Regardless of whether we use them every day and for how long, it’s considered normal for every home to have a TV. Thick, thin, with large bezels or almost entirely screen, they all serve the same purpose. That purpose is to show vivid on-screen images, satisfying our urges to stay entertained, informed, or even learn a thing or two. With the addition of the Internet and smart features to every new model of the TV to allow streaming, we consider this to be the “golden age of TV”. For that reason, it’s important to weigh out the advantages and disadvantages of TV. Then, try to make sure the pros outweigh the cons in your life.
Comparison table of advantages and disadvantages of television
Advantages of TV
So, we are going to talk about the advantages of television that make our life better or provide something useful. Like any other product out there, television was also made to be useful for the human race. Here are some of the most noticeable advantages of TV.
1. TV provides information and education
The main purpose since the inception of TVs was to deliver information to the masses. And, even though the TVs are nearly unrecognizable today in comparison to the first models, the purpose remained the same. The options are nearly limitless in that regard. Channels deliver the latest news about your area or the whole world. You can find about the weather forecast, watch sports channels, or get educated about things that interest you.
It is also a cheap way to satisfy your traveling urges. You can see places you always wanted to visit, but never could, and in high definition. Furthermore, it is a great educational tool for children and adults alike. It can help children form their opinion and find something they like and relate to. For adults, whether you watched a documentary or an interview, they often advertise additional reading or watching materials, allowing you to learn more about the topic. And don’t forget the fact that millions of people learned one or more additional languages by watching foreign content with subtitles in their native language!
2. Entertainment
Did you think we would forget about entertainment? We consider entertainment to be one of the best advantages of technology in general. Watching reality TV can satisfy your guilty pleasure and flair for drama and conflict. Movies and TV shows can make you laugh, cry, get angry, calm you down, and feel a wide variety of emotions you wouldn’t feel otherwise. Don’t forget group gym workouts, cooking shows, or comedy specials. With that said, TV is also one of the best tools for improving your mental health. This isn’t without drawbacks, which we’ll talk about below.
3. Culture and community
In larger households, or with guests who visit, watching TV is usually a group event. It gives people a sense of belonging, bringing them closer together, bonding over one or more things they watched. And, with the Internet becoming so widespread, the sense of community isn’t limited to one household or even a village, city, or state, but the whole world.
4. TV advertisements
Commercials on TV are annoying, no doubt about that. But they provide hundreds of thousands of advertising jobs across the globe and help businesses advertise their products or services. This isn’t limited to large businesses, though. If you use it the right way, advertising your brand can be the biggest advantage of the TV for you.
5. Inspiration, motivation, creativity
There are algorithms that suggest content on the Internet. But, you typically have to be interested in a topic to find more about it on the Internet. With TV, you’re watching pre-determined content, and on hundreds of channels. This significantly increases the chances that you will stumble upon a topic that will inspire and motivate you, and spark your creativity. Who knows, it might turn into a lifelong hobby or even a profession. This is apparent with children and teenagers.
6. Prices are usually low
Price is both a pro and a con of television, depending on how you look at it. Purchasing a TV can save you hundreds of dollars if you compare it to going to the cinema every day or watching sports games in a local café. It can also save you from hanging out with people who have a set at home if you prefer watching it alone.
7. A way to socialize
Televisions can isolate people. But it can also provide a way to socialize with your friends and family. Most of us have a habit of watching movies together with our family members or friends. This can be an extremely good thing for your social life. Knowingly or unknowingly, this will lead to better relationships because you are spending more time with the people in your life. Just don’t spend a lot of time alone in front of it.
8. TV can help mental health
Because you can relax while watching TV, your mental health can be improved. Watching your favorite shows and movies can help your mind take out the stress, making your overall mental health better. But you should make sure that you are not spending too much time in front of the television. If you do so, it will have negative impact on your health. Eye strain, physical health complications, etc. are some of the things you should watch out for.
Disadvantages of TV
With advantages, there come the disadvantages as well. Like many other products that were actually intended to help society, television also has some disadvantages or cons. Here are some of the most noticeable disadvantages of TV.
1. TV can be expensive
Right off the bat, we’ll mention the price again. You can get a TV for cheap, that’s true. But it will likely be either scuffed or scratched, have poor resolution, contrast, and colors, or simply stop working within weeks or months. TVs are made to be disposable and intended to be replaced by a newer model every couple of years. If you are the type of person that always wants a higher resolution, bigger screen, thinner bezels, and back panel, buying TVs can become an expensive hobby.
2. Isolation and time waste
If you’re watching TV with family and friends, it’ll make for a great bonding experience. But if you start binge-watching content on your own, time goes by quickly. Plus, if you stop showering, talking, or even leaving the couch altogether, this can turn sour quickly. We are made to be social creatures, and you’ll miss so many important and unexpected experiences. Who knows, some of them could’ve been life-changing.
3. Health problems
Constantly sitting or laying down can have severe effects on your posture. It can lead to back, neck, and knee issues, and even affect your joints permanently. Furthermore, if you start eating and drinking in excess, you’re on the path to becoming obese. This brings a plethora of new problems, some of which are high blood pressure, diabetes, and fatigue. Technology has transformed television hugely in recent years, making you addicted to it. So, keep an eye on your health.
4. Desensitization
This is a problem rarely discussed because it happens unconsciously. Watching violence, sex, gory scenes, criminal investigations, and documentaries, and horror content seem educational or entertaining at first glance. But it slowly desensitizes you to things of that nature in the real world. This can potentially lead to apathy e.g. a lack of empathy. This can be a good thing if you work in the police or army, and need to stay calm under pressure. Regular citizens, and even worse, children accidentally exposed, will suffer consequences.
5. Electronic waste
You might have seen this coming when we mentioned the price. Hundreds of thousands of TVs that are broken or simply replaced with a newer model end up in the dump. Some simply can’t bother to sell the TV as a second-hand product. Others get a deal in the store to turn in their older model to get a new one. The result is the same – electronic waste is amassing, and slowly drowning the planet by causing soil, water, and possibly air pollution.
6. Inappropriate content
Unless you are an open-minded person and don’t care much about a sensitive advertisement or inappropriate movie that might pop up on your screen at any time, TVs can be a problem. Many streaming services nowadays provide a way to filter such content and make it child/viewer-friendly. If you want to avoid such content on your screen, you should make use of such features.
7. TV can make you passive
Because you are not applying your thinking ability while watching TV, it can eventually make you just a consumer. You will not assess things better, think about it before speaking, or apply your problem-solving skills in many scenarios. These issues can specifically affect teenagers because it’s their growing phase and the brain should be used to its fullest capacity.
18 more Advantages and Disadvantages of TV
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Helps to learn new things in a visual format | If watched for a long time, it can cause health issues such as back pain, obesity, eye strains, etc. |
| Helps in education to attend online classes and so. | Distracts from day-to-day life if you get too engaged in TV shows or movies. |
| Provides artists a platform to showcase their skills. | Can make you lazy sitting in front of the TV all day long. |
| Useful in various areas of the industry to be used as a screen. | Wastes times that could’ve been spent doing productive things. |
| A way to relax in between the stressful lifestyle. | Even though there is nothing informative, televisions can still hold you with 100s of channels and show even though you do not want to. |
| Helps to be up-to-date with the latest happenings by watching TV news. | Kids can get addicted to it, distracted from education and physical activities. |
| Helps to be happy and forget things that make you sad, at least for some time. Thus helping your mental health. | An electronic waste that affects the environment. Millions of TV parts are being dumped every year all over the globe. |
| A place where family and friends gather and sit together, improving social interactions if used correctly. | Can also take you away from your family and friends and make you live an isolated life if not used correctly. |
| A great device to get motivation by watching examples. | Some TV programs or movies sometimes encourage/show an example for people to do bad things. |