After considering our discussions of Gore and Winn, answer the following prompt by posting your response as a comment below:
In a well-developed paragraph summarize and describe the negative effects that Winn
sees in habitual TV watching. Does Gore agree with her sentiments? In a second paragraph, discuss some ways in which these two
authors’ arguments compare and/or contrast? Use at least one direct
example from each of these texts in your response. (Due 10/23)
According to Marie Winn, in her article, "TV Addiction", she discusses the negative effects of watching the television. One negative effect of television watching is that when you are watching tv, you feel that you need to watch more because you'll never feel satisfied. "But heavy television viewers can never be sated with their television experiences. These do not provide the true nourishment that satiation requires, and thus they find they cannot stop watching." (Winn 211) Another effect is that it is very time consuming. Lastly, it weakens relationships, "eliminating normal opportunities for talking, for communicating". (Winn 211) Even though watching the television can be quite entertaining it causes people to become consumed in it, or in other words, addicted.
ReplyDeleteAl Gore in his article, "The Assault of Reason", he describes how television watching is usually used for hedonistic reasons rather than using it to intake valuable information. Al Gore in his article and Marie Winn in her article, "TV Addiction", both have some mutual connections on how television watching is a new priority. "And while American television watchers were collectively devoting a hundred million hours of their lives each week to these and other similar stories, our nation was in the process of more process of more quietly making what future historians will certainly describe as a series of catastrophically mistaken decisions on issues of war and peace, the global climate and human survival, freedom and barbarity, justice and fairness." (Gore 4) As Gore, believes that's the only issue with television watching, there are other ones as well. Winn states the other issue to television watching is that it has the ability to become extremely addicting. Winn uses dramatic language in order to get her point across. "Just as alcoholics are only vaguely aware of their addiction, feeling that they control their drinking more than they really do ("I can cut it out any time I want -I just like to have three or four drinks before dinner"), many people overestimate their control over television watching." (Winn 211) She compares alcoholics to addicted television watchers, and it shows how insane people can be about watching television. Both authors make a valid point on how dependent some of us are with television watching and how we might have neglected time for useful reasons.
Hey, Prof. Addis D’Amato My E-Journal is posted but as a New post because apparently you can only post 4,096 characters. Probably because it was too long. So that's where you will find my E-Journal #4. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteGabriel Clerval
ReplyDeleteEng 125/ e-journal #4
Professor Stephen J Addis D’Amato
10/23/12
TV Addiction
In the article “TV Addiction” author Marie Winn talks about the negative effects of television on people. In the article she talks about the feeling of time wasted and the need to watch more TV. She also talks about how TV addicts say tend to put TV as a priority even though they feel like they should be doing something else. “Self-confessed television addicts often feel they “ought” to do other things-but the fact that they don’t read and plant their garden or sew or crochet or play games or have conversations means that those activities are no longer as desirable as television watching (Winn pg 211). By this Winn is trying to convey that TV addicts know that doing something else besides watching TV would be better but they still seem to pick TV over other activities. One could argue that they deem it more important. I would say that gore aggress with Winn mainly because gore talks about the negative things TV broadcasts instead of the important issues.
In Winn’s “TV Addiction” and gore’s “The Assault on Reason” article’s they both show a disappointment/disgust towards television. Both authors’ talks about the negative impact television have on its viewers. In Winn’s article she talks about the sense of wasted time (Winn 213). In Gore’s article he talks about the amount of time Americans on average waste watching TV (Gore 6). Some of the differences are what exactly each author is trying present to us readers. In Winn’s article she focuses more on the negative aspects of television. She went into detail about the problems it causes us mentally. In Gore’s article he focuses more on what is being broadcasted or what the news is deeming the most important story for that period.
Ranita Saha
ReplyDeleteENG 125 - RQ1
Prof. Addis D’Amato
E-Journal #4
October 23, 2012
Give Me Television or Give Me Death!
Since the advent of the television, social dynamics have suffered. Behavior that society would have deemed rude or detestable have become commonplace. In “TV Addiction,” Marie Winn explores the degradation of society due to this technological advancement. As she so eloquently puts it, “the television experience allows the participant to blot out the real world and enter into a pleasurable and passive state”(210). However, this is not necessarily a good thing. Television has become a sort of monster…all on its own. People afflicted with this type of addiction have their priorities out of order. Rather than engaging in a fruitful activity, the now-mindless viewers have thrown their obligations and even their personal relationships with others by the wayside. By offering testimonials from others who have been all-consumed by the television, Winn is able to drive home the severity of television viewing. Another negative effect, the weakening of personal relationships, is demonstrated by the housekeeper testimonial in Winn‘s article. Not only does she not stop her program, but she goes on to ask for time to finish her program (213). Winn’s sentiments seem to mirror Gore’s own as is observed in Gore’s “The Assault on Reason.” Although Gore does not actually name television as a root for an addiction, he does allude to its negative influence in modern society. It has become a daily mainstay in one’s day-to-day dealings. Gore seems to detest what the television has done to society’s initiative. Rather than a society of doers, because of television, it has become a society of observers. With the remote in hand and eyes glassed over, people have taken to making “a dramatic change in their daily routine…sitting motionless, staring at flickering images on a screen” (7) for hours at a time. Is there no end in sight?
Both Winn and Gore make striking claims against television. However, the language used by both authors to convey their disdain for television are radically different. Winn employs strong and, sometimes, provoking language when describing television addiction. Winn even, at one point, correlates heavy television viewing to drug use commenting that those kinds of people “are as unbalanced by their television ‘habit’ as drug addicts’ or alcoholics’ lives” (211). While Gore acknowledges the influence television has on people’s behaviors and opinions, he does not resort to using this type of provoking and melodramatic language. He, instead, points out the degree of influence as is observed in the following snippet of a statement: “television’s power to motive changes in behavior was…unprecedented” (8). Although both authors, at the end of the day, try to convey the harmful effects of television viewing, Gore’s argument seems to supersede Winn’s. Winn is successful in almost scandalizing a behavior that has become a society norm, however, her use of a multitude of testimonials ends up drowning out her own opinion. At times, her testimonials seemed almost too forced. Gore, on the other hand, is able to drive home his point of passiveness by stating statistical facts and giving examples of advertisers’ actions. To conclude, if a point has any merit, it doesn’t need over-the-top colorful language. Sometimes, less is more.
Diana Cuevas
ReplyDeleteEnglish 125-RQ1
Professor Stephen Addis D’Amato
E-Journal # 4
October 23, 2012
How can one resist?--it's staring right at me!
When friends and family are unavailable to comfort you during a bad break-up, sick days or moments of apprehension, who remains present at your own discretion in relieving the stress? The television has been the device that for many, has taken the role of a therapist by mentally allowing one to cope with problems and dismissing the outside world around without even having to say a word. For those who own a television, it is undeniably true that an attachment develops between the viewer and the television set, especially if it has been watched since one’s youth. This devoted “attachment” may be very well linked to an addiction. In Marie Winn’s article, “TV Addiction”, she elaborates on the negative attributes television addictions may have in a sociological, psychological and neurological level. Some drawbacks Winn clearly validates are the absence of time for other hands-on activities (212), the deterioration of personal encounters (211) and the growth of anxiety (212). According to Winn, in a sociological level, television reduces your likelihood to converse with people physically, rather than electronically or telephonically. Not only may television effect your socialization, but one’s mental state. Psychologically, “A person may no longer be watching television because of simple want, but because he or she virtually has to.” (215) Television influences a person’s mind and emotions by no longer appealing to their desires but applying television to their psychological necessities. Winn included a testimony given by a former heavy television watcher who admitted having felt anxious and tired while excessively watching television (211-12). In the neurological aspect of it, anxiety is a medical condition manifested by nervousness or agitation. That being said, changes of the human brain takes place when one deals with such strain. Winn believes that habitual television watching contributes to a realm of negative effects. Al Gore agrees with Marie Winn in the sociological facet of television’s harmful effects. In “The Assault on Reason”, a book written by Al Gore, Gore asserts that television is founded on “several serious problems that stem from the dramatic and fundamental change in the way we communicate among ourselves” (Gore 15-6). Television has taken control of all forms of communications amongst people and diminishes the reading of newspapers—which used to serve as the most important “medium” of receiving factual evidence and reports (8).
Although both Gore and Winn agree that television has changed ones form of communication, there main points differ. Gore is more centered on how the excessive television viewing of others may be linked to the decline in factual printed documents, whereas Winn is more concerned in stating the negative attributes television has on an individual’s life. Gore concludes that a new form of media has arisen; television, which led to the decline of the printing press and soon enough the waning of newspaper readers (20). Winn comes through with her main points with a different approach and stays away from statistical evidence like the ones used in Gore’s text. Winn uses personal testimonies from a diverse group of people, allowing the reader to sense a mutual feeling, by making it clear that they are not the only ones who may be facing the same addiction problem. Just like one cannot blame a lion for consuming a deer, one cannot blame the television for doing what it was invented for, which is for one to be informed and amused, whether by news or by entertainment channels. It is simply in its nature, but in our control to unplug what mentally has “plugged” us in.
Temur Davlatov
ReplyDeleteEng 125 RQ1
Prof D’Amato
Date: 10/21/2012
TV in our life’s
Most of the people in America are addicted to watching TV and not aware of it. Most of the people can’t relax if they don’t watch TV and I have same kind of problem. For example when I am have dinner I need to watch TV. It helps me to relax and get away from all the problems. Winn bring up the “passing up the activities that lead to growth or development or a sense of accomplishment” (Winn211). She emphasizes the idea that when we are watching TV we lose a lot of time and opportunities that could have been beneficial. Gore is embarrasses the idea that television has side effects “The truth is that America democracy is now in danger—not from any one set of ideas, but from unprecedented changes in the environment within ideas either live and spread, or wither and die”(Gore2/3). One of the side effects that Gore is brings up in this quotation is that we have over lauded with un necessary ideas and problems that we have over looked and forget about the real issue that going on in US.
Winn and Gore both agree that most of the Americans are addicted to watching TV and we are heading at the wrong direction, but the Winn is more focusing in idea that TV addiction causes people to lose time and she compares them with other addictions like smoking cigarettes and so forth. In the other hand Gore believes in influence television has on people and on the way that is shaping our society. In gores idea people are getting influence negatively on their opinions, beliefs and way of thinking. I truly agree with both of the Authors because I have seen people being more intrigued about the reality show then presidential debates and I have wasted a lot of time on TV when I could have been doing something much more productive.
Shafaq Javed
ReplyDeleteProf. Addis D’Amato
Eng. 125
e-journal#4
If watching t.v. is the way of relaxation for some people then they are addicted to it.
T.V. has some weird effects on some people’s life. For example, some people can’t sleep without watching t.v., some kids don’t do their home works until they finish watching their favorite shows, or some people don’t want to go out just because they will miss their weekly show. Marie Winn states, “ It is the adverse effect of television viewing on the lives of so many people makes it feel like a serious addiction (211).” People forget that they have other works to do except watching t.v. I agree with Winn because she mentions in her article that people are addicted to it like drugs and alcohol. I think there are too many ways for alcoholic person to quit but there is no way to leave t.v. addiction.
Al Gore also cites side effects of t.v. in his article “ The Assault on Reason”. He states, “Television first overtook newsprint to become the dominant source of information in America in 1963(7).” He states more, “ Millions of Americans have simply stopped reading newspapers. Afternoon newspapers were the first to broke(7).” People used to grab newspaper with their coffee in the morning time. But since t.v. came out, people stopped buying newspapers and stay front of t.v. for hours and hours and don’t realize they are losing their skills to read and write, and also their precious time.
S’ade Morris
ReplyDeleteEng. 125-RQ1
Prof. Addis D’Amato
E-journal #4
October 23, 2012
In Marie Winn’s Article “ TV Addiction” she makes her view on television and what she feels it has done to society very clear often comparing it to the levels of drug and alcohol addiction. At one point Winn states “ television viewing, for those vulnerable to addiction, is more like drinking or taking drugs-once you start its hard to stop”(210). In support of her opinion Winn tells us of the many negative effects tv addiction may cause. One of her many points being television distorts the sense of time, she even goes as far as to give us a testimonial in which a repair-shop owner states “All the while we were watching I’d feel terribly angry at myself for wasting all that time watching junk”(212). A more common effect that most people who are heavy watchers experience is tiredness and anxiety after watching hours of nothing. When reading Gore’s Article “ The Assault on Reason” we realize that his views on television and the time spent watching it are very similar to those of Winn. He states “ Americans made a dramatic change in their daily routine and started sitting motionless staring at a flickering screen…”(7) focusing on the lack of other activities becoming undesirable and televisions dominance over the public. Unlike Gore and Winn, Author James Turck of the “ The Television Addiction” does not agree with television being an addiction, stating from a article published by scientific America “ The Term “TV addiction” is imprecise and laden with value judgments” (1). Turck views the issue as something that can be argued and is dependent upon the viewer.
In The Articles “The Assault On Reason” and “ TV Addiction” Authors Winn and Gore utilize similar approaches on the issue at hand. With very clear views and supporting information to back up their arguments. Yet Winn uses testimonials as her support giving the stories of real life heavy viewers, while Gore focuses more on history and facts shown throughout its timeline. Turck uses a more subtle yet still stern approach in his article “ The Television Addiction” respecting the views of others but also refuting them. Using multiple studies and facts to his opinion.
Nazirah Muhammad
ReplyDeleteENG 125-RQ1
Prof. Addis D’Amato
E-Journal #4
10/22/12
In the article “TV Addiction” by Marie Winn, she writes about how TV has become an uncontrollable habit and about the negative effects that it has on the everyday lives of people. She compares watching TV to being addicted to drugs or alcohol, “…television viewing, for those vulnerable to addiction, is more like drinking or taking drugs—once you start it’s hard to stop”(210). She wrote this line to better explain how hard it is to stop watching TV by comparing it to other addictions that people have a hard time trying to quit. The negative effects that she stated in this article are: other activities are no longer as desirable as TV, “distorts the sense of time”, “other experiences are vague and curiously unreal”, “weakens relationships”, and that TV does not satisfy one’s needs yet they still continue to watch it (211). In my opinion Al Gore, the author of “The Assault on Reason”, agrees with Winn’s sentiments because they both talk about television taking up a lot of time and attention from people.
“And while American television watchers were collectively devoting a hundred million hours of their lives each week … , our nation was in the process of more quietly making … catastrophically mistaken decisions …”(Gore 4). This sentence connects with one of Winn’s negative of effects of TV which was: other activities are no longer as desirable as TV. Television has grabbed the attention of so many viewers that people have not been as focused on the things that are way more important and can lead to even worse outcomes than just withdrawal symptoms from “TV Addiction”. “in a single generation, Americans made a dramatic change in their daily routine, and started sitting motionless, staring at flickering images on a screen for more than thirty hours each week”(Gore 7). “I’d watch for hours and hours whenever I could, and I remember that feeling of tiredness and anxiety that always followed those orgies, a sense of time terribly wasted” (Winn 212). These two quotes connect with each other because they both stated how people spend so much time watching television and how it has become a daily habit. With Winn’s quote, it shows that even though the person ended up becoming really tired and in the end felt that time could have been spent doing other things, it was still a bad habit that couldn’t be stopped. Both Gore and Winn show how television has become a continuous habit and has wasted a lot of time in our lives that could have been spent doing more productive activities.
Vanessa Raghubar
ReplyDeleteENG 125-RQ1
Prof. Addis D’Amato
E-Journal # 4
10/23/12
Television just like other technology has dominated our lives and we do not even realize. It has become an everyday priority that it is now party of our everyday routine. Some may call it normal and some may call it a serious addiction. In Marie Winn’s article “TV Addiction”, she describes how television is becoming our drug and we are definitely denying our addiction. “Just as alcoholics are only vaguely aware of their addiction, feeling that they control their drinking more than they really do…,any people overestimate their control over television watching”(211). We like to feel like we have control over our live but in reality this device with moving pictures takes the wheel in our life. “Potentially destructive nature of television addiction, it is rarely taken seriously in American society” (213). No one realize the effects television has on us. It is now so important to us; we lose sight of our priorities. Some based their day-to-day schedule around watching television.
Both Winn and Gore have a strong opinion on how television is destroying society. Winn used strong language to describe our addiction to television “Self-confessed television addicts often feel the “ought” to do other things- but the fact that they don’t read and don’t plant their garden…” (211) while Gore explains because of many being addicted to television it is brain washing us and society as a whole is losing its power. “All of a sudden, in a single generation, American’s made a dramatic change in their daily routine, and stared sitting motionless, staring at flickering images on a screen for more than thirty hours a week”(7). Winn and Gore is trying to get the point that television is corrupting out lives and we need to do something about it.
Mazel Kurayev
ReplyDeleteEng 125-RQ1
Prof. D’Amato
E-Journal #4
October 23, 2012
Addiction to the Motion Picture
There are many negative effects on watching TV. Author of “TV Addiction” Marie Winn states many ways on how television can be harmful to people. One way that she describes is our addiction to TV. She writes a testimonial from a college English instructor, “I find television almost irresistible. When the set is on, I cannot ignore it. I can’t turn it off. I feel sapped, will-less, enervated. As I reach out to turn off the set, the strength goes out of my arms. So I sit there for hours and hours.” (Winn 211) The instructor is too addicted to the TV that he is not able to turn it off. It sounds like there is an invisible energy force that almost pulls viewers to watch more TV. Another testimonial that she illustrates is a homemaker, he says, “Sometimes a friend will come over while I’m watching TV. I’ll say, “Wait a second. Just let me finish watching this,” and then I’ll feel bad about that, letting the machine take precedence over people. And I’ll do that for the stupidest programs, just because I have to watch, somehow.” (Winn 213) When people watch TV, they become rude to others without even noticing, later they realize how they acted and can’t understand why the television makes them behave that way. Al Gore, author of “The Assault on Reason,” seems to have the same idea as Winn. He demonstrates, “Americans made a dramatic change in their daily routine, and started sitting motionless, staring at flickering images on a screen for more than thirty hours each week.” (Gore 7)
Both authors appear to have the same proposal as to television being addicting to society. In one way, Gore’s argument is not only how television is addicting but also how it affects the people and news, “Individuals receive, but cannot send. They absorb, but they cannot share. They hear, but they do not speak. They see constant motion, but they do not move themselves. The “well- informed citizenry” is in danger of becoming the “well-assumed audience.”’ (Gore 16) Where as Winn only talks about addiction, “television viewing, for those vulnerable to addiction, is more like drinking or taking drugs-once you start it’s hard to stop.” (Winn 210)
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteSandra Shamburger
ReplyDeleteENG 125 – RQ1
Prof. Addis D’Amato
E-Journal #4
October 23, 2012
Symptoms of Addiction
In her text “TV Addiction”, Marie Winn, shows the parallels between drug addiction and TV addiction. She claims how users escape out of reality “into a pleasurable and passive mental state” (3). As negative consequences she points out that it is “hard to stop”, that people are unaware of their lack of control and that users can never be satisfied. Winn adds that, the TV habit “distorts the sense time” and other activities seem not to be desirable anymore (7). It also changes the social life of people. These are all symptoms of drug addiction.
Winn's approach to the theme TV and Media seems to be more on a social level while Gore in his introduction to “The Assault on Reason” approaches it more from a political background. Nevertheless both compare reading with watching TV. Both authors see reading and TV as a way to another reality but still as complete different activities. For Winn reading “includes an easily accessible return ticket”. She means that on the contrary to TV it is much easier to stop reading and start another activity than to stop watching TV. For Gore reading is a active process in which the reader “participates in the conjuring of the reality the book's author is attempting to depict” (19). I believe both mean the same thing but explain it in different ways.
Mandeep Singh
ReplyDeleteENG-125
Prof. D'Amato
E-Journal #4
Marie Winn has her share of robust opinions, in the “TV Addiction”. Winn has an array of negative assets concerning the crossing paradigm between television tensions, and de-evolution of society. One tally of these emotions, is in her conviction that individuals, in our society can’t simply watch television—without certain habitual changes inevitably grossing into our own sub-conscious’. An example of this is the accusations of osmosis of “addiction” being bred. Winn says, “Not unlike drugs or alcohol, the television experience allows the participant…enter into a pleasurable and passive mental state” (210). Winn’s biggest fear lies in the roots of an “addiction” creeping into society. A trauma, which reflects our individuals’, rejecting the “real world”, in exchange for a false-simulation a television set provides. Another difficulty Winn accuses the television of imposing; Is the sheer exasperation in time, and overall neglect of “time”. Winn states, “They are living in a holding pattern…passing up the activities that lead to growth…or a sense of accomplishment” (211). Reiterating, Winn is certainly scrolling a pungent effect due to this “addiction”.
Al Gore and Marie Winn, have flagrantly agreeable stances concerning television in the respective texts, in a “broader” sense, but both authors’ pen different accusations towards the device. Al Gore, in “The Assault on Reason”, orbits the constellations of televisions, “distracting” an individual from the “greater focuses” at hand, and the blessed “logic” once of pride. Gore links facts to certain realities, saying, “American now watch television …ninety minutes more than the world average. And younger Americans, on average, spend even more time watching television” (6), and “…potential for manipulating mass opinions…by commercial advertisers is…exploited by a new generation of media Machiavellis”. If Americans are to entrench their time, and minds, into the television, and programming, then they are subjected to unparalleled psychological tainting to their minds. Not only that, but the individual is being polygraphed to this, all the while when they could indulge in other obligations. Gore is saying, Americans are being taken advantage of, and “As a result, our democracy is in danger of being hollowed out” (10). Marie Winn, in “TV Addiction”, has streaks of compliance with Gore’s assertions, but handles the manifesting, “addiction”, spawning rapidly in society. Winn says, “…is there a kind of television viewing that falls into the more serious category of destructive addiction!” (210), and “Not unlike drugs or alcohol, the television experience allows the participant…enter into a pleasurable and passive mental state” (210). Winn feels television strokes nerves of restless, unrepentant “addiction”. After an era of adopting this medium, “is it a choice in forgoing this entertaining?” is the illustration Winn weaves. Winn, of course, draws abstraction closely to the inferences Gore leaves behind. Winn recommends that the television will only have us “enter into a pleasurable and passive mental state”, which directly stems an addition of prevention from the “reality” of the world, leaving us susceptible to the oligarchy of “media”, and blockade of “issues” Gore warns the readers of.Gore and Winn have instances, and a factual greater unity in television, and the derogation society takes from it, but they also have different methods aswell.
Sky D Strang
ReplyDelete10/23-2012
E-Journal #4
English 125
In the reading “TV Addiction” by Marie Winn, the author points out many negative effects of TV watching. Winn talks about how heavy watchers lives are unbalanced just as a drug addict or alcoholic. “They are living in a holding patern…passing up the activities that lead to growth or development or a sense of accomplishment.” Winn states (211), this shows how she believes in her hypothesis that people have a unbalanced life if they are heavy TV watchers. Turck seems to agree with her idea that TV watchers are like drug addicts, having a whole section titled “The Plug in Drug”.
Both Winn and Turck (Author of “The Television Addiction”) agree on multiple points. One of many points is that TV is just as bad as a drug. Winn states “Even as people put off other activities to spend hours after hours…” which coincides with Turks explanation of “…over 13 years of the average person’s life will be spent in front of the television.”. All these people are spending so much time and wasting away their lives just as a drug addict would.
Jared Van Sluytman
ReplyDeleteE-journal #4
In the reading "TV Addiction" by Marie Winn we see how dangerous multiple hours of TV watching can be. Winn feels so strongly about people wasting so much of their time watching TV that she actually compares it to being a drug addict. I know that Gore would definitely agree with what Winn is saying. In Gores article he speaks about how americans are no longer focussed on the important parts of life and are getting distracted by trivial matters. Winn also shows corrugations between excessive TV watching and social discrepancies such as social awkwardness and reclusive behavior.
There are many things in common with Winn's article and Gores. In both of these works we see how people and americans on the whole are to caught up with trivial things instead of focussing on the truly important things in life. In Gores article he gives us an example how in congress during the meeting to vote if we should go to war with Iraqi he said how no one was really paying attention and some politicians went even their because they were to busy with fundraisers to bother with the future of this country. I find that this works well with the points Winn uses on how people are to distracted and are not living life the way they are supposed to. This is why i feel that these articles are very similar in their argument.
Mohsina Fayeza
ReplyDeleteEng 125 RQ1
Prof D’Amato
Date: 10/21/2012
Addiction and its result……
It’s amazing how a box can mesmerize us so much that we lose track of time and keep sitting in front of it forgetting the existence of everything around us and losing track of time. In Winn’s essay she says “the television habit distorts the sense of time” (Winn, 2). She focuses on how people waste so much time on watching television which could be used for many fruitful purposes. Gore on the other hand focuses on further depth about television watching side effects. He mentions “an individual who spends four hours watching television is likely to have a very different pattern of brain activity from an individual four hours a day reading” (Gore, 21). Both the writer discusses how we lose our focus from our daily activities as we pay more attention to the television.
Winn talks about waste of time while watching television and Gore talks about less brain activity due to the same reason. Winn gives the confessions of some of the television addicts and Gore gives his viewpoint about peoples ignorance and passiveness on other issues due to watching television because you don’t brainstorm much while watching television. Gores writing focuses on how television acts as a media for exchanging ideas and it can portray images to the mass however it wishes to. While Winn tell how addictive this habit of watching television can get, Gore emphasizes on the after effect of this habit which ultimately results in our passiveness which takes us away from other vital duties in life.
Tashoya Young
ReplyDelete10/25/2012
Eng 125
E-journal #4
Addictions
In the articles, “TV addiction” by Marie Winn and “The Assault on Reason” by Al Gore, expresses the negative effects on how people are becoming addicted to television in our present day society. Winn illustrates that our addiction to television “allows the participant to blot out the real world and enter into a pleasurable and passive mental state” (210). This shows that when people are watching television they are unaware of what is going on again them, they are just in tuned with the false reality the television is presenting. Winn elaborates that television allows people to escape reality for a long period of time; it draws people in for hour at a time. Winn also demonstrates that reading “also provide a temporary respite from reality” (210). People mostly watch television instead of reading, “it’s much easier to stop reading and return to reality than to stop watching television” (210). When people are reading it is easier to get bored and stop, if people are bored of what they are watching they have many option with channel programs which is easy for them to choose a program they like to watch. Winn made an comparison between television and drugs “television viewing, for those vulnerable to addiction, is more like drinking to taking drugs – once you start it’s hard to stop” (210). Most people fail to realize that television addiction is serious, people waist a lot time watching television when they could be engaging in an activity that could help improve their health, or have a meaningful conversation with others. Television can be away to relax and enjoy yourself when watching a program but, just like drinking people have to be responsible when watching television.
Al Gore and Marie Winn both have an understanding about the addiction people have on television. Gore thinks that people focuses on what is going on television instead of what is actually going around in our society. People watch the news for entertainment instead of knowing what is happening around their society and the world. “nonstop coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial was just an unfortunate excess – an unwelcome departure from the good sense and judgment of our television news media” (3). In the television median it is all about celebrities and reality shows. The media is all about entertainment to feed the minds of people instead of education them about the more important issues that is facing them. “American television watchers were collectively devoting a hundred million hours of their lives each week to these other similar stories, our nation was in the process of more quietly making what future historians will certainly describe as a series of catastrophically mistaken on issues of war and peace, the global climate and human survival, freedom, and barbarity, justice and fairness” (4). This shows how uneducated some Americans are when it comes to knowing about the decision making of America, they have no knowledge of it, because they are blind sided with the entertainment of the television.
Surely, these two authors Marie Winn and Al Gore have a negative view on television. Winn illustrates that watching television “provides a respite reality” (210). Television creates a fake reality for people to be a part of without realizing that they actually left their real state of mind for a false state of mind. Gore argues that people watch television for entertainment. People don not watch television to learn for know about what is really going on in their environment.