion of Reality Television has become a false reality for millions of Americans and the majority of the global society. “The use of television to promote primarily materialistic values has become a severe, although largely unacknowledged, mental health and public health problem for the United States and the world” (Elgin 105). Duane Elgin speaks about the impact of television on the youth of our nation and how it is “being used to promote mindless consumerism around the planet” (Elgin 104). The negative effects of television are clear, and the reality is that this communication device is changing the important values of the global youth. The lucid shift in values has been from developing a meaningful philosophy in life to being well-off financially.
In the United States, television is sometimes censored for offensive language and behavior. Many audiences that watch TV or films usually get bothered based on the offensive languages. What can be done by parents? How can it help with censored channels? Censorship in television really relies on the person whom is watching either TV or a movie.
Annaly Aviles Jeremy Voigt AP English, July 26, 2012 What life is now? In the novel “Amusing ourselves to Death” by Neil Postman, he indicates that the television has greatly impacted our culture. The main big argument that Postman has, is how television has overcome the printed word. This has become a big problem because it has greatly affected economics, politics, religion, and education. Children are so used television entertaining them that they expect the teachers to entertain them the same way, so they are unable to learn as they would without television.
Finally, illegal substances are supported, such as marijuana and cocaine, through comedic gestures. The criteria used for social humour in these sitcoms are politically incorrect and are unacceptable forms of humour. Most of the audience that watches “rude TV”, such as Family Guy and American Dad, are at too young of an age to be responsible and mature enough to watch the shows. A lot of them will get influenced negatively; they will be convinced to learn the ill manners and shamelessness supported in the shows, because they are thought to be humorous, the coarse language is taken lightly as well teaching the audience to use it as well to be humorous. The Parents Television Council released a list of the 20 most popular shows among kids from ages 2-17.
But apparently the networks disagree because they keep making more and more reality shows. I personally think Jersey Shore is the worst. To be honest, the reality tv craze makes me sick. It makes me sick to think that instead of coming home and watching an intelligent, well done show, with heart like “House” people are choosing to watch these shows that I swear are deteriorating their brain cells. It is just lunacy, there is no other way to describe it.
Anyone who was positive in the movie they tried to hurt or they killed them off. Young minorities are faced with theses images everyday from music videos on down to television shows and I feel that it was an awful depiction of black culture. I do feel that the movie is detrimental and can taint a young urban minorities mind; it could lead young men and women to idolize criminal lifestyle. When Goldie refers to himself as a “hero” I could almost imagine what is going on in a young teenager’s mind. Their probably thinking the movie was great or they want to sell drugs, be a player or pimp just like him without seeing the truth.
Violence In CSI: Is It Really Bad? The popular television show, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation has often been criticized for portraying too much violence; however the violence is what draws in the crowds of people watching. Many authors of journals have also criticized the series, along with the two spin-offs, CSI: New York and CSI: Miami, for not depicting the job of the investigators correctly. For example, Amy Goehner writes in her article, “Where CSI: Meets Real Law and Order” that to use the DNA analysis on every case, as they do in CSI would cost over $10,000 each time, and most crime labs not only have that much money to spend, but they don’t have the time to find all the probable DNA evidence on every case. Although CSI has its share of controversy, it is liked due to the nature of the program, with its depiction of gore and violence.
Neil Postman believes our society is closer to Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World than George Orwell’s 1984 because of our society’s addiction to television. Huxley feared that no one would want to read books and that people would become passive and egotistical. He dreaded the day that the truth would carry little power and pleasure and love would control the public. Huxley’s worries become terrifying realities when one observes how much television has overtaken the American people’s lives. Ridiculous television statistics, youth corruption, and the need for “TV Turnoff Week” prove that television is an evil.
By making these foods their market is getting smaller because it is destroying the consumers, literally. Nowadays, someone has some sort of illness like cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Consumers are surrounded by advertisements, especially young children. Young children watch television a lot. Young children are the ones who are most on social media and they see so many advertisements it is unbelievable.
The media has a huge control on what is being watched on television. When it comes to Jackass the movie people love watching films that shows people hurting themselves and doing stupid stunts. People believe that watching others get hurt is more entertaining than watching intellectual shows because it puts many of them to sleep. Throughout the film there were many interviews from different people on describing what stupidity means to them. Not many of them really understand what it means.