Easton Bybee

Taylor Bennett
Morlidy Yath
Yuliana Bogushchenko
English 2010
Professor Howe
11/23/15
Taking out the Television Trash

Figure 1, 2 dimensional black and white stenciled picture of man throwing a TV into the trash.

Heading level 1 Introduction: Evolution of TV shows.

Decades ago we had I Love Lucy, Father Knows Best, The Brady Bunch, Happy Days,
The Mickey Mouse Club, 7th Heaven, and My Three Sons. Now we have: Californication,
Revenge, Desperate Housewives, Sex and the City, Gossip Girl, Cougar Town, 666 Park
Avenue, 16 and Pregnant, Scandal, Pretty Little Liars, Wicked City, Naked and Afraid, How to
Get Away With Murder, etc. At this point Im thinking, Do I even need to add more to this
argument? Does this not speak for itself?

Heading level 2 Thesis: Avoiding the negative shock value in media.

Though many different forms of television can be strikingly alluring, we as a society have
become too enticed by the trash and shock value of media and the negative aspects that admit
from it and its affecting our youth. Surrounding youth with optimism and positivity can instill
strong morals and values in them that in turn, will help them become honest, hard-working, and
caring everyday citizens. Youth should be focused on living a happy life proud of their

achievements where they can feel accepted and safe in their everyday surroundings. Negative
media will always be around us and those being raised in this generation should learn how to
filter the negativity to maintain happiness and a greater outlook on life.

Heading level 3 Supporting Detail: Recognizing the problem

Todays television teaches backstabbing 101, Narcissism 210, and Vengeance 450.
What happened to the time when every episode of our favorite popular TV show taught an
uplifting moral lesson or was filled with a lesson on how to treat others with kindness? A lesson
on how to work hard to have a good life and how to enjoy every day filled with love and
happiness? Now we have writers that work hard to just give us shock. We begin to see being
smart as knowing how to come up with a juicy lie where you wont get caught. We see how
those portrayed on the screen outsmart one another to get what you want even if it means
destroying relationships.

Heading level 4 Supporting Detail: Medias influence

Whether we want to believe it or not what we see and read on a daily basis affects who
we are. It affects our actions, the way we think, and who we choose to become. Misinformation
plays a huge roll in media and sadly we get the wrong ideas and information engraved into our
heads all the time. Young girls and boys see unrealistic body images plastered all over
magazines depicting what true beauty looks like and they begin to starve themselves or spend
hours lifting weights to achieve these desired results. Acting on these desires to become what
they see will often lead to disappointment and distraction from appreciating all that is currently in
their lives. They want to become accepted in society in the wrong manner. It seems like an
inescapable idea that haunts millions every time they go to the grocery store checkout, are
waiting in a lobby, or on any social media site where celebrity images can be found. Some
people may feel fine with their body and the way they look, until they come across a source of

information that depicts what an unacceptable body looks like. Then they come to realize that
their size matches closely to that depicted in the photo. There is nothing wrong with wanting to
look good and feel confident, but when motivation is drawn from ideas that one needs to
constantly be thinner or have more muscle, the appetite will never be fed. Not only does
negative media affect our youth by distorting their ideas of physical appearance and sex appeal,
but it also accentuates the concept of excessive partying and the need for things.

Heading level 5 Supporting Detail: Receiving Satisfaction

Materialism is huge in todays society. The bigger the house you have, the more
successful you are. The nicer the car you have, the more respected and looked up to you will
be. Same goes with what you wear. Just as body image floods magazines, so does the fashion
industry. It seems we, as a society, are never truly satisfied with the things we have. The media
plays such a huge role in the advertisement of constantly improving goods and absolutely
needing new things. According to CNBC "Nearly seven percent of Americans are categorized
as compulsive buyers. That's roughly twenty million people." Youth see the lives of the rich filled
with happiness as they binge on their Royal Expenses. Sadly they begin to associate
happiness with having large amounts of money. Due to the Shock and Drama needed in
television, youth also become exposed to unrealistic lifestyles where kids are partying 24/7,
disobeying parental council, and getting wasted but still dodging the realistic consequences of
these actions. We develop this constant need for bigger and better, never being satisfied with
what we have. It destroys gratitude, compassion, love, respect, and honor. When someone
cares more about the $2,000 Prada shoes (after the four pairs they already have) then giving to
those in need, theres a problem. We are raising our youth to care only about their image, not
about others. In turn, violence can break out and bullying becomes a big issue.

Heading level 6 The Outcome: The need for increased stimulation

When we are exposed to extreme amounts of violence on TV we can become desensitized to

what we are seeing. Award winning journalist Linda Ray has said Children mimic what they
see. If your youngsters watch violent television shows, they are more apt to respond to a
perceived attack with the flight-or fight stimulus ingrained in human nature, according to the
Media Awareness Network. Additionally, physical changes occur during the viewing. Blood
pressure, respiration and heart rate levels rise. Repeated exposure to television violence
actually creates a need for increased stimulation over time. Your children can become
accustomed to seeing certain acts and if they dont get the same adrenaline rush regularly, they
may turn to more intense programming or real life violence for the same physical response.
(Ray 3) The phrases Monkey see, monkey do and You are what you eat are very accurate in
explaining the affects that negativity in television plays on our youth. You are what you store in
your mind.

Heading level 7 Conclusion: Providing Solutions

We as a society need to accentuate the positivity in media and especially in television.
Too many people have become desensitized to television and Hollywood media. As time goes
on the media will only get more crude, explicit, and violent. When is too much for you? If you
want to absorb decent, good ideas and images into your mind, then you need to replace the
negative and shock with wholesome, uplifting media. It amazes me so much on how the world
can corrupt the minds of others and that is a terrible thought! (Mel 1). Although I wish there
was a perfect solution to this unending problem, there will always be good and bad. It is our
choice on what we choose to focus on. Surrounding yourself with positivity brings happiness,
its that simple. Everyone has their own abilities to make decisions for themselves. You choose
who you want to become and what you want to influence you. Will you learn to strive for
character, honor, good morals and values, kindness and responsibility or violence, cheating,
hatred, sadness, and pain? Milton Erickson, M.D said Life will bring you pain all by itself. Your

responsibility is to create joy. I hope that every one of us will support the good causes in this
world and limit ourselves from that which pollutes our minds. There is so much positive
motivation and goodness still in the world all you have to do is look for it and embrace it. It will
change the way you think about yourself and those around you. You will be able to wake up
each day feeling fulfilled and just plain good about yourself and the world around you. You dont
throw garbage around in your house, room, or car because you know exactly where it belongs,
in the trash
Heading level 8 Works Cited
Ray, Linda. "How Violence in Television Shows Desensitizes Children."LIVESTRONG.COM.
LIVESTRONG.COM, 17 Feb. 2015. Web. 01 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.livestrong.com/article/245373-how-violence-in-television-shows-desensitizeschildren/>.
Meter, Mallory, and Jacob Minnaugh. "Neuroanthropology."Neuroanthropology. N.p., 25 Apr.
2010. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. <http://neuroanthropology.net/2010/04/>.
Attitudes of Gratitude, How to Give and Receive Joy Every Day of Your Life, M. J. Ryan, Fine
Communications New York. 1999
Plummer, DaVida. "Debt Addiction: Red Is NOT the New Black." CNBC. N.p., 07 July 2014.
Web. 09 Nov. 2015. <http://www.cnbc.com/2014/07/07/debt-addiction-red-is-not-the-new-blackfor-shopaholics.html>.