Once it's introduced it's considered a luxury ― and then after a while it becomes a very normal item. Ultimately not having it brings up questions and is considered out of the ordinary.
“Television! Teacher, mother, secret lover.”
― Homer Simpson, The Simpsons
Why does a television play such a big role in our life? In fact it is like a furniture that always gets the best location, like a trophy; and it is always on, like your light bulb. Try to invite a few friends over and then observe how it will suck all the attention and you will end up staring its flashing lights in silence.
“Television is simply automated day-dreaming.”
― Lee Lovinger
Indeed, it sends you to a magical place out of this world where you can forget your worries and the things you should be doing. It’s like a drug that makes you forget tomorrow. It even makes you forget the present moment and everything that is going on around you.
“All television is educational television. The question is: what is it teaching?”
― Nicholas Johnson
Television is in fact a very dangerous device as it affects your whole life, even after you turn it off. While you are sitting there with your eyes open and all muscles relaxed it is telling you a story which goes right into your mind. In other words, the television puts ideas into your head. If this would not be the case, then why would anyone pay to get their products appear in a movie or commercials?
“Whoever controls the media, controls the mind”
― Jim Morrison
Television broadcasting is a centrally controlled operation that is used to steer the public opinion into a certain direction. It is a powerful tool for propaganda that everyone wishes they had. Businesses want to advertise their products, industries want to steer your preferences, politicians want to appeal to you, intellectuals want to boost their career, and so on. The TV teaches people a certain world view, a moral understanding and even behavioural guidelines.
“The marvels - of film, radio, and television - are marvels of one-way communication, which is not communication at all.”
― Milton Mayer
The television has casted a collective spell over people. The spell is reinforced by the programmed as they will pass on their understanding to their children and the those around them. Anything not talked about in television is considered radical, dangerous, or untrue. Thus the ones doing the programming can effectively create a reality for the people to believe in.
“If you came and you found a strange man... teaching your kids to punch each other, or trying to sell them all kinds of products, you'd kick him right out of the house, but here you are; you come in and the TV is on, and you don't think twice about it.”
― Jerome Singer
Then where does this all lead to?
“If the television craze continues with the present level of programs, we are destined to have a nation of morons.”
― Daniel Marsh, 1950
I'm afraid that is exactly what we have become. Thankfully though today the arena is getting more decentralized as anyone can tune in to the alternative media. The key difference is that on the Internet the number of “channels” is not limited, starting a new one is practically free, the content is usually highly focused, and its censorship is really hard.
In fact, if I would watch TV daily I would not have found the time or knowledge to write this article, and likewise you would not have had the time to read it! I would rather sit alone in pitch-dark room than corrupt my mind in this so called “entertainment”.
I hate TV and so should you!
the Teacher of Our Collective