Television! Is it a Drug or a Medicine?
There are many medicines and drugs that are being used these days. Could television be one of them? Yes and a no! Every day, a lot of people watch television, and there are many benefits and disadvantages to it. Believe it or not, television is just another type of drug because many kids, teens, and adults get really addicted to it. More time is being spent on sitting in front of the television than doing other useful activities and this can cause a lot of problems and has many bad outcomes. On the other hand, television can also be a medicine because it is a means of getting valuable information, building relationships and tool to help them in their daily activities.
Television is a drug because kids and adults watch television for many hours every day. This causes problems in our health, family relationships and family rituals.
English: A child watching TV.
Electronics recycling (including computers and tel...
Family watching television, c. 1958To begin with, a lot of kids tend to sit very close to the television while watching their favorite shows. This causes permanent eye damage, but it can also cause eyestrain (Hassam). This can cause headaches, watery eyes, itching or burning eyes, and even blurry vision. Secondly, watching TV for many hours can cause sleeping difficulty. Sometimes, viewers fall asleep while watching TV. Research shows that watching TV hinders sleep by decreasing melatonin, which is a hormone that regulates sleep cycles. John Herman, MD, director of training program in sleep medicine at the University Of Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, says that the light from the television lessens the production of melatonin (Mix). He also stated that low levels of melatonin cause the brain to think it's daytime. Watching too much TV can cause problems in relationships with other people. For instance, children these...