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TABLE OF CONTENTS

• EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2

• INTRODUCTION 3

• TV IN PAKISTAN 4

• TV & EDUCATION 5

• TV & SPORTS 5

• TV & BROADCAST NEWS 5

• TV & CHILDREN 6

• EFFECTS ON HEALTHY CHILD 8

DEVELOPMENT
• RESPONSIBILITY OF PARENTS 8

• THE "BUY ME THAT" SYNDROME 9

• TV & TEENS 9

• TV & STUDENTS 10

• TV & COMMERCIALS 10

• DEPICTION OF CASUAL SEX 11

• TV & VIOLENCE 11

• OTHER MORAL ISSUES 12

• CONCLUSION 13

• REFERENCES 14
Executive Summary:-

This is a report about social impact of Cable TV and how much different
members of Society are getting affected by TV.

In this report the affect about TV is shared and how children, teenagers and
students are getting affected by it. And the role of TV in spreading Education,
delivering us latest news & information and providing us Entertainment but
mostly importantly the role of parents to control their Children TV viewing
habits.

TV keeps us in touch with the world and provides us very useful information.
TV is also providing us education. Now we can keep in touch with the world
happening through a variety of channels. It is a great source of Entertainment
and one can enjoy watching different movies and dramas that represent their
cultures. A variety of channels are providing us lots of information, Ideas and
recreational activities.

TV is now a part of our life and we are very much attached to it. We spend a
lot of time watching TV and it is fairly evident from our behavior that we are
very much influenced by this machine. We are learning crime through it, our
health is effecting from it and we are becoming very much aggressive.

Children are more influenced by the TV and in the earlier age they are exposed
to such things which their parents even don’t knows while they were child. It is
the duty of parents to have a check & balance on their children programmes
and involve them in doing healthy activities rather than leave them to spend
leisure time watching TV.

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INTRODUCTION:-

“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.”

— Edward R. Murrow
(American Journalist, and Television, and Radio Figure)

TV was Invented in 1930’s and since then we all rely on it.

Television is a "window on the world" for news and information. Newspapers

and the print media provide a degree of separation from reality, but TV
graphically brings happenings right into living rooms, complete with color,
sound, time sequences, and even to some degree, the associated "feelings."

With the recent explosion in satellite and digital speciality channels, we now
have access to a excess of both good quality and inappropriate TV content. In
this crowded television environment, the key for parents is to search out high
quality TV programs for their kids, and whenever possible, enjoy them together
as a family.

Today Globalization with the improvement in the communication has changed

the face of the globe. Local geographical boundaries have been invaded and
eroded by the force of the modern mass communication. This change has
brought many traditional and conservative cultures, in direct exposure has
evolved as a strongest agent to broadcast programs carrying cultures of these
sending countries

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TV in Pakistan:-

TV launched into Pakistan in 70’s and In the early 90’s cable television entered
in our houses, and with the passage of time it has become a part of our lives.
Now it is common that people in almost every house have get access to cable
TV. The 24 hours availability of international TV channels is affecting the life
style, attitude and mentality of people at large. Children are getting some
special influences and effects from it, as they are now expose towards many
such things in little ages which are even new for their parents.

Also in Pakistan, cable TV is the fastest growing medium in communication.

Through this TV system the rural population has now gained access to the local
as well as the foreign TV channels, which was not so earlier, PTV (Pakistan
Television), which is the state owned TV channel had been the option for these
villagers

According to government publications, named PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic

Media Regularity Authority) “last three years have witnessed growth of around
132% in the cable TV industry in Pakistan

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TV & Education:-

TV is a great source of education. But we are not

interested in getting Education form TV. Virtual
University is providing Education through Cable TV. TV
also gives information about sex and romance and
these things are exploiting teenager. We are interested
in watching naughty pictures rather than getting
Knowledge from it.

Different Channels have specific programming time for quality education such
as VU (Virtual Television). VU channels are a 24 hour class room.

TV & SPORTS:-

We can watch every kind of sports on TV.

The players are as famous as the actors and
actresses because of the live coverage of
the events. We can watch colorful events
such as Olympics, Asian games on TV.

Cricket is very much popular in South Asia and our feelings are very much
attached with this sport. This sport involves the intensions of the people and
we sometimes feel that we are present in the Ground.

This sport is only wastage of time as commented by lot of people.

Every child of Pakistan wants to be Imran Khan, Sohaib Akhtar and Breet Lee.

TV & BROADCAST NEWS:-

If there's a war, a disaster, or a major civil disturbance

somewhere in the world, television news will be
there. Electronic newsgathering or ENG technology
makes us an eyewitness to happenings.

Although the printed word can be powerful, as we've so

often seen in the last 50 years, seeing images, especially
on TV, makes.

IDEAS & INFORMATION:-

Television introduces new ideas and information. Before the mass media, an
important threat to health, a new medicine, or improved ways of doing things
could take months or even years to become commonly known.

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With television we are put in the center of the marketplace of ideas. We can
compare these ideas, evaluate them, and then decide for ourselves whether to
accept or reject them.

These new ideas can also threaten traditional beliefs and the established order
of doing things. This has happened in many countries throughout history. In the
minds of some analysts the reluctance to make needed changes was what
brought on the recent breakup of Soviet Russia (the USSR), one of the largest
and most powerful nations in the world.

Even on a personal level, not to change can mean that we get left behind
professionally, and replaced by people with newer ideas — or even be replaced
by a machine.
In today's competitive, information-centered world, to stand still is to fall
behind.

TV & CHILDREN:-

How much impact TV has on children depends on many

factors: how much they watch, their age and personality,
whether they watch alone or with adults, and whether
their parents talk with them about what they see on TV.

Before television, children had no idea what most

foreign countries or their peoples looked like, or how they lived. Most exotic
animals and fish were only names in books. Letters, numbers, and words were
things that you started learning when you got to first grade. However, because
of television, most children are now familiar with these things even before
they start school.

The effects of cable television on children are both positive and negative. It
depends upon the type of channels which children use to watch. Through cable
TV they can get more informative material, which can add to their knowledge.
But normally we switch on TV just for entertainment. That’s why children in
our society most of the time think that TV is tool of entertainment and
amusement. When they want escape from studies they sit in front of TV and
look for entertainment programs.

Most of the children are attracted towards the Indian TV channels because
their language is about same but there is a lot of difference in the culture and
ethical values. So there is great difference in their programs also. Children are
very much attracted towards the glamorized Indian programs. When they
watch there a different life style and culture they get confuse because there is

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a lot of difference between the environment that they watch on TV, and in
which they live. As a result they start adopting different things from TV with
out knowing its impact.

The language codes, dressing style, way of walking and talking, attitudes,
hence the whole life style of children start becoming change. One can
commonly find children speaking in the style of any Indian actor. Their
vocabulary is also change. They easily use Hindi words in their routine talks.
And above all they are becoming more and more familiar with Hindu customs
and religious festivals. This is a big disaster of cable TV that a child may not
know in detail about any Islamic issue but he knows what is done in Holli,
Dewali, and Baysakhi etc. they sings Indian songs, knows the names of almost
all Indian TV, Film actors, singers and anchors. A distance is building up
between children and our own traditions, culture and values.

Along with entertainment program Cartoons are most favorite thing for
children to watch on TV. It is a big mistake of parents that they leave children
in front of TV for hours to watch cartoons. Parents think that they are watching
a childish program which will not create any harmful or negative effect on
children. But if they analyze cartoons they will come to that there is lot of
violence and vulgarity in cartoons. Look at the favorite channel of cartoons
“Cartoon Network”. There are so many cartoons in which they use indecent
dressing, abuse language; the structures of different characters are also made
very vulgar like in “Cow & Chicken”, “Johnny Bravo”, “Flintstones” and the
most favorite program “Tom & Jerry” consists mostly on violence. When a
child gets continuous exposure to such programs, he may tries to practice it in
real life because in cartoons they never feel the essence of pain resulting from
any bomb blast or accident. All these things are shown in very funny way in
cartoons which attract children. Children who watch more cartoons become
violent in very unobservable way. In this way our ethical values are destroying.

Researchers have identified three potential responses to media violence in

children:
• Increased fear—also known as the "mean and scary world" syndrome
Children, particularly girls, are much more likely
than adults to be portrayed as victims of violence
on TV, and this can make them more afraid of the
world around them.
• Desensitization to real-life violence
Some of the most violent TV shows are children's
cartoons, in which violence is portrayed as
humorous—and realistic consequences of violence
are seldom shown.
• Increased aggressive behaviour
This can be especially true of young children, who are more likely to
exhibit aggressive behaviour after viewing violent TV shows or movies.

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Effects on Healthy Child Development

Television can affect learning and school performance if

it cuts into the time kids need for activities crucial to
healthy mental and physical development. Most of
children's free time, especially during the early
formative years, should be spent in activities such as
playing, reading, exploring nature, learning or
participating in sports.

TV viewing is a stationary activity, and has

been proven to be a significant factor in
childhood obesity. According to the Heart
and Stroke Foundation of Canada almost one
in four Canadian children, between seven
and 12, is obese. Time spent in front of the
TV is often at the expense of more active
pastimes.

A Scientific American article entitled "Television Addiction" examined why

children and adults may find it hard to turn their TVs off. According to
researchers, viewers feel an instant sense of relaxation when they start to
watch TV—but that feeling disappears just as quickly when the box is turned
off. While people generally feel more energized after playing sports or
engaging in hobbies, after watching TV they usually feel depleted of energy.
According to the article "this is the irony of TV: people watch a great deal
longer than they plan to, even though prolonged viewing is less rewarding."

As well as encouraging a sedentary lifestyle, television can also contribute to

childhood obesity by aggressively marketing junk food to young audiences.

Responsibility of Parents:-

It is the duty of parents to have a check on the programs that their children
are watching. In most of the houses it is common routine that parents
themselves watch cable TV with great interest and their
children also sit with them. They do not realize that there
is a great difference in their and children’s mentality.
They know what is good and what is bad but a child has a
very raw mind and he accept every thing very quickly. So
parents have to give sacrifice for the betterment of their
children that the program which they think can negatively
affect their child should not be watched in their home.

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Parents of young children need to actively manage and control TV viewing in
the home. Children need a variety of activities for healthy development and
television can be a fun and educational part of a child's daily routine, if
managed properly.

Over the past two decades, hundreds of studies have examined how violent
programming on TV affects children and young people. While a direct "cause
and effect" link is difficult to establish, there is a growing consensus that some
children may be vulnerable to violent images and messages.

The "buy me that" syndrome:-

Parents of young children have to deal with the

commercial influence of television every time they take
their child to a supermarket or toy store. Some children's
programs are little more than half-hour commercials for
spin-off merchandise. When your children are young, you
can greatly minimize "buy me that" pressures by restricting
their viewing to educational, commercial-free TV
channels.

A lot of money goes into making ads that are successful in influencing consumer
behavior. McDonald's, the largest food advertiser on TV, reportedly spent $500
million on their "We love to see you smile" ad campaign.

TV & Teens:-

Television viewing generally drops during adolescence as young people start to

spend more time socializing, doing schoolwork, and using other media, such as
music, video games, computers and the Internet.

Because watching television is a relaxing activity, requiring low levels of

concentration, teens tend to watch TV when they're alone or bored. But even
though viewing drops during these years, it's still important for parents to know
what their kids are watching.

For teens, television is a major source of information about sex. A survey

conducted in 1997 by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 61 per cent of
young teens, ages 13-15, rated entertainment media as their top source of
information on sexuality and sex health. This should concern parents because
although two-thirds of TV shows contain sexual content, only one in ten
includes any reference to safe sex or the consequences of unprotected sex.

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The early teen years are considered a crucial time for the development of
healthy self esteem. Insecurities over attractiveness and weight are increasing
while at the same time teens are bombarded with TV images of impossible
thinness and beauty. It's important that young people understand that most of
the images they see on TV are unrealistic and unattainable.

Because teens are usually not supervised when watching television, parents
have to make a concerted effort to find out what they are watching. You can
help lessen the negative effects of TV if you.

• Watch your teens' favorite shows with them occasionally—if they'll let
you!
• Use television as a springboard for talking about topics such as sex, AIDS,
smoking and divorce.
• Talk about what you find objectionable on TV, and ask their opinions
• encourage teens to analyze and question what they see on TV
• Guide kids towards diverse, good quality programming such as science
shows, documentaries, news, realistic teen dramas

TV & STUDENTS:-

Another bad effect of cable TV is especially on students. Now they have more
channels to watch on TV so they spend more time in watching TV neglecting
their studies. Students most of the time discusses with friend the stories of
Indian Dramas, Movies; or any song or program.

TV & Commercials:-

“Free TV” Is Not Exactly Free. Not all commercials are in

breaks from programming; some are in the programs,
themselves. This is called product placement, and it may
simply be an eye-catching can of Coke or Pepsi, or a cup of
Coffee held by an actor. Advertisers pay for this visibility.

This advertising cost is the added cost of goods and services that we buy, and it
amounts to hundreds of millions a year.

Critics say that commercials make us materialistic and suggest that happiness
and well-being revolve around material possessions. Commercials often pair
happiness with products we need to buy.

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Depiction of Casual Sex

This is probably the most volatile of the media issues -- especially in certain
areas of the country. But, research on the subject appears to be at odds with
prevailing public opinion.

There is no doubt that the depictions of casual sex (hooking up, "friends with
benefits," etc.) have been increasing to the point that they have become
almost "normal" on TV and in film.

This has prompted some conservative families to ban most TV from their
homes, or to subscribe only to "family" cable channels

TV & Violence:-

Those who criticize television for showing gratuitous violence

cite the fact that by the time they are 18, children typically
see nearly 20,000 murders on TV.
Most of these murders appear to be without consequence and
most are represented as the "solution" to a problem.

Studies show that each year the level of violence on TV in films increases --
with 2007 setting a new record high.

"Real life," violence and murder normally have profound and permanent effects
on both the people involved and on their friends and families. This painful
reality is normally glossed over or ignored in film and TV drama.

Studies show that heavy viewers of TV violence tend to be more "paranoid"

about the level of violence around them. They also tend to be more suspicious
of people, in general, and more inclined to view their surroundings as "unsafe."
In this regard it's time for another "reality check."
We've noted that violence in films and TV, although related to ratings and
profits, causes harm to individuals and society

Over the past two decades, hundreds of studies have examined how violent
programming on TV affects children and young people. While a direct "cause
and effect" link is difficult to establish, there is a growing consensus that some
children may be vulnerable to violent images and messages.

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Other Moral Issues

Although it may be much simpler to have a hero "do what's necessary" to bring
"the bad guys" to justice, trampling over the laws of society in the process
communicates the idea that if you are right - or at least if you think you are
right - you can then simply ignore laws.

As many court cases have revealed after all the facts were in, people who were
originally thought to be the criminals, ended up being innocent.
Plus, it's difficult to find someone who will not try to justify his or her behavior
in some way - no matter what they do.

For example, defrauding a company can be justified because "they are ripping
off people and they deserve it." Hurting someone can be justified because he
or she "had it coming." Even murdering someone has been justified because
"she is bad," or because "he was messing with me."

However, in order to enjoy the level of social order that we do, we must all
abide by the laws we've established. Thus, programs that send the message
that it's okay to ignore the law to achieve "what's right," create major
problems.

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Conclusion:-

Television is an unavoidable part of modern culture. We depend on TV

for entertainment, news, education, culture, weather, sports—and even music,

since the advent of music videos. Television is capable of making us an

"eyewitness" to events as they happen. TV breaks down the barriers of distance

and becomes an extension of our senses.

In this global village one can watch any thing happening in any part of the

world and it is not possible to stop the flow of information. But it is very

important to have a check on what is coming to us and what would be the

impact of it. Especially children who are going to build the future of our

country must have very clear mind, free from outer influence. In this regard

parents have to play a very sensitive and responsible role.

Critics blame television for everything from obesity to the murder rate.

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References:-

1. www.google.com

2. www.blackwell-synergy.com

3. www.cybercollege.com

4. www.wikipedia.org

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