This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise, it is nothing but wires and lights in a box.
Good evening Toastmaster, fellow TMs and guests.
These are the words of - Edward R. Morrow
One and a quarter century after its origin, Television has conquered almost all the nook and corner of the world. Television has become an indispensable part as water or air for majority of the population. The arguments for and against television is but an old story.
Now, can we imagine a life without television? Most of my teenage memories are strongly intertwined with the popular T V shows of those days from Chandrakanta to Hip Hip Hurray! I seem to have grown-up with these TV shows but not at the same pace as the ‘Ba’ of a coveted Saas-Bahu serial. Even today, we love to, lose ourselves into the glittering and unreal soap operas, travel to the unknown lands and histories through the scenic descriptions in TV shows, shudder at the real life experiences shown through news bulletins and chat eagerly with others about our favourite television shows. In that case why should I imagine a life without television!
Well, there are certain essential factors that lead our life other than the mere illusions blended with a little reality.
Hence since long I have kept myself alienated from tv. The first inspiration for this came from books. The wonderful collection of magazines and books opens one’s imagination to a more glittering world than those shown by soap operas. In the process of reading our imagination gets superior and humble. The places and histories we visit through the description in the books gets engrained into our memory. The television shows based on these books and descriptions fails to show the characters in our imagination. The essence of imagination becomes much more of an entertainment than the stuffiness in the living rooms.
That’s true even for news channel. Although it has an advantage of instant reporting but in daily routine the events in the world become a half an hour scene in the television. On the other hand newspapers and real life experiences gives a more in-deep understanding of the news. To get out of the comforts of our sofa sets and to be present in person at the ground zero takes only the pressing of an off button on the television remotes. Living in the news is at times much more satisfying than mutely gathering information of the outer world from the Television.
Yet to call television as an 'idiot box' won‘t be fair. In spite of many people censuring television for everything that is negative from health problems to criminal activities. And the fact that there are disputes in the families for some particular channels with regard to personal interests. Even though majority of these arguments are justified, it is important to keep in mind that television is benefiting society in so many ways. Little children, old people and most busy professionals are the people who gain the major advantage of television. Little children and old people may have denied access to the wonderful world of reading and activities due to their physical inabilities. Professionals in the busy corporate world get a chance to have a fleeting look at the happenings around them during their short break through television. But this is not the scenario around everyone.
Television is not an essential part of life for many who have time to experience the real life. The real life offers more wonderful things for relaxation and adventure than can be offered through the square box in your living room. A morning or evening walk through the serene nature, an open mind to know the events around you, and a realization about the things that will make you happy in the real life will be more rewarding than the pleasure and knowledge offered by the television set. At last I would like to rap it up with this one thought: life without television is not a mishap, but something closer to life.
