There’s No Such Thing as Too Much of a Good Thing

At this point I’d say it’s easy to tell how much I love TV. Well, I don’t just watch it, sometimes I actually read about it too. I came across this article the other day called “Revolution in a box: it’s not Twitter or Facebook that’s reinventing the planet. Eighty years after the first commercial broadcast crackled to life, television still rules our world. And let’s hear it for the growing legions of couch potatoes: All those soap operas might be the ticket to a better future after all.” Charles Kenny writes about the unbelievable powers of television. Its popularity continues to grow, even in areas that have just received electricity. As the popularity grows, so does its access, and in turn the number of channels available. Kenny talks about the considerable influence of soap operas. In Brazil, for example, some shows are so popular that newborns are now popular stars’ namesakes. Another way television is changing the world is by educating kids. Depending on the type of show children watch, their test scores have gone up and they’re less likely to do drugs. Watching television, in some places, has even lowered birth rates. Kenny mentions that governments would be wise to harness televisions’ considerable power in positive ways. Basically, the article credits television for the good that’s happening in many parts of the world.

A lot of what I’ve come up, while writing this blog, has bashed TV. It’s bad because of this or that. It’s harmful and doesn’t do much for you. I think it’s safe to say that that list could go on forever. This article is really interesting, since it never really attacks TV once. I think there might be something to that idea.