Table of Contents
Introduction
In an insightful analysis of TV addiction, Marie Winn argues that TV addiction is similar to drug addiction. This is because people are so much engulfed in it to an extend that to give the habbit up is difficult. Winn’s views on TV addiction open up a heated discussions on the subject. This paper takes a critical analysis of how TV causes destructive addiction to human life.
Winn argues that TV causes destructive addiction which can negatively affect someone’s life. She explains an addiction in the sense that it is the search of enjoyment, which cannot be found out in normal life. To support her idea that television is a destructive addiction for a man, she uses the benchmark of other addictions, such as drugs and alcohol, and considers the conditions that make these drugs qualify as an addiction. The inability of a man to operate properly without the issues of desire is alarming (Winn 17). This is because the addiction to the television, just like the drug addiction, cannot be ignored. It is noted that TV addict will always want to watch TV and this can be destructive in the sense that people become lazy due to the sedentary life they have. Winn compares television addiction with drug to stress her point that television is destroying the social fabric of the society. However, Calvet and Casey disagree with her argument that television gives pleasure to man unlike drugs which directly influence the human life. In this regard, it is wrong to compare the two addictions.
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Similarly, Tara Parker-Pope gives an insightful account on the effect of television on parenting. In his article An Ugly Toll of Technology: Impatience and Forgetfulness he reiterates that the extreme use of television, the Internet, cell phones as well as other forms of technology can lead to the adoption of impatient, impulsive, forgetful and even more egotistic behavior. In his article he elaborates how television affects children on the everyday basis. Children can no longer afford to do without television and phones in their hand. The available research study reveals that denying children access to the television makes them feel lonely and uncomfortable. In this regard, it is important to look into a new way of living with technology as part of human life.
On the other hand, Lotz states that television is very important thing in the human life. This is because it educates, informs and entertains people (48). In this regard, he argues that television has become a part of human life (49). This argument differs from the argument of Winn, who sees television as an addiction which causes destruction of human life. Lotz, however, sees television as a necessity that man cannot do without.
In my opinion, Winn’s argument that television is a bad addiction of humankind is true. This is because the results of the available research study depict that television encourages a sedentary lifestyle, much associated with cardiovascular diseases such as obesity, both in children and adults. Secondly, television has badly changed the social norms and values. This is because people are negatively influenced by television ads. Human life has been oriented on the belief that everything that is broadcast on television is good. This television influence is a creation of the capitalist world for their own gain.
Conclusion
The remarkable gift of technological advancement has generated unprecedented responsibility and challenges to human kind. Television is changing the basic societal norms of the democratic societies. The important question is how prepared we are to cope with this technological paradigm shift. Children’s early development is very important for the future generation. Therefore, they should be protected from harmful orientation, caused by the invention of the computers. Technology is very important for the development, but it cannot be fully embraced at the expense of other parts of human development. On the other hand, the issue of security of the children is imminent. When children are too much exposed to the Internet, they can be prone to further exploitation. The question of cyber-ethics education is a complex and has aroused a great public discourse.