Television Madness: Why watch TV?

The average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day. In a 65 year life, that's 9 years. Why do kids keep watching TV if statistics show that it can cause lower grades, cause you to read less, cause you to exercise less and be overweight?

We all know the obvious answer: it's entertaining. But aren't books entertaining too? My theory is that television and movies give us that deeper connection that some people can't experience in books. Sometimes, you can relate to the character better if you see their emotions. Sometimes, a comedy is only funny if you hear the character's sarcasm.

Drama
When I watch a drama on TV, my mind is engulfed in the plot. I can feel what they feel, because somehow I can relate. When left with a cliffhanger, I shockingly stare at the screen until I eventually burst out with surprising emotion. It's different from a book because I don't have to think, and sometimes that can be really relaxing.

Comedy
Comedy is different. You can't see the joke on paper as well as on the screen. Tones can't be heard as well and sarcasm can be hard to detect without the help of more descriptions. Plus, it's weird to laugh aloud while reading.

Environment
The environment is different too. Words can describe the color, but what do you really see? It might confuse some people in different situations. In my opinion, it's just more helpful to see exactly what was meant to be seen.

Again, why do we continue to watch TV? Americans are lazy. We don't want to read and think. And yes, TV is also entertaining.

How I wrote this
Hands sweating, heart pounding, I rush to finish the assignment the teacher assigned. The pencil in my hand scurries across the page, and my mind is counting the minutes until the show begins. The pencil flies down and for a few minutes, it had time to recover. Then back to work it goes until the last word is written down on the page. My show finally resumes and the work for today is done.

Comment below with your thoughts on TV. Why do you watch it?

It's 3 hours 'till bedtime; I say watch, don't wait.