These days, watching TV seems unavoidable as almost every home have a TV. A few decades ago, we use to have the 6 inches Sharp or Sony branded TV but in recent times, we now have the 14 inches, even 44 inches plasma TV, so teens can sit with their TV’s at home all night. I see teens watch different programs on TV especially cartoons like Superman, Spiderman, Batman although movies are stealing the show this days too and someone will ask, is it really bad to watch TV that much?
Teens that watch TV more often are less smart as it keeps them glued to one place denying them the privilege of interacting with their peers and getting real life kind of interaction by getting together with their colleagues. It sometimes explains why some teens are overweight because they are glued to a spot always watching TV when they should exercise their bodies and be fit.
A number of teens don’t even consider going for extra mural classes or tutorials that will help them get effectively equipped to pass their examinations, they rather go home hurriedly to stay glue to their TV screens watching movies that would prevent them from having time enough to develop requisite skills to help them succeed.
Some teens find it difficult to exercise initiative, to think creatively. It now seem difficult for them to use their imagination as they have subjected themselves to watching movies that seemingly gets them duller than they expect, especially those that watch very primitive movies.
It is normal for students to get assignments at their schools given to them by their teachers but when they don’t get to do them, they are far from improving. When students are predisposed to watching TV always, be it cartons or movies, they tend to go it long into the night and thus get to have sleepless night, they don’t get to do their assignments as a result, they still get to sleep during the day in class, then they perform poorly in their exams.
It was observed that media violence portrays violent and aggressive behaviour on screen for the purpose of entertainment. The aggression is usually led by a human or a human-like character on screen. Many a times, many kids embrace negative influences and behaviours. They tend to be a bit aggressive as they grow older since exposure to TV shows and commercial that portrays violence, drug use etc.
Television can do good and also bad to teens. TV in itself is not the harm but lack of caution in its use is where the harm stems from.
