Henry Murray

The Cause and Effect of Watching Too Much Television

Brady Taylor

COMM 105

University of Phoenix

Watching too much television in one sitting can cause a great deal of psychological and physiological problems for a person. Children are sometimes scolded by their parents for sitting to close to a television. So I decided to look into this matter deeper, with some reported information along with my own personal views on the cause and effect of watching too much TV.

As a child, my parents always told me not to sit too close to a television because it would damage my eye-sight. Or, watching too much would spoil my brain. I never understood how bad eye-sight and a spoiled brain could come out being 1 foot away from a television for 10 hours a day. It was a hobby for me to keep myself updated on the concurring news and events. Discoveries and invention of devices are always welcome until humans, find a way to abuse its benefits and be adversely affected by it. TV was also invented with positive thoughts in mind - there would be no national borders, education and communication would be worldwide. However, humanity is now trying to overcome its physiological and psychological adverse effects on human beings.

One of the physiological effects of watching TV in excessive amounts is eye-strain. Every child under that age of 7 has experienced the direction of his/her parents to not sit too close to television. The child may think his/her fun is being unfairly tampered with, but in reality there are specifications for watching TV. The television should be 5 meters away from the eye; the room should be adequately lit: and the TV should be placed at the same height with our eyes. However, these do not prevent our eyes from getting tired if we keep watching TV for a long time. Another physiological effect is obesity. Obesity is widely observed in people who like watching TV and eating snacks everyday (there is even a term "TV snacks" to refer to fast food that is suitable for eating in front of the TV). TV is such a powerful machine that people cannot get away. Television is addictive. Statistically, TV is to blame for 10% of America's obesity population.

Apart from the physiological effects, TV also causes psychological effects. One is a result of being exposed to violence. After seeing so many violent scenes on TV, people start considering violent actions normal and they lose their sensitivity to their environment. It is a struggle to monitor what particularly