Televisions are usually known as a box-shaped object that displays coloured images and emits sound. Televisions were once a luxurious item, however in this age and time it has become a common item. I can still remember that my father once told me that when he was young, he had to go to his friend’s house to watch a television show and television programmes then were not in colours. The only colours that were displayed were black and white. During this modern era, it is not surprising to see that a house has two or more televisions. Television certainly has its pros and cons.

Televisions are our main source of entertainment. By switching channels from one to the other, we are sure to find a variety of shows that are aired. When we watch comedies or cartoons, we can reduce our stress. This is because when we laugh, our body releases a certain type of hormone that counteract against our stress. As the saying goes, “laughter is the best medicine”, thus it is good for us to watch television when we are feeling down or when we are stressed up.

Besides, watching television keeps us updated on the latest happenings and news. When we turn to the news channel, we are able to know the latest happenings and news in our countries and overseas. We can watch an event or a sports game that is happening live in other parts of the world. For example, I am certain that many of us watched the badminton competition which took place in China in the comfort of our home.

We can gain extra knowledge by watching television programmes. Watching documentary films is certainly the best way to gain information. These information that we gain cannot be found in our textbooks. Good television programmes can be found in Discovery Channel and The History Channel.

Every good thing in the world will certainly have some bad effects on us. Some will say that watching television is a waste of time. Time spent watching television programmes should be spent on reading a book instead. Besides, watching too many television programmes will certainly affect our vision. Statistics have shown that there is a sharp rise of people in our country that are putting on glasses.

We could get carried away when we watch television programmes. Television programmes are getting more and more interesting. We tend to watch every television programme which we enjoy. This will reach a point where we will start to neglect our studies and responsibilities.

Violence, sex, and profanity are elements that are usually present in television programmes. This Western culture is not suitable for the Asian viewers. These elements will certainly corrupt a young viewer. Albeit precautions had been done to ensure that shows with these elements does not go on air, it is not enough. Some shows with these elements are still being aired for the public.

There are pros and cons when we watch television programmes. The only way to maximize the benefits of watching telelvison programmes is to know when to watch and when to stop watching.

Written by:

James Lee 4P (2009)