television has destroyed family and social life as well as the intellect and imagination. argue against?

Answer 1

can't argue against, I agree. TV is the "blue babysitter" and look at the mess.

Answer 2

Television is not responsible. People are. Television, like most things in life is fine in moderation.

Think of TV like wine. A glass or 2 a day is quite healthy for most folk and provides a simple enjoyment. Whereas, A bottle or 2 a day will lead to addiction and serious health problems.

The TV doesn't make you sit there and be a couch potato. You choose to do so.

Turn the damn thing off. There's more to do than just watch TV. Take a walk, Look at the stars, Read a book, visit a friend.

Choice of programming has an effect too. Sure, if you just watch mainstream commercial programming like "LOST" to have something to talk about around the water cooler, it's more dangerous. I mean gimmie a break here. This is the 21st century and these people have been on this island marooned for how many years now? Just goes to show you how stupid your average Joe or Jane is.

Watching much of the programming on PBS, History, Discovery and the like can actually stimulate family and social life as well as the intellect and imagination.

It's all about CHOICES. Don't blame "the box".

Answer 3

Again, exclusivity. They're obviously not interested in loving, committed couples enjoying the same governmental benefits of marriage as they do. The false premise that same-sex marriage would "redefine" or "destroy" marriage is a last-ditch effort to enforce their beliefs and bigotry on the rest of the population. Two humans beings that love each other and commit to spending their lives together = marriage. Who gives a crap if it's a man and woman or any combination of the two? If procreation were the only purpose for marriage, then why aren't straight couples required to undergo fertility testing prior to being issued a marriage license? Since that's not the case, the argument that gay couples cannot be married because they cannot have children is completely ludicrous and shows the ignorant hatred of the religious bigots. The claim is made strictly from an apathetic "for the Bible told me so" view.

Answer 4

Can't say I disagree on this one. Television has become an easy babysitter for a lot of parents these days. More often now, parents just stick their kids in front of them while they go about doing other things around the house like house cleaning, work that they brought home and so on.
I really think parents, and by no means all parents, that it is much easier to stick in a movie for their children than to shut it off and do some other kind of activity like getting outside to "play" or other kind of activity that uses imagination. There really is not much "family time" anymore and really, just turning off the tv and sitting down to talk about your day whether it was at school or work is not that hard. Not only will parents enjoy it but so will kids and to all parents, you will learn what is on your childrens mind and how their day at school went and if there is anything bothering them.

Answer 5

why bother? you can't put the genie back in the bottle. but okay, here's my argument.

television is a tool like any other and the method in which it is used determines whether it has good effects or otherwise. television programming is designed to attract the largest possible audiences, and multiple channels mean that most audiences are targetted. perhaps it would be better if a well-intentioned bureacracy chose programming based on its expected effects, but that would be at the cost of our freedom which we hold so dearly. the best learning is done by an interested student, anyway.

this will take too long to answer so i'm stopping but remember that often what destroys creativity is simply the act of creating. eventually one sees the work they have produced and sees nothing more to add to it, gets nothing from observing it, and thus resigns oneself to not making any more of it. television brings us pictures of the cumulative work of millions of other people and most of us realize that we can add nothing to the world. perhaps it is time to sit back and watch TV?

Answer 6

Well, it highly depends on what kind of programming you're watching. Yes, there IS a lot of mindless "entertain me please" stuff on, but there are a LOT of educational, informative features as well. For example, I've learned a lot of stuff watching the history channel and other documentary channels that I never learned from a history book. And that's just the tip of the ice burg. There are political debates on nightly. A lot of quite interesting "how to" programs -- Have you ever seen Mega Movers and watched them move a giant building? And the travel programs can be quite good too--Last night there was a special on European castles that taught me a lot.

No, television isn't all bad. But, as with anything, it IS what you make of it.

Answer 7

If all you do is watch mainstream, prime-time programming, I can see your point. However, like everything in life, their are choices. Public television (PBS) has many shows about science and the arts that are presented in a very educational and entertaining way. There are other channels on cable television as well, you just need to look for them. Explore the possibilities, don't let the mainstream media decide for you.

Answer 8

Here's your argument:
TV, like a gun, is not your culprit, the user is.
TV provides educational programs which are enhancing to the mind and psyche; hardly responsible for destroying intellect & imagination, much less the family and social life.

Answer 9

I have to agree. TV knows that they can make more money by showing violence and depravity. A friend of mine grew up in Canada in the mid fifty's. He told me all his buddies had guns and hunted, but the first time they watched TV, and saw a cowboy shootout, they all hid in absolute terror. His mom told him it was not real and not to worry. But he told me that he and his friends had simply never even thought using a gun on another human being. Now our little children see countless thousands slaughtered by the time they are teenagers. The same holds true for theft, sexual immorality, rudeness, adultery, and on and on. TV has also robbed families of time they could have been communicating with each other. It's best to stick with educational and science programs if watching TV.

Answer 10

I think you are reffering to people perptually wathching TV. What matters also is what you watch. you can look at tv [assuming you are not all time watching TV] as amedium of inforamtion and knowledge dissimination. through tv as in the net, you can watch want you want and skip what is unwanted. Depends on what you are really after. news, philosophy, music, dance, tourism, culture are all on the TV. You can so use the knowledge from the tv to your advantage. even stage plays, movies etc are stories that you entertain youself with and learn a moral or two . TOO mch of anything is bad and TV also has its downside. Infact some friends of mine do not allow their children to wtch TV, these kids were 3,7 and 9.

Answer 11

Television is like many things today, you have to sift thru a lot of worthless to find the occasional gem. Someone said "Television is called a medium because it is neither rare or well done."