Assignment 5- Quinn Andrews

I watch a ridiculous amount of TV. I admit it. Most of the time I simply leave it on as background noise while I read or do homework. Yet there are some shows that I do give my full attention. Shows like Criminal Minds, or Bones. I like the shows that have some kind of mystery to them, but the bad guy is caught in the end. I will admit that I dislike when my favorite characters lose. Mostly though, it's just nopt interesting enough. I prefer a book, where I can get lost imagining the settings and situations. With TV, that's already done for you and that takes some of the entertainmnet out of it. The kind of TV shows that use it's airing to simply waste your time are dumb. The one's with no real plot and simply character just running around on screen. I feel it's disappointing that we put so much emphasis on award shows for actors, singers, etc. They are doing their jobs. Simple as that. It's great to give them recognition but there are other impressive things going on that deserve attention as well. I really don't need to know who designed Jennifer Lawrence's dress. The idea that TV is inherently bad for you has been an interesting topic: it rots our brains, makes us lazy, and desensitizes us to violence. My TV intake should probably decrease but all of these don't sit very well with me. I don't understand how it can rot our brains.... It's a visual and auditory stimulus that we process just like anything else. Going to a concert is worse, with the sounds so loud it will actually damage your ears. I don't hear cries from all sides bashing concerts though. Maybe I'm just not paying enough attention. TV gives me a way to be lazy, it has never made me lazy. That's like saying books make you smart. It's what you make out of it that matters. It desensitizes us to violence- this one urks me the most. It is not TV itslef that does it- what desensitizes us is the constant reporting on violence IN THE REAL WORLD. We hear of bombings or school shootings at leatst once a week. Stories of rape culture on college campuses and absive celebrities/athletes nearly as often. We deserve to know what's going on in our world, but when hearing about all the violence that we might face at one point, how do we stay sensitive to it, and not be scared of our own shadow?