TV's Irreparable Harm

Level: C2

‘Yes, but what did we use to do before there was television?’ How often we hear statements like this! Television hasn’t been with us all that long, but we are already beginning to forget what the world was like without it. Before we admitted the one-eyed monster into our homes, we never found it difficult to occupy our spare time. We used to enjoy civilised pleasures. For instance, we used to have hobbies, we used to entertain our friends and be entertained by them, we used to go outside for our amusements to theatres, cinemas, restaurants and sporting events. We even used to read books and listen to music and broadcast talks occasionally. All that belongs to the past. Now all our free time is regulated by the ‘goggle box’. We rush home or gulp down our meals to be in time for this or that programme. We have even given up sitting at table and having a leisurely evening meal, exchanging the news of the day. A sandwich and a glass of beer will do anything, providing it doesn’t interfere with the programme. The monster demands and obtains absolute silence and attention. If any member of the family dares to open his mouth during a programme, he is quickly silenced.

Whole generations are growing up addicted to the telly. Food is left uneaten, homework undone and sleep is lost. The telly is a universal pacifier. It is now standard practice for mother to keep the children quiet by putting them in the living-room and turning on the set. It doesn’t matter that the children will watch rubbishy commercials or spectacles of sadism and violence – so long as they are quiet.

There is a limit to the amount of creative talent available in the world. Every day, television consumes vast quantities of creative work. That is why most of the programmes are so bad: it is impossible to keep pace with the demand and maintain high standards as well. When millions watch the same programmes, the whole world becomes a village, and society is reduced to the conditions which obtain in pre-literate communities. We become utterly dependent on the two most primitive media of communication: pictures and the spoken word.

Television encourages passive enjoyment. We become content with second-hand experiences.  It is so easy to sit in our armchairs watching others working. Little by little, television cuts us off from the real world. We get so lazy we choose to spend a fine day in semi-darkness, glued to our sets, rather than go out into the world itself. Television may be a splendid medium of communication, but it prevents us from communicating with each other. We only become aware how totally irrelevant television is to real living when we spend a holiday by the sea or in the mountains, far away from civilisation. In quiet, natural surroundings, we quickly discover how little we miss the hypnotic tyranny of King Telly.

Glossary

addicted- liking something so much that you do not want to stop doing it or having it

admit- to allow someone to enter

civilised- pleasant and comfortable

consume- to use

content- happy

cut off- to separate

demand- n. the need or desire that people have for particular goods and services; v. to ask for something very firmly

entertain- to invite people to your home for a meal, party, etc.

glued to- looking at something with all your attention

goggle box- (figurative) television

goggle- to look at something with your eyes wide open in surprise of shock

gulp down- to swallow large quantities of food or drink quickly

hypnotic- making you feel tired and unable to pay attention to anything else

interfere with- to prevent something from succeeding or from happening in the way that it was planned

irrelevant-  not useful or not related to a particular situation, and therefore not important

keep pace with- to change or increase as fast as something else

little by little- gradually; by degrees

maintain- to make something continue in the same way or at the same standard as before

obtain- 1. to get something that you want; 2. if a situation, system, or rule obtains, it continues to exist

occupy-  if something occupies your time, you are busy doing it

one-eyed monster- (figurative) television

pacifier- something that makes people calm

primitive- very simple and not modern

providing- if

regulate- to control an activity or process, especially by rules

rubbishy- silly or of a very low quality

sadism- behaviour in which someone gets pleasure from hurting other people or making them suffer

spare time- free time; leisure time

spectacle- an unusual thing or situation that you see or notice

splendid- beautiful and impressive

telly- (informal) television

tyranny- cruel and unfair control over other people

universal- true or suitable in any situation

will do anything- be enough or acceptable

Collocations

hear statements

admit someone into a place

occupy your spare time

enjoy civilised pleasures

have hobbies

entertain friends

go out for your amusements

something belongs to the past

your free time is regulated by

rush home

gulp down your meal

be in time for something

sit at a table

have a leisurely meal

exchange the news of the day

demand (absolute) silence/attention

obtain (absolute) silence/attention

addicted to something

it is now standard practice to do something

rubbishy commercials

spectacles of sadism and violence

maintain high standards

be reduced to something

conditions obtain

utterly dependent on

encourage passive enjoyment

become content with

second-hand experiences

cut someone off from something

prevent someone from doing something

totally irrelevant