Is Television Helping or Hurting?

Ever since I was a child I’ve loved watching cartoons. I remember getting up early Saturday mornings, finally the weekend. Rushing out my bedroom door, downstairs to the television set. Only to behold my two older brothers already up and started watching Pokémon without me. Like every grumpy six year old I would sit down beside them and pretend like I too enjoyed watching Pikachu electrocute Bulbasaur. (Okay, I enjoyed it a little). This is a fond memory I have of my childhood. Spending time with my brothers and relaxing after a long week of memorizing math facts. But then, television was so enjoyable, and a treat, because my parents wouldn’t let us watch it very often. In fact, rarely any of my best childhood memories have been in front of a TV set. They have always been outside exploring the backyard with my big brother, and putting on plays for the family with my sisters. You see, we had even more fun using our imagination, and making our own stories rather than watching other people’s stories. All we needed was a friend and a world to run around in! As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed I spend a lot more time in front of the TV then I used too. Not only because I am the last bird in the nest and have less people to do active things with, but because it’s become more of a habit. I come home from school, go downstairs, throw my backpack into my room and crash onto the couch. TV is a great way to escape from things for a while and not have to think of the problems around you. But is this the sort of thing we should be doing?
Forget being unproductive in front of the TV, if you’re just sitting there, you are forming a habit that could be lifelong, and will just get worse. According to the A.C. Nielsen Co. the average American watches more than four hours of TV each day or twenty-eight hours a week, or two months of nonstop TV watching per year. In a sixty-five year life, that person will have spent 9 years glued to the tube. Saying I did watch 28 hours of