Group Discussion:: TV - its advantages and disadvantages

Television is a mass media. Next to Radio, T.V., reaches a large section of the society in India. It reaches 78.7 percent of India population through 534 transmitters. It relays news, current affairs, educational programs, dramas, films ext. We can see and listen to the latest event around the globe. Thanks to communication satellite, the world has shrunk still further. BBC, Star plus and Discovery channels telecast wonderful documentaries enriching the knowledge of the viewers on nature and scientific developments. BBC gives news overseas round the clock. M TV provides music round the clock. ESPN gives sports news concentrating on major world sports. Cartoon Network delights children.

But T.V. has its disadvantages as well. It makes the children neglect their study and sit down glued to the T.V. Many private cable operators, screen movies almost 24 hrs a day. Mostly they are meant only for entertainment. Many commercial firms conduct entertainment show involving student population. Unfortunately children view these cheap filmy entertainment programs and western dance programs and lose their grip with their traditional dances and dress style. Their interest in seeing commercial shows is so much that they are almost glued to the T.V ignoring their studies. Children become precocious and are often emotionally stunted due to premature exposure to certain life experience. T.V does more harm than good to the present younger generation. It is rightly called the Idiot Box. If parents do not control their wards, their role models could very well be attractive villains and corrupt politicians and criminals in real life too.