In a culture where most people have at least two TV sets in their homes and are obsessed with watching television, it is almost impossible to neglect pointing out the possible harmful effects of watching too much television.
Television certainly has much to offer, and without a doubt is a great innovation. But when it comes to relying on it, whether to be informed or entertained, it can certainly affect people negatively.
Here are the main harmful effects of watching television that you should always keep in mind
Television is bad for your health
Watching television means inactivity, and inactivity has been linked with obesity and heart disease. Do you think it is just a coincidence that in the West, where people are spending enormous amounts of time watching television, obesity and heart diseases in people of all ages are rapidly increasing?
More and more studies are being carried out on the harmful health effects of watching television. A recent research study conducted at the Harvard School of Public Health indicates that watching too much television can significantly increase the risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes. Not surprisingly, another study carried out at the University of Rhode Island found that prolonged television watching decreases viewers’ sense of self-efficacy in maintaining personal health.
Television makes you dumb
Another amazingly harmful effect of watching television is the fact it can hinder our ability to think. Having talking heads continuously giving us quick information, opinion, analysis and criticism for just about everything, allows us to stop using our critical thinking. In this way, we can be easily misinformed and manipulated.
Certainly there are a few programs on TV that are educational and interesting, but the majority of television programs are simply trash. And so we rarely find a program on TV that requires us to think. Television programming is designed in