Television: The Plug-In Drug

The essay "Television: The Plug-In Drug" by Marie Winn, elaborates that from the introduction of television to now, the television has become part of our daily life and that it has replaced what families call, "family time." When televisions first came out to the public, the idea that the creators had in mind was that it was going to bring the family closer and that it would be something for the whole family to enjoy. They had no idea that about 20 years later it would have the opposite effect and that instead of becoming a closer family, all the family members would watch the television at different times. Children were affected most by the television because of wanting to watch cartoons and their favorite shows all day long. The cause of children watching television all the time lead to parents having to adjust their schedules to make sure that their children got their necessary amount of television viewing that sometimes lead to missing church and other activities.

Some parents were giving up and excepting the fact that television is taking over their daily life. There are parents who have a set schedule for their kids to watch their favorite shows every day just so that the parents can eat dinner in peace. If the kids don't interact with their parents on a regular basis, the kids will start to feel like the only reason why they are living with their parents is just to have a place to live. Family rituals were always a way to bring everyone together but the television has now made most of those family rituals disappear. It has caused some children to feel that living at home is just for the sake of convenience. Watching television has a lot of negative effects on people such as being able to make eye contact during a conversation or even conversing with one's own family. People use the television as an excuse for not wanting to talk or share one's feelings. Television has ultimately eliminated the chance for some families to have a real relationship with one another.

The same effects that are described in this essay related to the television are the same that are taking affect to college students and most teenagers. The internet has become part of our daily lives ever since it had been introduced just like the television. I’m sure that the creators of the internet thought that it would change our lives for the better and that it would be beneficial to us. It’s true that the internet is beneficial in many ways but it is also becoming a major distraction. For those college students that are living at home, internet is used as a way to escape from nagging parents or to keep themselves occupied. The internet and television are both used for a way to keep people occupied, so that they won’t have to deal with everyday problems.