How Television Shapes Our Mind Essay

The television has displaced reading and thus inhibits the growth of reading skills. Watching TV requires less mental effort than reading. Television makes things tangible, while reading demands symbolic representation of language. While television maximizes the use of saliency(bright colors, loud noise, zoom) that appeals more to the right-brain hemisphere, reading depends on the understanding of syntax and the relatively slower, sequential processing of information-the of the left-hemisphere. There is an alarming increase in cases of dyslexia-the inability to read. Reading is a laborious task compared to watching TV. Recognizing the differences in letters, combining to words, distinguishing the order, comprehending the sentence, connecting to the next one etc. If a kid is raised on a TV diet, who finds reading or schooling attractive? Children who never learn to process language without pictures attached will have difficulty in school. Furthermore, writing ability correlates positively with the number of books read.TV viewing diminishes the quality of intellectual output (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer May 21, 2000) Questions based on the above paragraphs must have been formulated in mind after the survey. Write your questions that vary as to 5 W’s and H. The first sample question is already provided. 1. What two ideas are contrasted in the first paragraph? 2. How does television displace the reading and communication skills? 3. What are the advantage and disadvantage of television in reading and communications skills? 4. Why reading is become a laborious task compared to watching TV? 5. How watching TV requires less mental effort than reading? 6. Why television viewing diminishes the quality of intellectual output? Read the two excerpts now completely, and highlight key ideas. Write below five important concepts in the left column then, describe each briefly in the right column. Highlighted Ideas Brief description 1. TV makes things tangible while reading. Through television we can easily see things we want to know while reading needs deep understanding on what we are reading to comprehend it. 2. Reading is a laborious. When we read, it requires time and effort to understand it compared when we are watching, it is easy to understand because we can visualize the idea. 3. TV viewing diminishes the quality of intellectual output. It means that by TV viewing it decreases the quality of learning and skills to be developed. In addition it weakens the mental abilities of a person to continue on the quest of learning. 4. Writing ability correlates positively with the number of books read. As long as the person understand what he is reading he can come up on writing a purposeful piece that will benefit readers 5. Watching TV requires less mental effort than reading†¦ It is a mere fact because the aid of TV viewing it provides definite description of the characters and other things by its feature, color, dynamic, audio-associated and the like, thus it results on negligence to explore and strengthen the true essence of learning. 6. An alarming increase in cases of dyslexia-the inability to read. Children who expose more on learning through watching TV had difficulties in oral and reading communication because they are more known with visual presentation.