By Nehad Ismail
Writing for Ammon News

Are we becoming slaves to television?

Anti-TV campaigners in UK and USA have been working hard to convince the rest of us to switch off our TV for a week starting 20th to 26th April 09. From what I know only a small minority have heeded the call.

This unsuccessful campaign has brought to the surface a number of issues.

First Issue: Is TV good for people?

To answer this question we have to go to the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan. Bhutan became the last country in the world to introduce television in 1999. In 2003 a study of the impact of TV on the people of Bhutan was conducted to determine the benefits of TV watching on the viewing public.

The study had shown that television had caused increasing crime, corruption and uncontrolled desire for western products and changed attitudes to relationships. One-third of Bhutanese girls wanted to look more American, with whiter skin and blonde hair, while 35% of parents preferred to watch TV than talk to their own children. (FT 18-4-09).

Anecdotal evidence gleaned from the Criminal Justice System in UK indicated that a significant number of cases involving violent crime revealed that the criminal was influenced by what he saw on TV or he was emulating a particular plot he watched on TV.

2nd Issue: Is TV bad for the brains?

Anti TV campaigners claim that television turns people’s brains to cardboard and their bodies into blubber (layers of fat and flabby skin).

The UK Office of National Statistics survey in 2006/2007 revealed that 84% of men and 85% of women in Britain consider TV Viewing as their most popular leisure activity. Whilst spending time with family and friends was chosen by 75% of men and 82% of women. FT 18-4-09)

It is a fact that sitting in front of the TV set for hours is bad for the blood circulation and the state of indolence can contribute to obesity and loss of vitality.

3rd Issue: How much of our time is wasted on TV watching?

On average people watch 4 hours of TV a day, so by the age of 75 the average British citizen will have spent more than 12 years of his or her life watching television.

Most of us are spending more and more time on our computers (PCs) for research and amusement which means we are spending less and less time watching television.

Jordan and other Arab Countries

I guess that in Jordan and most Arab countries people watch 6 or 7 hours of TV a day and a lot more during the holy month of Ramadan. During Ramadan TV watching reaches epidemic proportions. The orgy of food consumption is only exceeded by the TV consumption. Interminable dramas become the focus of family viewing during the night and the focus of conversations during the day.

Feeling of Guilt

But do we feel guilty watching so much TV? Do we feel guilty to have 3 or 4 TV sets around the house?

The irrefutable fact is that our lives are dominated by television and we cannot escape from it. Saddest of all is when you visit a friend for a cup of coffee and a chat, does he or she switch the TV off or leave it on. My experience is more of the latter and less of the former.

Proponents of TV Watching disagree

On the other hand some experts recommend that we must watch more TV and the following reasons back this up:

1- The availability of a wide choice of material such as films, music, literature documentaries, wild life etc.

2- By watching you feel you are keeping in touch and know what’s going on in your region and around the world.

3- It provides comfort and consolation to people living alone. It helps reduce their sense of isolation.

Conclusion

The best solution is not to abandon your TV set but choose what you watch carefully. Don’t become a slave and a couch potato just absorbing everything that is thrown at you. Choose and select, and use the veto in your hand which we call the remote control.


Nehad Ismail is a writer and broadcaster living in London.