Tv Addiction Essay

473 Words2 Pages
1/26/2012 Marie Wynn brings up some very interesting points on her short story TV Addiction. Marie compares television to drugs and alcohol in its way it takes hold of a person’s life, destroying their will to resist the powerful influence that television can hold on people susceptible to addiction. Television is the equivalent of an electronic drug. You may not physically ingest it, inhale it, or even shoot it up, but those radio waves can mess with your brain just as much. We have all heard the saying “watching too much television is going to rot your brain”, well it may actually be true. Television has attracted viewers of all ages since broadcasting began in the 1940s. The possible dangers associated with watching too much television has been a concern among the scientific community since the beginning of television. In addition, pediatricians have voiced their concern, stating that television is detrimental to cognitive development and academic achievement (Gentile et al, 2004). Furthermore, TV can reduce your level of intelligence, harm your ability to concentrate and increase the risk of neurodegenerative brain disorders (Miller-McCune.com). I know firsthand how strong the urge to keep watching TV can be. In my high school years I was addicted (for lack of a better word) to television. Shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Family Matters, and Boy Meets World took up most of my time. In fact, sometimes there didn’t have to be a good show on TV, the fact that I could just watch sports all day long on ESPN meant that I would not do homework that day. In reality, if my parents didn’t pull the plug every once in a while I may have never have finished any of my homework assignments. “I wasn’t worried about freedom, I was worried about people being turned into morons by television”. –Ray Bradbury 2001. Marie Wynn is right, TV is
Open Document