PassageNineteen(TV’sHarmfulness)Yesbutwhatdidweusetodobeforetherewastelevision?Howoftenwehearstatementslikethis!Televisionhasn’tbeenwithusallthatlongbutwearealreadybeginningtoforgetwhatthe

　　PassageNineteen(TV’sHarmfulness)

　　Yesbutwhatdidweusetodobeforetherewastelevision?Howoftenwehearstatementslikethis!Televisionhasn’tbeenwithusallthatlongbutwearealreadybeginningtoforgetwhattheworldwaslikewithoutit.Beforeweadmittedtheone-eyedmonsterintoourhomesweneverfonditdifficulttooccupyoursparetime.Weusedtoenjoycivilizedpleasures.Forinstanceweusedtohavehobbiesweusedtoentertainourfriendsandbeentertainedbythemweusedtogooutsideforouramusementstotheatrescinemasrestaurantsandsportingevents.Weevenusedtoreadbooksandlistentomusicandbroadcasttalksoccasionally.Allthatbelongstothepast.Nowallourfreetimeisregulatedbythegogglebox.Werushhomeorgulpdownourmealstobeintimeforthisorthatprogramme.Wehaveevengivenupsittingattableandhavingaleisurelyeveningmealexchangingthenewsoftheday.Asandwichandaglassofbeerwilldo–anythingprovidingitdoesn’tinterferewiththeprogramme.Themonsterdemandsandobtainsabsolutesilenceandattention.Ifanymemberofthefamilydarestoopenhismouthduringaprogrammeheisquicklysilenced.

　　Wholegenerationsaregrowingupaddictedtothetelly.Foodisleftuneatenhomeworkundoneandsleepislost.Thetellyisauniversalpacifier.Itisnowstandardpracticeformothertokeepthechildrenquietbyputtingthemintheliving-roomandturningontheset.Itdoesn’tmatterthatthechildrenwillwatchrubbishycommercialsorspectaclesofsadismandviolence–solongastheyarequiet.

　　Thereisalimittotheamountofcreativetalentavailableintheworld.Everydaytelevisionconsumesvastquantitiesofcreativework.Thatiswhymostoftheprogrammesaresobad:itisimpossibletokeeppacewiththedemandandmaintainhighstandardsaswell.Whenmillionswatchthesameprogrammesthewholeworldbecomesavillageandsocietyisreducedtotheconditionswhichobtaininpreliteratecommunities.Webecomeutterlydependentonthetwomostprimitivemediaofcommunication:picturesandthespokenword.

　　Televisionencouragespassiveenjoyment.Webecomecontentwithsecond-handexperiences.Itissoeasytositinourarmchairswatchingothersworking.Littlebylittletelevisioncutsusofffromtherealworld.Wegetsolazy