Seventy-nine percent of those polled want more documentaries and more programs about history and the arts. The poll also noted that 59 percent of regular viewers believe television has changed for the worse in the past decade. Not only has television affected people psychologically, but it also has affected them physically. According to a study by Memphis State University, body metabolism averages of 14.5 percent lower while watching television than while lying in bed. Men who watch television three or more hours a day are twice as likely to be obese than men who watch less than an hour, according to a study at Brigham Young University.
Television watching affects children's ability to learn.
Socially, television watching decreases the amount of time that individuals have to interact with each other. For religious youth in particular, television undermines the message they're trying to take in from church, from school, from families, and runs in direct contradiction. Individuals interact little while watching television. Professor Schultze thinks Americans believe in the technological myth that technology can enhance and increase family communication. The line between virtual reality and reality can become blurred.