Can you argue with this argument? (Please read the argument)?

Question

Hi. I've been spreading my arguement for ages and so far noone has given me an answer other than You r extremely (insert insult here). Can you argue with it?

This will change your life if you can read it. You’ll spend 28 hours this week watching TV- use a few minutes to read this.

TV addiction

In today’s world, television is the main source of entertainment. What effect is this having on society, especially for children and young people? And what will it mean when they become adults?
Here are some figures:

98% of households own a TV.

Can you think of any one luxury thing that 98% of people all own?



The average time spent watching TV a day is 4 hours.
Now think about that. Other than sleeping, is there any one activity you do for four hours a day? Couldn’t you be using the time to improve yourself? Play a sport, read a book, go out and talk to someone, even if it is in your own family. Countiues...

Four hours a day is the same as 28 hours a week. Over a day to do what you want to do and to become who you want to become. Over a day to do what you want to do and to become who you want to become. Would you take that if it was offered to you?The best selling programmes always about friends or families. Big, fun groups of people who hang around together and tell jokes? Is your life like that? Nah. You probably stayed in last night, watched some TV and went to bed.
Do you ever wonder if TV is just selling back to us the kind of friends it took away from us in the first place? What if you turned on the Simpsons, only to see Homer and the gang locked in their seperate apartments, watching television. Would that be a good show? Think about it: that's how you are living now.

Television switches scences every 3-8 seconds. Next time you watch, count every time it cuts from one person to anthor without turning around or moving like you would in real life. A lot, isn’t it?

The reason is simple why. They do this to add action and excitement and to stop you from thinking about what you are watching. The primary point of TV is advertising. Look at the BBC, ITV, Channel 4. Would they make all this entertainment just for your enjoyment? No. TV makes millions of pounds a year through its most popular shows. TV shows you a simple message- Keep Watching. Thinking can only get in the way. You sleep for eight hours. You get up and work or go to school for eight hours. Come home, eat some dinner and turn on the television. A few hours later you're getting sleepy. Time for bed.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING??
All those things you wanted to have in your life: passion, romance, love, childhood, parenthood, adventure.. when are you going to do all that?
That’s 11 years of your life. Do you have enough time left to spend one day of your free time a week to watch fake friends, viewing their fake lives instead of your own?

People on TV are not your friends. They're not in the room with you. You are alone in the dark, staring at a plastic box. Think about it. This is like a science fiction horror story; but it's really happening. People have stopped living as humans and connected themselves to machines instead.
People who don't watch television talk more, laugh more, have better imaginations, longer attention spans and more interesting things to say.
We notice more, think smarter and don't get depressed as easily. Start a conversation with one and you won't get the same boring responses you get from everybody else. We have one whole day a week to relax that the average, stressed out viewer doesn't.
We go out more, dance more, drink more, party more, play musical instruments, play football, learn martial arts, swim, bicycle, walk and climb. How do we know you don't do all these things? Because you don't have the time. You just watch TV.

Nobody likes being bored. But it only lasts a few minutes. And if you don't wimp out, boredom changes. "I'm bored.." becomes "I'm bored!". Then it becomes "I'm hungry!" or "I want to go out and talk to someone". Your appetite for life returns.
The fact is, you need to get bored before you can get interested again. It's where your personality comes from. People who watch television never get that far. They can't hack it. A quiet room terrifies them. Pretty soon, the outside scares them too.
THEY BECOME BORING!!
Worse, they become depressed, because TV takes away the mental and emotional tools you need to fight depression. Your personality is on the other side of boredom. Flick on the box every time you're bored and your personality will go away!


-------------------------------------------------------
That's my arguement. Can you beat it? I will listen to your opinions, I just wish that someone out there has the intelligence to argue with this.

Answer 1

It was once said that "Religion is the opiate of the masses" because it lulls them in. Today "Television is the opiate of the masses" because it too lulls everyone in. People do stupid things just to try to get on, then there lazy counterpart at home watches. What better way to keep the world population in the dark about war, politics, the true people who run this world. You can't actually believe George Bush runs this country or any other foriegn leader in any other country except a dictatorship. TV is there to keep you stoned, your mind occupied like a shell game. Where's the pea? In his hand. Even the poorest of countries have tv's for their people to see. Mass communication if you see it enough times you'ld beleive. If it wasn't for tv blacks would have never received civil rights even though they don't do the rest of us good either at least now they can think they have rights. Some people believe everything they see is real that's why so much violence. Violence went on an upswing when more & more of it began getting shown on tv. Christ I could rant on this for ever . Later maybe somethings on the tube.

Answer 2

Wow. Did your parents ignore you your entire childhood because they were glued to the television or something?

I agree that a tv addiction is a bad thing. But an addiction is something that gets in the way of living your life. Don't you think before tv people did other things for entertainment? Just because you choose to entertain yourself in other ways does not mean that other people are not living up to their true potential and you are.

That's part of what's wonderful about being human, we're not solely surviving, we have free time. I watch a decent amount of tv, but I do other things too. Most people work hard everyday and don't want to leave again after they get home. I know if I didn't have a tv I wouldn't be running out every night and meeting with friends.

Maybe the reason you don't get very positive responses is because you pose your question in an attacking manner that causes people to get defensive. For someone who proposes to know so much more about life than everyone else, you certainly don't have great social skills. Hey, I might think going to play a sport to prove your macho-ness to everyone is stupid, but if I come at you with it as though your a moron with it, you're probably not going to be that receptive.

Bottom line is: I take care of everything I need to, so if I choose to watch some tv instead of doing what you would choose to do with that same time, I'm not going to feel guilty about it.

Answer 3

I'm not here to argue, because it's probably pointless anyway.
But I spend a lot of time on Y/A learning about other people, connecting and laughing.
I love silence, I love reading....and I love my TV programs.

I spend every minute of every day with my two kids, 3 and 1.
We talk, play, go for walks...and watch TV.

Why should we feel bad about it?
If other people want to sit and become couch potatoes, why do you care? They are not intending to bother you. There have been some who have said that zoning in front of the TV is a form of meditation. And it wasn't a major TV network that said it either. It was in a book, of all things. But then, you can't believe everything you read.

There is a lot of stress in a lot of people's lives. Just let them have the outlet, and stop lecturing about the excesses. It's beyond your control, and no matter how much you argue it will not change.
Would you consider clothing a luxury? Because I'm pretty sure at least 98% of people(all over the world) have clothes of some sort. Yes, some way more than others, but that's another topic.
Good luck to you.

Answer 4

I love to debate and discuss all topics. I am intelligent, well educated, read lots of books, study daily, spend time with family, friends, go to church, spoil my animals, talk on the phone, listen to the radio, work in my yard, and guess what...I watch t.v. I will not apologize for the time I sit on my rump and let a "boob tube" entertain me. When my boys were living at home I controlled what they watched on t.v., believe me I never let them watch sit-coms that were disrespectful to parents { Simpsons } or hateful or violent. Now they watch whatever they want. The t.v. is not a mind sucking machine, and it has it's place in every home, I realize I didn't really answer your question, not in the mood to argue today. One luxury thing in over 98% of all homes could very well be a refrigerator or stove. Don't think so, try living without them. I have, they are a luxury! BTW...there's a good show on tonight.

Answer 5

It takes TWO FOOLS TO ARGUE!!!!!!!! This is an OPINION not an argument and I do agree with you to a certain extent. But some people don't have anything but TV. Since you are so keen on keeping people active, why don't YOU go to a local nursing home and try to entertain the elderly people whose children have abandoned them and have sold their belongings (and never come visit). Or go the a hospital where children have cancer and are tied to IV's and bound to beds because they are soooo sick. Granted, a good nursing home or hospital will provide other activities to keep the mind sharp, but mostly for them, TV is all they have.............Now parents who rely on TV as a babysitter should be strapped to a gourney in a dark basement and forced to listen to Sanjaya sing every remake of every song to ever top the billboard chart! LOL And I think you could have made your point clear in one or two paragraphs. Ironically, sitting on your *** in front of a computer is just as bad as sitting on your *** watching TV, right?

Answer 6

If you want to leave TV out of your life then fine. No problem. However, you cannot expect the world to abandon TV because you have a problem with it.

Some people spend more than 4 hours a day reading books. Do you tell them that they are wasting their lives? Do you tell them that they could be doing other activities in that time?

Yours is not really an argument. It is an observation. You observe that people couple spend time doing other things than spending time watching TV. That is true. 100%. However, it is not an argument. By claiming it is an argument and then saying that no one can defeat you in the argument is very deceptive.

Answer 7

So, you don't watch TV? Congratu-freakin-lations.

You know what?

It's possible to do all the things you mention in your little tirade AND watch TV.

I've read six books since the start of this year, and {shock!} I watch TV, too. Somehow, I also manage to find time to go out and have a social life, work a full time job, spend time with my family, and go fishing in between those "mind numbing" hours of TV watching.

Don't get all high and mighty about how people spend their free time, because here you are, judging people you don't know over the internet....awesome!

Answer 8

Hmmm...Interesting... I don't watch TV a whole lot any more because I have school and work, but i work at a movie store where i can get free rentals, so i am always watching a movie before i go to bed at night. However, i am busy the rest of my days because i live on a farm. Enough said. =)

Answer 9

SORRY!! The spouse is proper. The best tv with a purpose to desire a converter field are one's that ARE NOT hooked up to Cable or Satellite. Even you probably have a antenna at the best of your roof the TV is not going to paintings.

Answer 10

in reality i would spend more time reading your article. than watching tv.

I watch at least 2 hours of tv. a day. I dont think that is really to bad.

but if parents don't wont their kid watching bad programs they should block that staion. like USA and HBO or Starz. they have the most violent movies. broadcasting