Reading against watching Television

This is nothing new. There have been studies going on for years that have observed kids

watching T.V. and kids reading while growing up. There are numerous benefits to both reading and

watching television; however, nothing is ok without the use of moderation.

First of all, there are many benefits to watching television. Today, numerous educational and

informational shows are produced and broad casted all over America. Television shows such as Barney

or Sesame Street are great for toddlers that are in the process of developing their socialization and

learning skills. There are some educational television shows such as Man vs. Wild which may come in

handy some day, but some shows such as 24 include moral decisions, ethical crisis’, and strategies

involving important decisions.

Once again, (almost) everything is ok in moderation. There is a subjective aspect to this topic.

What is moderation for me, may not be for you. Personally, two or three hours of television a day is

overkill; however, to some it may not be much at all. The negative effects of watching too much

television are, at first, not physical but social, productive, and athletic deprivation. Some psychological

effects of watching too many hours of T.V. are attention deficit disorders and addition of mental stress

to the brain. The reason why some kids are growing up unable to properly speak English is because

they grow up watching too much television. This can cause developmental disorders in the area of the

brain that controls your language skills. Some kids even have trouble concentrating and paying

attention during very short periods of time. Watching intense emotions on T.V. can also have a life-

lasting impact on someone’s mind. Watching too much television has also been proven to be harmful to

one’s eyes.

Reading is a great pastime. Reading helps one’s mind to stay in shape. It helps one’s brain to

flex and grow. In a nutshell, Reading is like a mental workout for one’s mind. It benefits one

in that one would get the ability to focus and concentrate, one would have the greatest and most used

way to learn about life, one would become more calm and in control of important decisions when they

come, it improves one’s vocabulary, it builds self-esteem, it improves one’s creativity, and it reduces

boredom to nothing. Why is reading not as popular as you would think then? This is because we have

so many other ways of entertaining ourselves that seem so much better than reading. The Internet,

satellite television, and cell phones, among other stuff, have taken away an interest in reading.

There are not many negative effects of reading. Reading too much can result in deprivation in

some of the same ways as watching television. You know you have been reading for too long when

you look at a clock, and a few hours have gone by without you noticing it.

Someone once said that television rots your brain while reading builds and improves it. Both

reading books and watching television have their positive and negative effects. Watching television,

unfortunately, happens to have more negative effects than it does benefits. Being able to create a

balanced lifestyle is important in this new generation. Creating a daily reading habit would be very

profitable to your mental health. Try reading the Bible everyday. This is hitting two birds with one

stone. Not only are you learning about God and “storing up treasures in Heaven”, but you are

exercising the mind. Television is a great tool to use on kids who are growing up and learning about

life, but as long as television is being moderated, it can be a source of great entertainment.