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Movies and Television

Unit 1: Video and Photograph

Unit 2: Reading Comprehension

The Influence of Television and Movies

A Common Idiom

Going to the movies on the weekends, or watching television shows in your spare time is so habitual that it's hard to think of another life without these means of entertainment. Not only do TV shows and movies entertain us, they provide us with inspiration, valuable news and timely information - information that powerfully influences our opinions about life. However, people are now starting to realize that there is a positive as well as a negative trade-off that television and movies have in shaping our social and cultural values.

The biggest concern among many educators and parents is that these means of mass media communication is now been abused by large companies for commercial purposes. Advertisers fill up so much of our viewing time with endless television commercials, that they are effectively turning independent communities into consumer-based societies. They do this by promoting products and services that is geared towards blind acceptance, while limiting the need to make personal choices.

Another problem in our society is the growing evidence that serious crimes is directly related to seeing it on film or on television. For example, more and more sex and violence is shown in the movies and on television - especially in western countries and in the U.S. In these countries, studies show that television is particularly addictive for young children and promotes copycat behaviors. Other studies reveal that censorship laws are ineffective in controlling pornographic and violent materials from being seen by minors. One negative influence that television and movies have is in the increase of criminal acts by minors. Most crimes committed by teenagers and minors are crimes where they try to live out in real life what they see on T.V or in the movies.

Nowadays, we need to be proactive in what we choose to watch - after all the media is now an industry of mass production, shallow values and stereotypes that have very little, if any positive value for the modern viewer.

Some people also believe that people who don't watch television are happier than those who do watch television, maybe they are right.

Vocabulary Practice

Influence: The way that something or some person is able to bring about change.
Addictive: Something that is habit forming such as smoking.
Copycat behaviour: Someone who copies the words or actions of another person.
Proactive: The ability of a person or thing to influence positive change.
Stereotype: To classify a person according to social myths and beliefs about their background or culture.

Questions

1. What person(s) are said to be happier?
2. Who promotes copycat behavior in our society?