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TELEVISION

Is Television A Malign
Influence on Society ?

Presented By :
1. Mia Saskia (093174204)
2. Vivin Septiana R.P. (093174206)
ABSTRACT
Nowadays television plays a significant role not only in
social and political life, acting as a tool for spreading
information and forming people’s mentality, but also in
the everyday life of individuals as a source of
entertainment. It affects our minds and plays a role in
shaping social changes. It is argued that this may be
harmful as television shows more and more sex and
violence, sacrifices the quality of the programs for the
sake of commercial benefit and takes away the biggest
part of our free time. On the other hand it is impossible
to imagine the life of modern society without television,
especially keeping in mind the crucial importance of
spreading information around the globe.
 Dr. Ruth Mock (1970),
states, “television is the one
influence, common to us all
today, which replaces the
social, religious, and
political meetings and
festivals which were potent
expressions in the past.”
Is Television A Malign
Influence on Society ?

YES NO
YES
 Violence and sex shown on television results in higher rate of crime
and pregnancies
 Television is greatly abused for commercial purposes, in which
audiences are constantly sold to
 A big part of TV audience consists of teenagers, which is
particularly vulnerable to the violence and various stereotypes,
promoted by TV
 Television is mostly directed to films and shows that have
commercial purposes but little cultural value
 TV has an impact on health by discouraging exercise (Obesity)
 It Promotes Passivity and Wasting Time
 etc
Violence and sex shown on television results in
higher rate of crime pregnancies

TV and SEX source : www.rand.org

Researchers from RAND


Health say that exposure
to sex on television may
influence teen pregnancy
by creating the perception
that there is little risk to
engaging in sex without
using contraceptives and
accelerating the initiation
of sexual intercourse.
A big part of TV audience consists of teenagers, which is particularly
vulnerable to the violence and various stereotypes, promoted by TV

By age 18, the average American child sees 200,000 violent acts
on TV. By age 18, children witnesses almost 20,000 murders on TV —
most by handguns. 73% of the time the people in TV dramas who
commit violent acts go unpunished. 47% percent of violent situations
show no real harm to the victims, and 58 percent show no real pain. Only
4 percent of violent programs show nonviolent alternatives to solve
programs. 80% of Hollywood executives think there is a link between TV
violence and real-life violence.
Television is greatly abused for commercial
purposes, in which audiences are constantly sold to
Forty-nine percent said commercials exert a lot of
influence over kids' "food choices and eating habits."

Viewing Ads in an Hour

A lot of money goes


into making ads that
are successful in
influencing consumer
behaviour.
McDonald's, the
largest food
advertiser on TV,
reportedly spent
$500 million on their
"We love to see you
smile" ad campaign.
Advertisers try to convince the audience that the solution to a
problem or the fulfilment of a desire can only be achieved through the
purchase of a product. It is designed towards blind acceptance by the
viewer. In this way TV negatively affects the human mind, by limiting the
possibilities of conscious choice, and promotes a consumer society.
TV has an impact on health by discouraging
exercise (Obesity)

 During Saturday morning


cartoons there are typically
more than 200 "junk-food"
commercials.
 At least 12 medical studies
link excessive television
watching to increasing rates As well as encouraging a sedentary
of obesity. lifestyle, television can also contribute to
childhood obesity by aggressively
 In 1963, 4.5% of children
marketing junk food to young audiences.
ages 6 to 11 were seriously
According to the Canadian Pediatrics
overweight; by 2009, this
percentage had more than Society, most food advertising on
tripled. children's TV shows is for fast foods,
candy and pre-sweetened cereals.
Commercials for healthy food make up
only 4 per cent of those shown.
.
It Promotes Passivity and wasting
time

According to the statistics,


the average American child
watches 26 hours a
television per week. That’s
how TV programs reduce
the quality of real life by
narrowing people’s outlook,
limiting the variety of free
time activities, affecting
family relations by reducing
conversation, and even
having an impact on health
by discouraging exercise.
Duration Watching
Tv/day

According to researchers, viewers feel an


instant sense of relaxation when they start to
watch TV—but that feeling disappears just as
quickly when the box is turned off. While
people generally feel more energized after
playing sports or engaging in hobbies, after
watching TV they usually feel depleted of
energy. According to the article "this is the
irony of TV: people watch a great deal longer
than they plan to, even though prolonged
viewing is less rewarding."
The Good Things About
Television
 Television reaches very large audiences - usually
much larger than the audience your local newspaper
reaches, and it does so during a short period of time.
 It has the ability to convey your message with sight,
sound and motion, and can give a product or service
instant validity and prominence.
 You can easily reach targeted audiences. Children can
be reached during cartoon programming, housewives
during the afternoon soap operas, and insomniacs
after midnight.
 Shared viewing gives family members of all ages an
opportunity to spend time together.
NO
 There is no direct link between mass media and antisocial behaviour
 Television is not the only tool for advertisement
 It is obvious that the influence of family, friends, religion and school is
decisive in forming the moral values of young people
 Many scientific and cultural programs are shown on television, which
give new educational opportunities for our society
 People are conscious creatures and they can choose the way to spend
their free time that they prefer
 People should be informed about the World they live in and its
problems, and through visceral images on tv that represent that
reality honestly
There is no direct link between mass media
and antisocial behaviour

Such behavior is usually


determined by social
environment, family, peer
pressure, or other factors. Many
antisocial people even do not
watch TV, while others may
claim it is responsible for their
actions simply to avoid taking
responsibility for themselves.
Psychologists claim that
television does not have a simple,
direct stimulus-response effect on
its audiences. This can be
illustrated by the example of
Japan, where TV movies are
famous for extreme violence, but
the crime rate is low – much
lower than in many societies
where TV viewing is relatively
rare.
Television is not the only tool
for advertisement
The influence of commercials
reaches our society through
newspapers, radio and other sources
of information. On the other hand,
advertisement is just a source of
information for consumers, which
enables them to choose between
different products. Advertising can
also be regulated in different ways
that do not relate to a debate about
television. Indeed television
broadcasting can be run without
advertising at all; the U.K.’s BBC
runs no commercials but is paid for
through a licensing fee, while
commercial broadcasters are
increasingly promoting pay-per-
view options.
It is obvious that the influence of family,
friends, religion and school is decisive in
forming the moral values of young people
If parents and
teachers are not
willing or capable of
performing their
proper role, then
teenagers can be
negatively
influenced not only
by TV, but also by
friends, their social
environment and
other factors.
Many scientific and cultural programs are
shown on television, which give new
educational opportunities for our society
In addition TV is a very important factor in our
information society. It enables the spread of
information and opinion on important political and
social issues, thus encouraging individuals to
participate more actively in the life of society. Call-
in shows and other programs help to establish
closer links between politicians and electors. TV
represents different interests and gives more
opportunities for self-expression, thus forming a
more open society. Interactive digital channels
promise even more such opportunities in the
future, perhaps creating electronic town-halls to
assist democratic decision-making, and allowing
niche channels to address particular cultural
traditions or interests.
People are conscious creatures and they can
choose the way to spend their free time that
they prefer
Parents should be blamed
for the habits of their
children, but not
television. The life style of
the individual determines
the role of television in
his or her free time, but
not vice versa. In any
case, young people in
many countries are now
spending less time
watching television than
they did ten years ago,
preferring to surf the
internet instead.
People should be informed about the World they live
in and its problems, and through visceral images on tv
that represent that reality honestly

This kind of
information is the
first step towards
solving them.
Besides TV shows,
comedies, musical
channels perfectly
serve as a source of
entertainment and
positive emotions,
helping people to
take their mind off
their troubles.

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