Essay on Television (TV) a Boon or Bane : We call ourselves proud that we are living in an advanced scientific age. We have stepped on the Moon, we have gone over and over in the space, we can control missile through a remote control, we cannot only talk on the phone but can even see the person, the image is transmitted to us along with the voice what was once a thinkable and unimaginable is being watched and witnessed. Nothing seems impossible now.
Essay on Television (TV) a Boon or Bane
We call ourselves proud that we are living in an advanced scientific age. We have stepped on the Moon, we have gone over and over in the space, we can control missile through a remote control, we cannot only talk on the phone but can even see the person, the image is transmitted to us along with the voice what was once a thinkable and unimaginable is being watched and witnessed. Nothing seems impossible now. In an age of wonders that is what we proudly say when we got the voice transmitted through a real waves begin calling it ‘Akashvani’ this name that we give it attached to it something of a Supernatural or something which comes to us as if from the Spears the AKASH. This is how the advancement of science begins to go beyond our older physical comprehension and appeared to us just wonderful.
From the age of transmission of voice we stepped further into the age of the transmission of images first only in black and white and now all colorful the more colorful, the more attractive, the more catching, and the more enchanting. And this enchantment has got the fancy of the common viewer from the older to the adolescent down to the young and to the child. All are caught in the fever and now there are channels that run all the twenty-four hours, day and night.
The rich and the poor, those living in palatial buildings and those living in the slums, all have T.V, sets fitted, the rich ones have one in each bedroom and the slum-dwellers may miss their meals and even go without other necessities but should have a T.V. set in their hovel like living space. Such is now the craze, such is the frenzy. A T.V. set, preferably a colored one, is a must as a part of the dowry even in a rural marriage among people of otherwise humble means.
The TN, in the home is a means of entertainment for most members of the family. The children would know the days and timings of the serials more religiously even though they may not yet have known the alphabets. The womenfolk staying at home must have their share of the cine-shows as they may ill-afford a cinema show in a picture hall.
The men folk, free from day's work should watch at least the news items or some other important items like the 'Big Fight' on the Star T. V. or interviews of some top journalists or politicians on some current issues before the nation. There is of course, lot to be learnt from some of the 'items televised 'Discovery Channel' is really a marvel of photography and a real education.
But there are hardly any really educative programs for students — a few UGC sponsored programs sometimes may be some value; otherwise the Quiz programs do some educating. 'The Sa-Re-Ga-Ma’ program has really done a lot in the budding talents in music all over the country.
That really is a great service and a great, discovery-effort in the field of music. And sitting cozily in your home you can watch such national events' with all their glory an glamour as the flag hoisting at the Red Fort Delhi on August 15; or the high profile Elegant show on. 26, each year on Vijaypath and the India Gate in Delhi. One can watch these events without being required to venture out and rub shoulders with the crowd. And then the Wimbledon tournament or the cricket matches — all these are the boons that T.V. has bestowed on us. They are boons no doubt.
But we ever thought of the baneful effects of this so-much sought after means of entertainment. Sometimes one does feel and has to feel that the baneful out-weighs the boons. The children, just in their formative age remain glued to the 'Cartoon Series', which go on and on without any intermission; the little older folk are crazy after a Shahrukh Khan's picture show or for any other such movie of their favorite hero or heroine.
They can miss a meal but not this show. This has led to a sharp decline in the sports and games activities all over the country. Those tennis courts or badminton courts or hockey, football or cricket grounds which used to buzz with activity every afternoon lie deserted and neglected. The tennis courts of a University which had produced players of at least the national caliber are now the happy grazing grounds for stray cattle. Those young men or women who should have made their mark on the play fields are sitting closed up in the room before the T.V. set. Such is the inattention and inactivity towards sports and games in virtually all the educational institutions all over the country and the T.V. has much to be blamed for all this.
Why is it that this large country as ours is not able to produce world champions in any event at least not in team events. There may be many other reasons for this lack luster performance of our prayers but then at the grooming stage much of the precious time of our young man and woman gets woefully engaged and involved in other parts used and games and sports and TV is one such a distraction for them. We cannot ignore this factor rather have to take an active note of it.
A Colored TV is a great hazard people, some how do not seem to realize this part that remains and needs to be taken note of. The X-rays the gamma rays and the Roentgen rays was a very adverse effect on the retina of the eyes and cause of permanent damage to the eyes. These rays can even cause skin cancer if the body or any part of it remains too much and too long exposed to them.
And then the sort of serials and shows to which the child's mind gets exposed through the TV shows of premature adolescence of dawn upon him or her not a healthy state for mental and physical well being.
A child should be allowed to enjoy his Innocence and bliss heaven lays about us in our infancy’s as the great poet Wordsworth had said but when is that state of blissfulness is exposed to constant attacks from those traits as shown in the TV serials, Romance, adultery, sex, rape and broken marriages or an undue violence how can the little child blissfulness remained unpolluted.
Ht comes of age rather too soon and his mind instead of remaining engaged in puzzle solving and blocks making and toys kids adversely drawn towards kissing and cuddling that he watches on TV screen. And as the child grows up a little he or she can think these activities as a normal way of life and may try to enact them among his or her playmates. This is how the TV can work havoc in a little one's life.
The Shaktimaan serial led a number of children to emulate the scenes shown on the TV screen and there were cases that children jump down from house tops expecting that the Shaktimaan would be there to save them. He or she lost his or her life two great distress of the family. How then can we exculpate the TV for such mishaps?
Last but not the least is the fullness of noise pollution. The middle class family living in a metropolitan town can hardly afford, to have at the most a two room apartment or those living in the slums shall have just one shambled hutment and for most of the day if the T. V. remains on how much sound would it be producing and how much noise pollution must it be causing in their limited space.
Too much noise can even misbalance the mind but people hardly realize these baneful effects and laugh them away as some figment of imagination. But the mischief would happen when it would be too late to realize it and remedy it.
T.V. may be a great entertainer, people may consider it a great educative medium but what use is that education if it takes away from us the zest of life, the pleasure of living and enjoying the little time given to us in this world.
The enjoyment that we feel, we are getting out of this means, may be just a shadow which we may mistaken as the substance. So BEWARE, lest it be too late.
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