Watching television

Watching TV is good."Please explain how the masses are ignorant and illiterate."In countries like Africa,India etc. all the people are not educated. Con can in no way deny this fact. In such countries television isa powerful media of mass communication.So "It is a powerful media of mass communication. It can provide education and enlighten our illiterate and ignorant masses"There are programs like the discovery channel, and just certain tv shows like Sesame Street, that are filled with facts."I not only find this insulting to me, but to everyone.Please explain how the masses are ignorant and illiterate." I can't find any reason why Con finds this insulting.Shockingly, more than 796 million people in the world cannot read and writeiii. About 67 million children do not have access to primary school education and another 72 million miss out on secondary school education.The cost of illiteracy to the global economy is estimated at USD $1.19 trillion.The effects of illiteracy are very similar in developing and developed countries. This includes illiterate people trapped in a cycle of poverty with limited opportunities for employment or income generation and higher chances of poor health, turning to crime and dependence on social welfare or charity (if available). This is from the site Con has mentioned According to the CIA World Factbook, almost 75% of the world's 775 million illiterate adults are concentrated in ten countries (in descending order: India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Brazil, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo). Women represent two-thirds of all illiterate adults globally. Extremely low literacy rates are focused in three regions: South Asia, West Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa."To this I argue, there are many things on TV that are not child appropriate.""TV is more tailored to adults than to children."This is the 21st century.Watching TV is both educative and is a source of entertainment. TV is something that cannot be avoided for children.There is no point in restricting children.Despite the negativity often associated with children watching television, eight out of 10 parents believe TV has a positive effect on their child's development, including helping them to expand their imagination and broaden their vocabularyThree quarters of parents do not feel guilty about their child watching television and when appropriately managed and supervised, believe it can have a positive influence in a child's life.The report, Children and Television Today, surveyed 1,880 parents of children aged between two and 11. To be honest, television is a part of our lives.The report also found that 66 per cent of parents identifying a positive effect on their child's numeracy and musical skills from television. Parents said having a digital television recorder has revolutionised their child's viewing in a positive way, and parents recognize that having one, makes it easier to control and plan what their child watches around busy family routines. " There is no proof that TV does this for children. Because I believe that TV is detrimental to a child's learning and health."TV shows can educate, inform and inspire. It can be more effective than books or audiotapes in teaching your kid about processes like how a plant grows or how to bake a cake.Studies show that kids who watch educational and non-violent children"s shows do better on reading and math tests.Kids who watch informative and educational shows as preschoolers tend to watch more informative and educational shows when they get older. They use TV effectively as a complement to school learning. So if children are trained from childhood to be selective that will produce good results. Preschoolers who viewed educational programs tend to have higher grades, are less aggressive and value their studies more when they reach high school, according to a long-term study.Finally, scientists found that children experience a soothing, painkilling effect by watching cartoons. So TV can be a source of relief to kids who are stressed or are in pain."How does a complex storyline make us smarter? I believe it can just be confusing and deter people from watching."Complex story lines are not boring at all.They can be quite interesting and make you think more and thus develop the brain. "Isn't better to travel and see things in person?"In today's busy world it is a fact that people do not get an opportunity to travel more.So television can shrink the world and bring people, animals and places from all over the world into our lives.Watching TV can be very exciting ...let it be cartoons,movies or news."Dramas are television shows that need to hook viewers. Which means they do contain historical inaccuracies."There has been many many historical films.Here is a list:http://en.wikipedia.org..."There are also many drama's and news shows. "Yes. And there is no denying that they are quite educative and entertaining."Taking your mind off of problems isn't the best answer"Well,after a busy day at work(there are lot of problems which cause mental stress) watching TV can certainly help you relax."If you and your family are watching TV, there is nothing to bond over" Hearing your family"s opinions about what they"re watching, marvelling at how different their response is to yours, laughing together, crying together " it"s not to be underestimated.there are still families who sit together and watch tv together. Even if the family chooses to stay quiet, they are bonding by watching something of similar interest. Also, there are shows where people will turn around and discuss things they saw to their friends "Did you watch Hero's last night? What do you think will happen next?" "It's been estimated that once you're over 25, every hour of television you watch reduces your life expectancy by close to 22 minutes."There is no proof that TV does this.Please provide sources for the "facts" above, otherwise they do not stand."TV has its immediate benefits to engage a viewer, however long term benefits begin to decrease."This is not true.It is a common experience that people in all age groups find TV engaging,enlightening,educative & entertaining.The positive effects: Relaxation:After a hard day at work, it can be a good distraction from the days events to watch a tv programme. A calming nature programme can be nice, or if soaps are more your thing, then a half an hour spent watching TV can help you unwind.Brain Power and imagination:Watching quiz shows, especially more intellectual ones such as Countdown, can help you with keeping your mind and brain active if you try and play along at home. Watching a quiz show where you can join in with the questions, or the puzzles can have a positive effect.When you get done watching a scifi/fantasy show, it can help a person have an active and creative mind and put themselves in their shoes. Some of these shows can even influence people into creating artwork, music, and literature.Source of Information:Televison can be a source of useful information, just like the internet. Consumer programmes, or documentaries can open your mind to issues that may be affecting you, and can let you know where to get help. Watching the news can be a vital way of keeping up to date with world issues, and it can be easier after a long day at work to switch on the TV and watch the news, rather than sit and digest a newspaper.Inspiration:There are often programmes on TV that can inspire the people watching them to take action, or get involved in something they have seen. This can range from watching a documentary on fostering and adoption which may inspire people to look into doing this themselves.So TV has its good side. It can be entertaining and educational, and can open up new worlds for us, giving us a chance to travel the globe, learn about different cultures, and gain exposure to ideas they may never encounter in their own community.