We often hear complaints such as: “I can’t distract my baby from the TV” or “My wife and I spend less time together than before because of that two-hour TV series every night”. Used by the vast majority of the population, television has become a manipulation tool so efficient that it can turn us into robots performing, without any discerning filter, what we see in shows and movies (good or bad). And we spend so many hours in front of the TV without realizing how much time was wasted. In addition to the health problems, especially eye-related, excessive time spent watching TV can develop many other problems.
Although the content of the broadcasts we watch has a strong impact on the mind, it seems that the TV itself, as a means of transmitting images, can deeply affect our minds. Regardless of the content, evidence suggests that watching most of the TV programs available is harmful to the frontal lobe.
The list below helps us understand once again how important it is what we do with our free time, and what direction can take our lives if we continue to expose ourselves to bad influences.
1.Watching TV for a long time can have a hypnotic effect, bypassing the frontal lobe’s filter by repeatedly changing the images and scenes in most programs; thus reducing cognitive capacity.
2.TV programs often stimulate unhealthy or illicit sexual desires.
3.TV programs increase aggressive and violent tendencies.
4.TV programs increase depression.
5.Regularly watching TV productions take time away from reading, learning, homework, family.
6.Watching TV is associated with an unhealthy lifestyle, including obesity.
7.Wasting hours in front of the TV reduces creativity.
8.In the long run, TV causes addiction and has a negative impact on the spiritual life.
Perhaps today, for young people, television is no longer such a great temptation. We have smaller screens to look at. Don’t be too relieved - mobile phones, tablets or computers, all of these are exactly the same, if not worse. Using them everyday, we lose more time than we realize. Remember that you can spend your days however you want, but you can never undo wasted time.
