The Americans and their addiction to the Television - Essay Example

Module Are Americans addicted to the Television? INTRODUCTION Television is considered as one of the best and worst inventions in the contemporary world. This is owing to the fact that it keeps the audience entertained, informed as well as is seen as a waste of time, a distraction and a contributing factor to some of the social evils facing society in the current times. Nearly all household own television and can be found in almost all the rooms of the house including the bathroom. Americans watch their favorite reality shows, movies, games and TV series on television and this explains the increased addiction. Unfortunately, most people do not even realize that they are addicted and those that do, cannot stay away. This has various effects on the health of the individual, academic performance and social behavior (Wright 23). This essay looks into television addition in the US and proves that the citizens are addicted to television. What is Television Addiction? Describing addiction can be generally difficult because when individuals talk about an addition, they think of addictions to alcohol, drugs and other substances. Additionally, it can be observed that all fixations and cravings can be termed as addictions. However, addition simply refers to repetitive compulsion by a person to take part in a given activity in spite of the negative consequences on their social, mental and health well-being (Hoffman, Susan and Micah 127). There various additions that have been described in the modern world including addiction to work, gambling and alcohol. It can be observed that including television addition to this list works perfectly. It can be noted that watching television for reasonable periods and for the right reasons could be beneficial. The main issue comes in when people overdo it and becomes a real problem when individuals go through an overpowering compulsion to keep watching even if they do not wish to continue doing so (Wright 34). People should regulate what they watch on the television and for how long. It can be observed that the issue of television addiction is relatively new compared to other forms of addiction and quick action should be taken to save the American citizens from this looming problem. What exactly is considered a Television Addiction? This refers to some of the symptoms to look out for to easily identify television addiction and to help one come with measures to deal with it before it gets out of hand. Television addicts spend long hours watching and disregard what is happening around them including their duties, responsibilities and family. These individuals are likely have difficulties in their social life that are caused by viewing too much television (Wright 35). Finally, individuals that are addicted to watching television exhibit serious withdrawal symptoms if they fail to watch television. Effects of Television Addiction. All forms of addiction are harmful the individuals and the people around them. To start with, it has negative impacts on students. This is because they spend too much time watching TV and this distracts them from concentrating in their studies. Secondly, it has negative impacts on family interactions and other social relationships (Wright 47). This is because individuals do not have time for their friends and family. Studies have shown that a person can spend up to eight hours daily watching television and this leaves them with minimal time for friends and family. It is common to find parents that do not have a normal conversation with their children that are too busy watching television (Sigman 17). Addition has a negative impact on social development. Individuals need to get out of the comfort of their homes once in a while and talk to others and exchange ideas. However, those that are addicted to watching television rarely have the time to do so. Individuals that are addicted to watching television fail to attain the set goals and objectives. This is because they focus on watching television instead on prioritizing on what really matters. People are easily addicted to watching television as a way of escapism. They do so to escape the challenges that they face in their daily lives and this results into a mediocre lifestyle (Hoffman, Susan and Micah 88). Television addiction leads into lack of exercise and other forms of physical activity. This is because all that individuals do is sit on the couch and watch television the entire day. Health Issues Related to Television Addiction. There are various health issues that are associated to watching television. To start with, most Americans spend too much time in front of the screen and do not have time for physical exercise and this adversely impacts on their health. Secondly, individuals often eat unhealthy snacks while watching television (Sayre and Cynthia 56). This coupled with the reduced physical activity is one of the leading factors contributing to increased prevalence to obesity in the modern world. Thirdly, watching television can impair vision mainly because people watch it for an excessive period of time. Finally, watching television results to disrupted sleep patterns and this may have negative health impacts on the individual. Why Americans are Addicted to the Television? Increased television addiction in the US can be attributed to a number of factors. Watching television is highly entertaining and most people watch it to get entertained and as a hobby (Sayre and Cynthia 45). Secondly, Americans watch television to escape from the challenges facing them in the real world including economic strain and social problems. Finally, the television offers a wide range of highly entertaining and influential programs. This keeps the Americans glued to the television screens and can barely find the time to take part in other meaning activities such as socializing, work, study or physical exercise. Why it is bad? TV addiction is bad in a couple of ways. First, it distracts individuals from doing important activities as well as distracts them from the set goals and objectives. Secondly, it is detrimental to friendships and other social relationships. Thirdly, it has negative health side effects including lack of enough sleep, physical exercise as well as poor vision (Sayre and Cynthia 74). It has negative impacts on children and employed individuals as it distracts them from performing their duties and responsibilities effectively. This goes ahead to prove just how bad television addiction is. Why it’s not a big deal to some Americans? This is issue has been taken lightly by most Americans over the years. This is because they are unaware of the negative impacts of television addition. They simply think it is a hobby just like any other (Hoffman, Susan and Micah 98). Since watching television is seen as a way of relaxing, most Americans assume that it cannot have negative impacts. Are Americans responsible for this? Americans are responsible for this since they fail to realize the intensity of the matter. They also fail to see the extent to which television negatively impacts on their own lives. Most parents do not regulate the amount of time or the content that in the programs that their children watch (Wright 45). It can, therefore, be argued that the US citizens are responsible for the increased television addiction. How the television addiction does affect the society? Television addiction has numerous impacts on society. First, it results to a rise in moral degradation among the young people who are influenced to act out some of the scene they watch on TV (Hoffman, Susan and Micah 67). It results to increased violence based on movies that contain violent themes. It results to poor performance both at school and in the work place. Does the television addiction affect decision making? Watching television alters decision making in various ways. For instance, an individual may choose to watch television instead of study or spend time with friends of family. Secondly, individuals may choose to talk, dress or act in certain way based on the characters they see on TV (Pinsky and Mark 17). Should U.S. government do something about this? There is little that the government can do to control this trend. However, they can control the programming to make sure that the programs that are aired in specific times are age-appropriate. Rehabbing for addicted Those that are addicted can be helped in two ways. They should be encouraged to take part in other fun activities (Sigman 78). Secondly, parents should control the time and content that their children watch on TV. CONCLUSION To sum up, Americans are advised to keep watching television, however; they should regulate the amount of time they dedicate to it. This is because it can have positive impacts on their lives if appropriately regulated. Works Cited Hoffman, John, Susan Froemke, and Micah Cormier. Addiction a 14-Part Series. New York?: Home Box Office :, 2007. Print. Pinsky, Drew, and S. Mark Young. The Mirror Effect How Celebrity Narcissism Is Seducing America. S.l.: HarperCollins, 2009. Print. Sayre, Shay, and Cynthia King. Entertainment & Society: Audiences, Trends, and Impacts. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications, 2003. Print. Sigman, Aric. Remotely controlled: How Television is damaging our Lives - and what we can do about it. London: Vermilion, 2005. Print. Wright, Judith. The soft addiction solution: Break Free of the Seemingly Harmless Habits that keep you from the Life you Want. Rev. and expanded ed. New York: J.P. Tarcher/Penguin, 2006. Print. Read More