Friday 31 October 2014

The Wonders And Woes Of Dish Network TV

By Roseann Hudson


It is not uncommon to find homes that showcase a television as the central piece of the living room. We have long dismissed the disadvantages of television like we shrug off the reputation of fast food. We know that it makes us fat and less intelligent, but there is a lot more going on than physical and mental aspects.

It has been more than seventy five years since black and white televisions, blamed by scientists for making people more likely to dream in monochrome. Now we have not just technicolor but HD color sets with unlimited channels from Dish Network Las Vegas. We have embraced the Netflix effect as a reinforcement for TV addicts and show collectors alike.

The social impact of television has long been recorded but most of us have been blindsided and we have unwittingly been living with it day by day. TV is the chosen platform for propaganda, whether political or social or economical. We have been mirroring our ideal selves from what we see, often losing our cultural selves and creating a wider conflict between our real selves and what we deem ideal.

If you are aware how fashion magazine models have contributed to the rise of wannabe anorexics and purgers, the same is happening with television. When we are online, we must actively type something on that search bar in order for us to get what we want. Television, however, is the opposite. You still get to see things you do not want even if you are surfing between channels.

It is not just television programs that should be blamed for the Cultivation Hypothesis but also the impact of the advertising. By creating needs we do not really need, we have fallen victim to the the wrong side of consumerism, but that is how capitalism works, and it had worked for a very long time. Like the story behind deodorant. We have those things in our grocery lists, but before the marketing campaign that made us ashamed of our natural scent when we perspire, people did not really mind wetness and odor.

Depending on the show or program, television also feeds us with social archetypes that are more or less wrong. But there is a positive and a negative side with this story. Shows, following the patriarchal, dominant male format, used to portray women as second class characters. The good news is that times change and television did as well. In fact, it also gave rise to feminism, and now we have stronger female roles and gender equal programs.

Another bad news is bad news. Psychological effects of negative news are increased worry and anxiety. You might say that it is the the job of newscasters to report whatever is going on, good or bad. The problem is, especially that news affects our entire mood for the day, they are not simply contented with divulging the details but they have made bad news sensationalizing a norm.

We have also made the error of making TVs as substitute for nannies. While we are more resilient to its effects as adults, children are more prone to get its harmful disadvantages. TV hinders the cognitive and initiative development of children and messes up their attention span.

On the bright side of the coin, cartoons have been proven to have a soothing effect to children in pain. TV also combats loneliness, according to the Social Surrogacy Hypothesis. In conclusion, like most things, TV has both pros and cons, and it is up to you to moderate your dose.




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