TELEVISION A BOON OR BANE

A BOON has been defined as a benefit enjoyed; a thing to be thankful for; a blessing. A bane is a thing that ruins or spoils; a deadly poison. In the light of our brief review of just a few aspects of the question, can television be considered a bane or a boon, a curse or a blessing? TV Can Be a Boon There can be little doubt that many persons consider TV to be a boon. A great number of elderly, sick or handicapped people would not be without it. TV has become their main source of company and companionship. Few people would deny that television has done much to arouse interest in the news, in what is going on locally and worldwide. It has broadened peoples minds and opened up new horizons for them. Televiewers are less inclined to have a parochial outlook. This is all to the good and something to be thankful for. The television is an audio-visual aid. Now-a-days it is necessity rather than a luxury.Because, it is a good entertainer. In our vast country more than 75% of the population is reached by this mass media. Thus it helps to bring about unity among the people. The Television programmes are informative and educative. Art, Architecture, Music, and the life in the various regions in our country are brought before our eyes in actual color. Live telecast of national and international events are seen by the people in the television. This brings about better understanding between people of different states and countries. This visual medium makes an indelible impact on the minds of the people, both young and old. Teaching and learning of lessons are made easy through educational telecasts for students of schools and colleges. The programmes for farmers enlighten them latest ideas and techniques in their field. Sports lovers see the live telecast of games and sports events held in different countries. The Television news brings us close to the world. Everyday we see and hear the speech of national and international leaders. In short, the television has become an integral part of our lives. TV Can Also Be a Bane unfortunately, what could be a boon can turn out to be a bane, something harmful and even poisonous. TV may be company for the lonely, but what kind of company? It may have filled a

gap in the empty lives of many people, but with what has it filled their lives? TV may bring us on-the-spot immediate news coverage, but it can also channel insidious propaganda and be used by selfish men to indoctrinate people. TV may amuse us with its cute ads, but it has done much to create a materialistic society. You may find that television provides you with cheap entertainment, but are you sure that it has not warped your views on sex, violence and honesty? You may rely heavily on TV to keep your children out of mischief, but what mischief is it doing to their minds and, far more importantly, to their hearts? But television has sometimes been misused by students. They abstain from classes to see cricket matches. They see all the programmes for entertainment. It affects their study very much. Continuous viewing of television programmes also affects the eye-sight of students. So the students should see only those programmes which are educative and informative. Vladimir K. Zworykin, often called the father of modern television, recently stated that he never expected TV to become such a pervasive force worldwide. He added, however, that he was unhappy about how TV is being used, and that he would never let his children even come close to a TV set. Top-ranking TV playwright Paddy Chayefsky observed: Television coarsens all the complexities of human relationships, brutalizes them, and makes them insensitive. Weve lost our sense of shock, our sense of humanity. That is the basic problem of television.

TELEVISION A BOON OR BANE

Television seems to be the ideal entertainer for the people of today, be it the elderly or the young, for almost all modern homes have a television set. One question remains a mystery-is television watching a boon are curse? It is a boon, if you watch only good and useful programmes and learn something from it, but it is a curse if you keep watching it, forgetting everything else! There is no doubt that television is a means of amusements and entertainment. We can watch dances and plays, musical programmes, Olympics and world cup matches apart from other games, and episodes of soaps. Then there are the news channels which give us the latest information of happenings all over the world. For old, lonely people who cannot move around much, the TV is a good pastime. In the village, it is an exciting time when everyone gathers around the TV to see a movie featuring their favorite actor or actress. But this wonderful entertainer has its drawbacks too. Too much TV is injurious to our eyes and health. If students remain engrossed in soaps or movies, they are sure to neglect their studies. At the same time they will be deprive of all physical exercise as they sit glued in front of their TV sets. Social life also comes to standstill on days when movies are shown, for people do not welcome visitors when they are interested in watching a movie. As the old saying goes-a little of everything is good-so, a little of TV, a little of play, and a little extra studies-will surely go a long way is shaping us into better human beings

JOY OF READING BOOKS

Some people get pleasure from picnics and tours. Others like to discuss various topics and find pleasure in it. But the reading of books provides us with such pleasure as we do not get from any other activity. Great is the blessing of books. Books are written by learned persons. They contain the best experiences and thoughts of their writers. Literature is said to mirror society. Writers put in their books not only their own ideas and feelings, but also what they observe and find in society. The books of the past reflect the condition of the times in which they were written. By reading books written by great thinkers, we come in contact with their minds. Books enable us to know the best of different countries. So, if we want to keep abreast of the great minds of all ages, we must read books. When we are alone, books are our best friends. They entertain us in our spare moments. Good novels, books on poetry and short stories, give great enjoyment. At times we become so absorbed in our books that we forget even our important engagements. Loneliness is no trouble for a reader. If we are in a cheerful mood, our joy is increased by reading. When we are in a depressed and dejected mood, books console and soothe our troubled minds. They provide us with the best advice and guidance in our difficulties. Indeed, books are out best friends as they help us in our need. Books contain grains of wisdom. They give us sound moral advice. That is why all great men of our country have liked to read the Gita and the Ramayan. The example of Rama and Sita is cited, whenever we want to emphasize noble deeds and their results. We call a bad man by the name of Ravan. It is through the reading of books that we learn to love virtue and hate sin. The reading of good books develops and elevates our character. Now-a-days the world is changing fast. A man cannot remain in roach with the changes in his own country, or in the world, without reading the latest literature. One who wants to be respected in cultured society must keep himself well-informed. Good magazines, newspapers and other books provide us with valuable up to-date information. It gives us great pleasure to feel that our knowledge is up to-date. We get great satisfaction when we feel ourselves to be well-informed and capable of moving in any educated society. Reading of good books is the key to the storehouse of pleasure. It was the English author Bacon who said that reading makes a full man. No one can question the truth of this saying. But we cannot derive full advantage from reading, if our choice is not good. Some books are such that instead of doing any good; they do positive harm to the readers. Such books must be avoided. Cheap books, not in cost but in contents, should not be read, even if they provide some amusement and entertainment. It is the reading of good books alone which bestows upon us the maximum benefit.

DEFORESTATION

Stop deforestation! It is time for us to open our eyes. Open our eyes when we go outside and see woodlands being logged and cleared for agricultural reasons, building sites, firewood harvesting or other causes for deforestation. We seem to overlook the fact that we cant live without the forests, simply because they provide us with oxygen, which isnt only essential to us human beings, but also to the existence of all other living things. As if this were not enough, the forests are homes for many important species, which are close to extinction. There are 1 million species in Australia, many of them cannot be found on another continent. 20% of Australias known species of flowering plants and trees are already endangered, vulnerable or threatened with extinction. But to top it all, deforestation is not deceasing; in fact it is still increasing! As if the situation wouldnt be bad enough as it is! In the last 50 years, the same amount of land was cleared as in the previous 150 years. In 1994 humans deforested as much land as in the five years before. The rate of deforestation is still increasing every year, every month, even every day. So let us open our eyes and not ignore the fact that were destroying lives. It is necessary to reforest. That means that for every tree that is cut, two should be planted; we dont only need to restore the balance of ecosystem, but also need to get the deforestation rate down again. Maybe you believe that you are unable to change something as a pupil, but in reality there is a lot you can do to save our rainforests in northern Queensland or our Eucalyptus forests! Just think of the amount of bags, furniture or even paper you use. You could start with using it more sparely! In addition you can start recycling, because it does lead to less cutting of trees! Think about it. You can make a change. Dont leave it up to others!

DEFORESTATION

Deforestation Topic: Deforestation is endangering the environment Thesis: Even though that it contributes to the economy, deforestation would endanger the environment because our air quality is becoming problematic without trees consuming the carbon dioxide and it causes soil erosion, water scarcity, and climate changes. Organizing ideas Deforestation contributes to the economy a) Countries benefit from producing the natural goods b) It gives lots of people, who would otherwise be jobless, employment, which in turn increases their standard of life etc c) It supplies the economy with raw materials, such as pulp for paper, wood for chairs, desks, whatever Deforestation would endanger the environment because our air quality is becoming problematic without trees consuming the carbon dioxide. a) More people are having breathing problems (asthma) b) Causes greenhouse effects (global warming) c) Releases Carbon dioxide in the air when the trees get cut Endanger the environment because it causes soil erosion, water scarcity, and climate changes a) Heavy Soil Erosion-without trees soil erosion and landslides easily happen. When heavy rains and typhoons come, soil is easily carried to lower areas especially to communities at the foot of the mountains. b) Denuded Upland- when the trees are constantly becoming removed the soil and not useable for harvesting and the land becomes desertification. c) Landslides - The roots of the trees bind soil to it and to the bedrock underlying it. That is how trees prevent soil from getting eroded by natural agents like wind or water. When trees are uprooted, there will be nothing to hold the soil together thus increasing the risk for landslides Conclusion So you can see that although that it contributes to the economy, deforestation would endanger the environment for two main reasons. First, our air quality is becoming problematic without trees consuming the carbon dioxide. But most importantly, it causes soil erosion, water scarcity, and climate changes.