Television- A Blessing or a Curse?
Television is one of the most important miracles of science. It has brought about a revolution in the field of entertainment, education and communication. It has brought the cinema and the stage both into our houses. One can now watch moving, talking and living pictures on the screen while sitting in his home.
Television has many advantages to its credit. It has three major functions- to educate, entertain and to inform. Many educative and informative programmes can be shown on the television which are of great help to students and the masses. Television is specially very valuable for an underdeveloped country like India where a great majority of the people are illiterate and live in the villages. Documentaries and discussions with suitable visuals provide education and information. Through the talks delivered by eminent scholars, people can be informed about the latest happenings and current problems. Scientists, social workers and eminent personalities can talk to the people directly. Thus they can gain a huge fund of information regarding science, political matters and social problems.
Entertainment comes in various forms. People can enjoy films, plays, dances, musical concerts, sports and games and the scenic beauty of any part of the world. Television also helps to a great extent in removing social and political evils from the society. It can highlight the evils of casteism, dowry, drinking, gambling etc. and help in their removal. Similarly, government programmes like family planning, afforestation, adult education and cleanliness can also be propagated through the medium of television.