Television. Abstract 1

Transcription

1 Television Abstract 1 Wikipedia offers a page describing and defining the meaning of television addiction. This page is a good start for investigating the health risks of watching television. The page states that Within seconds of turning on the television, the brain starts producing alpha waves. TV puts your brain into a passive, suggestible, alpha brain wave state. The left side of the brain largely shuts down and critical thinking diminishes. Viewers feel drained and have difficulty focusing. These side effects continue after the viewers turn the TV off (wikipedia television addiction). Alpha waves are predominantly found to originate from the occipital lobe during periods of relaxation, with eyes closed but still awake. Conversely alpha waves are attenuated with open eyes as well as by drowsiness and sleep. They are thought to represent the activity of the visual cortex in an idle state (wikipedia alpha waves). Alpha wave production could be the cause of that vacant stare that happens when a person is staring into the television screen. These wikipedia sites led to a web page entitled Turn off Your TV.com. This website hosts numerous links to articles and journals that give fact, opinion, reviews, and various studies on media and television viewing. The webpage was created by Ron Kaufman, who is also the author of the article cited in this study. Ron Kaufman is a teacher and a journalist. He worked as a journalist in Philadelphia and Washington D.C. covering scientific news (Turn Off Your TV.com) for a few years. Currently, he is a computer teacher and instructional technology coordinator of a high school in Philadelphia. In Ron Kaufman s article, he states that television s hypnotic grasp is caused by sensory confusion, or the human body s inability to react to the transmitted programming. This sensory disorientation- the TV watcher is visually and auditorily simulated while remaining physically passive- confuses the mind. These conflicting messages and feelings succeed in creating an almost hypnotic trance in the viewer (Turn Off Your TV.com), hence the production of alpha waves in the brain. References: Wikipedia. (2007, March 3). Television Addiction. [online]. Available: [2007, March9]. Wikipedia. (2007, January 29). Alpha Wave. [online]. Available: [2007, 9 March]. Turn Off your TV.com. (2006). Television Addiction identification and Self-Help. [online]. Available: [2007, 9 March].

2 Abstract 2 TELEVISION ADDICTION IS NO MERE METAPHOR The television addiction is no mere metaphor article examines the positive and negative aspect of television. The study shows that people who watch a lot of television can exhibit symptoms similar to substance dependence, including making repeated unsuccessful efforts to reduce use and even experiencing withdrawal when use stops. Furthermore, people who watch more than four hours a day reported that they were derived less satisfaction from television than that of the light viewers. People, who volunteered for experiments, reported that the television has absorbed or sucked out their energy, leaving them depleted. Reference: TELEVISION ADDICTION IS NO MERE METAPHOR., By: Kubey, Robert, Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly, R. K., M. C., Scientific American Special Edition, , Jan2004 Special Edition, Vol. 14, Abstract 3 THE EMPTY TUBE: TV TRASHES POLITICS Many of us know the negative effects that television has on our society, but rarely do we think it REALLY effects important aspects of our culture and society that negatively affects things around us. Mainly we focus on the way TV effects obesity in kids, their attention spans, and the violent and sexual images portrayed on TV that many kids watch. However, not only does TV effect children, but it also affects adults and their willingness to be involved. In the article The Empty Tube: TV trashes politics, Abigail McCarthy explains the ways that TV has spoiled American politics, and has lead to a lethargic and apathetic bunch of American (potential) voters. According to McCarthy, In short, the ultimate effect of television on politics has been to make the party system meaningless, to make a telegenic appearance more important than character, to raise the power of money in political choice, and to debase the level of debate. TV has made the party system meaningless because the influence that money has on politics and campaigning makes parties irrelevant, and basically makes the person with the most campaign money most likely to succeed. TV ads also focus more on appearance and other irrelevant things, when they should be focusing on character. In most television ads, politicians usually just go at each other in commercials, trying to deface each other. TV also debases the level of debate because people are too busy being brainwashed by TV to really involve themselves in the matters that affect them. They accept what they see from biased news stations, and refuse to do anything physically to get involved. The culture of Television has perverted politics, and made it into a game powered by money and appearance.

3 Reference: Commonweal. By: Abigail McCarthy, April 10, 1992 < Abstract 4 NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON MEDIA AND THE FAMILY Children, between the ages of 8-18 spend more time in front of computer, television, and game screens than any other activity in their lives except sleeping. (44.5 hours) 30% of children between the ages of 6-11 are overweight, and 15.3% are obese. Teenager s rates are almost identical. A recent study conducted by Tremblay found that children who watch more than three hours of television a day are 50 per cent more likely to be obese than kids who watch fewer than two hours. The research also found that more than 60% of overweight nest in children be linked to excess TV viewing. Obesity can also lead to other health problems, like Type II diabetes Reference: National Institute on Media and the Family. (2006, Jan 10). Media and the family. [online]. Available: <

4 Introduction Watching television consumes more energy than is being sucked out of an electrical socket. Zoning out into the boob tube can cost an individual more than the wattage consumed on one s electricity bill. The experiment, described in this project, attempts to measure the amount of potential human energy lost to this particular form of entertainment. For this experiment, we will attempt to prove that, while watching television, the brain slips into a hypnotic type state that slows brain and physical activity. The electricity consumed per year by the average American is profound. In the city of Portland the population is 529,121 (city town info.com). The average American watches an average of 3 hours per day (Television Addiction Identification). Using the formula, (wattage [110] x hours per day [3] x days per year [365])/ 1000, to calculate the amount of kilowatts used per year by a single individual yields kilowatts (ed.final.gov). That means kilowatts per 529,121 people in Portland alone. At the average cost of a kilowatt hour, $.089, the average American spends $10.72 per year. This translates into close to 6 million dollars per year spent on television viewing in the city of Portland. However, the personal cost to an individual can far exceed the monetary cost for an individual. The flashing lights, quick images, matching sounds, and the passivity of the activity causes the brain to produce alpha waves, a drowsy state that is similar to the moments prior to falling asleep. This state of being also places an individual into a highly suggestible state, and allows the body to remain at rest for hours at a time. The result can be harmful to one s health and community. As a group, each student studied the variety of effects that extensive television viewing can create. Among the effects studied, we discovered that television addiction is a common affliction among industrialized countries. Television addiction is related to obesity and a drop in civic and political involvement. Obesity is caused by the lack of physical activity involved in watching television. The drop in civic involvement can be due to the fact that the brain, while watching television, lacks the ability to think critically. The following references and abstracts give a more detailed explanation of these effects. The experiment we have created will exemplify how a the body and mind slip into a slower state of being while the television is on. The experiment will be conducted on the class. The class will be given a math problem, with multiple steps, to solve. The class will solve a problem while the TV is on. They will be given 90 seconds to do so. The experimenters will record the number of students able to finish the problem in that time. Next, the class will watch 10 minutes of television. After 10 minutes, the class will attempt to solve a similar problem in the same amount of time, while the TV is still on. The experimenters will record that data. It is our belief that a smaller amount of students will be able to get the problem solved. In a day and age where there are so many real problems that need to be

5 solved, especially surrounding environmental and civil rights issues, our world needs more critical thinkers than ever. It is hard to imagine a world without television. What would that look like? Would the many problems and issues that plague the world be diminished because we had more time to develop creative solutions? The amount of time people spend watching television is astonishing. On average, individuals in the industrialized world devote 3 hours per day to the pursuit. At this rate, someone who lives to 75 would spend 9 years in front of the [television] (No Mere Metaphor). Works Cited: Turn Off your TV.com. (2006). Television Addiction identification and Self-Help. [2007, 9 March]. Turn Off your TV.com. (2006). Television Addiction is No Mere Metaphor: Scientific American. [2007, 9 March]. City Town Info.com. (2006). Portland Oregon webpage. [2007, 12 March]. Ed Final.gov (2006). Measurement of household electricity usage. [2007, March 12] Turn Off your TV.com. (2006). Television Addiction identification and Self-Help. [2007, 9 March]. Turn Off your TV.com. (2006). Television Addiction is No Mere Metaphor: Scientific American. [2007, 9 March]. City Town Info.com. (2006). Portland Oregon webpage. [2007, 12 March]. Ed Final.gov (2006). Measurement of household electricity usage. [2007, March 12] Wikipedia. (2007, March 3). Television Addiction. [2007, March9]. Wikipedia. (2007, January 29). Alpha Wave. [2007, 9 March].

6 SCIENTIFIC METHOD 1. Question: Does television viewing slow down a person s brain activity and impair a person s ability to follow detailed directions, concentrate, think logically, quickly, and abstractly? 2. Hypothesis: Yes television viewing impairs one s thinking and processing ability because it puts the brain in a relaxed and highly suggestible state. 3. Observations/ Measurements: There were 32 participants in the group. 6 participants were able to compute the correct answer to the math problem in 2 minutes while the TV was off. 7 of the participants were able to compute the math problem while watching the TV. However, 5 of the participants, continuously, looked up at the TV while trying to compute the math equation. They were trying to concentrate on the math problem, but were, easily, averted back to the television programming throughout the 2 minutes allotted to solve the math problem. 4. Method: Materials needed: DVD of a compelling program, television, Chinese Square Root Method worksheet, and timer Step 1: Show a group of people how to calculate the square root of a number using the Chinese method (see following page). This formula has multiple steps, and requires a certain amount of concentration and attention to detail. Step 2: Group will attempt to solve a calculation on their own in two minutes without the television on. The experimenter will calculate the number of people in the group who finished the equation with a correct answer. Step 3: Turn on the television. Have the group watch a show that is easy to get sucked into, such as The Sopranos, for 10 minutes. Step 4: After 10 minutes, have the group solve another square root problem. Keep the television on, and give the group 2 minutes to complete the problem. Calculate how many people were able to finish the problem. Step 5: Compare the number of people who finished the problem without the television on to how many completed the problem with the television on. 5. Conclusion: While the experiment seemed to disprove our hypothesis, there were variables involved that may have altered the end result. The participants were given a math formula that was new to all of them. By the third try at the problem, they were more practiced by the third try than they were at the second try. Also, as was pointed out by a participant, the content of the programming got their adrenaline running. This may have caused some of the participants to work faster, which goes to prove the effect that television has on people. There was not enough time as well, in the experiment, to allow the participants to get sucked into the television programming. Another variable is the content of the programming. A question has been raised as to what type of programming sucks a person in more deeply. Such as, comedy or the time given to get involved- from the beginning- into a story being televised. There are other types of programming that might suck some people in, like reality TV, that has that train wreck effect. It would be interesting to test

7 these variables out, and have more time to conduct the experiment. 6. Revised Hypothesis: Television viewing impairs one s ability to think critically when the viewing is longer than 10 minutes. The impairment of the brain is affected by what is being viewed. In any case, any type of television viewing impairs the brain at some level.

8 Turn Off your TV.com. (2006). Television Addiction identification and Self-Help. [online]. Available: [2007, 9 March]. Turn Off your TV.com. (2006). Television Addiction is No Mere Metaphor: Scientific American. [2007, 9 March]. City Town Info.com. (2006). Portland Oregon webpage. [2007, 12 March]. Ed Final.gov (2006). Measurement of household electricity usage. [2007, March 12] Wikipedia. (2007, March 3). Television Addiction. [2007, March9]. Wikipedia. (2007, January 29). Alpha Wave. [2007, 9 March].

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