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TV Show

A 2012 study by Mass Communication and Society has revealed that many individuals, who watch television shows on romance, are less likely to be committed to their relationships. The study that was conducted in 2012 showed that those who watched television shows such as Burn Notice, and Two and a Half men which featured romance throughout, had a negative impact on people love and relationships. People tend to develop unrealistic expectations as a result of the television shows by thinking the alternatives to their love partners were more attractive. the television show has also had a negative impact of family relationships. A study that was conducted in 2012 by Mass communication and Society on 390 married couples revealed that the television shows had negative impacts on their relationships. Many couples responded that they were not satisfied with their current relationships and, had higher expectations in their relationship as a result of watching the television shows (O’Connor 79). Moreover, other studies have revealed that the substantial smoking of cigarette shown on the television shows has exposed many youths to tobacco depictions due to the programming examined. There is no question that some youths are involved in drug abuse such as the marijuana, tobacco and alcoholism. A study that was conducted by Elizabeth Tucker in 2010 at Hopkin’s Children ground Rounds revealed that 21 percent of elementary school children had tried to drugs. The study revealed that the influence by the “super peers” on television shows contributed to the high levels of drinking among the youths. The study also showed that 77 percent of the television episodes featured drinking and smoking episodes in humorous and attractive manner (O’Connor 80). Television shows have been linked to the high spending in families especially desire to renovate the house to look like the ‘modern family’. For instance, the television sitcom “Modern Family” simultaneously influenced families to drive up the costs of home designs. The television show is based on a modern family living in a house that is furnished with expensive paints, furniture and other household items (O’Connor 106). Moreover, the television shows have been programmed to market products and target different types of consumers. As a result, this has resulted in increase in budgets due to more money spending. From the above discussions, it is clear that the television shows have a negative impact on love, family, drug use and money.

Osborn (750) described that we are living in a society that frequently immersed itself media images such as the television shows, and most people have no idea of how those images are influencing them”. Osborn explains that people imitate characters that are shown on romantic television shows and try to act like them. Osborn conducted a study on the effect of some of the television shows and found that families and love partners tend to emulate the love life and family relationships depicted in the shows. He found that people tend to live the life that has been presented on the shows and they judge the success of their relationships based on the romantic standard exhibited on the television shows. For example, in “I love Lucy” television show which was released in 1951, it involves a main character, Lucy Ricardo who consistently defies her husband because she is filled with the desire to get into a show business. As a result, Lucy is engaged in dubious schemes and mishaps against husband with an attempt to create a life away from her marriage (Tucker 39). To the audience, the show had a tremendous impact on the role of the women, especially the desire of women to be independent. As a result, in the United States, for example, a research report indicated that many marriages were influenced by the television shows and that some women perceived that marriage was male dominance. As a result, the report indicated that as a result of the influence of the television show, it led to a wave of women liberation whereby marriage was instituted as a contract agreement between a man and a woman (Osborn 753).

Television shows have been used as a tool for advertisement by most of the companies. As a search, the shows have influenced the way people spend money and drug abuse and substance. For example, the recent television shows such as “Gossip Girls” display pipe or some rolls of cigarettes on the screen. Research indicates that just because cigarette companies have been banned from advertising their products does not mean that they cannot influence the content on the television shows. Research indicates that teens who have watched shows displaying smoking scene more than five times, are likely to end up smoking cigarettes compared to those who have watched the same show twice. As a result, Osborn (740) explains that children should not be allowed to watch shows that negatively influence their behavior. In fact, he states that such programs should be rated and if they contain scenes that are not suitable for the children, they should be filtered out using options that are made available by the television channels.

Conclusion

It can be seen that despite the television shows are meant to be a source of entertainment, they greatly influence people’s behaviors and attitudes. Television shows which have a negative influence on the family, love partner, children use of drugs and the way people spend their money, should be avoided.

Works Cited

O’Connor, Maureen. Life Stories: A Guide to Reading Interests in Memoirs, Autobiographies,

and Diaries. New York, NY: ABC-CLIO, 2011. Print.

Osborn, Jeremy L. “When TV and Marriage Meet: A Social Exchange Analysis of the Impact of

Television Viewing on Marital Satisfaction and Commitment”. Mass Communication and Society, 15.5, (2012): 739-757

Tucker, David C. The Women Who Made Television Funny: Ten Stars of 1950s Sitcoms. New

York, NY: McFarland, 2007. Print.