It allows no time to contemplate characters' thoughts or dialogue, no time to stop and reflect at one's own pace. TV encourages great passivity, minimizing interaction with those around the very young viewer, compared with a parent or other person reading aloud and explaining a book. Television deprives young children of asking and receiving answers to the questions natural to curiosity, and generally is accompanied by little family conversation. Presentation of television material is just the opposite of that of classroom material. It is based on pictures and an emo tional response to them, while school relies on reading, spoken language, and critical non-emotional response.
TV is unable to portray thinking and character development within the character's head.
Television competes with school and reading by offering easy, inactive entertainment, fostering a distinct attitude against the school setting and the printed word. While TV offers some vocabulary building for younger children, after the age of 10 it has a negative effect on the child's vital knowledge. The enormous amount of television violence overpowers and desensitizes a youngster's sympathy for suffering, while reading enhances this sensitivity. TV discourages more creative play. It is also psychologically addictive and becomes a distinct obstacle to family communication and harmony.