TOPIC:
“What are your thoughts on the idea that television has turned out to isolate people instead of bringing them together?”
My Response:
Television has been one of the greatest inventions in the history of mankind. It has been a boon, especially in the field of communication. People now, are just one click away from entering a world of information of all sorts, be it sports, music, political affairs, share market, etc. Television is a great platform for spreading awareness among people , so that they know what goes around in different parts of the globe. Thus, the fact that T.V. has made the lives of people easier , cannot be denied. But, in todays world, Television generally has isolated people instead of bringing them closer.
Unlike the old times, when only one channel was televised which was watched together by the whole family, or by friends, today the television has been inundated with channels and not all of these can be watched by a family as such. The choices of channels has divided the audience into groups by age or by gender. Cookery shows are watched by Housewives, while the men prefer to watch Sports or News. Children on the other hand enjoy Cartoon Serials. Hence the idea that people are brought closer by the T.V. is generally spurned.
Its often the opposite with television. Members of the same family are quite often spotted altercating as each wants to take control of the television remote and want to view what they want. Children quarrelling to watch their favorite cartoon shows is also a common sight. These instances corroborate the fact that T.V. creates divide.
As the T.V. viewership increases by day and people spend more alone time watching what they fancy, the quality time that needs to spent with family reduces, which weakens the kin bonds. The concept of a ‘Dining Table’ for instance is fading away. Originally, Dining tables were meant to enable the whole family to enjoy meals together. But , today people rather eating with the Box than with relatives.
In summation, I would say that the Television has undoubtedly helped mankind and has been quite a boon in many fields. But, with the kind of damage that it has inflicted on the relationships between family member and friends, the primary basis on which the society is built has been eroded, as people have been segregated, which debunks the fact that T.V brings people closer.