Do movies and television affect our behavior? I believe that movies and television do influence our behavior, both for the better and for the worse.
' L0 ^# q/ q7 p$ g! j% y6 HMovies and television influence our behavior because they make us less active. Looking at films is * }8 |1 o9 V& M0 c3 b' P
a passive activity. If we watch too much, we become unhealthy, both mentally and physically. We
4 _( {& i5 ?/ g- G% pstop using our own imagination when we see things acted out for us. Mental laziness becomes
& U# w! g1 o8 `3 r: Tphysical laziness; we’d rather watch sports on TV than play sports ourselves. We’d rather visit 0 ]' G# V. f! N8 o$ P' ?
with the characters on "Seinfeld" or "Friends" than go chat with our own neighbors. Imaginary
# {7 C" {* b5 x3 ]) d( x: Rpeople have exciting lives. Is it any wonder that some people would rather live a fantasy life than 6 ?9 T0 u. }% v/ x
their own? Movies and television also can make people more violent. The more we see violent " B1 z9 m3 A; d% p5 \) a7 {% o. e
acts on television, the less sensitive we become to them: Eventually violence doesn’t seem wrong. & S3 }3 C) ]/ `( [7 y
We may even commit violent acts ourselves. This is especially true because we don’t always " [& N* ^/ g7 U* h7 v$ w
realize that violence has consequences. Actors can be killed and come back for another movie.
Y6 f: I) N4 H% E4 JSometimes we confuse that with reality. We forget that killing someone is permanent. ' \: _8 \3 g) a b
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Of course, watching movies and television can also be good for us. It can give us a broader
) ~$ i1 A: E( h) o. Z! d( u& Pwindow on the world. For example, seeing movies can expose us to people of different races and cultures. We can then overcome some prejudices more easily. Recently there have been more handicapped people in films, and this also helps reduce prejudice.
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The best influence on our behavior is that movies and television reduce stress. Watching films, we can escape our own problems for a little while. Also, sometime movies show positive ways to resolve problems we all face. While TV and movies shouldn’t be a way to hide from life,
' d/ W% \# {/ m" f: R/ asometimes they can help us cope. 1 T+ T3 y8 y8 w1 [7 V% A! O: r8 Y7 t
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It is true that movies and television can influence our behavior negatively. However, I also believe that they influence our behavior in positive ways. How they affect you depends on how much you watch, what you watch, and how you respond to what you watch. |