Do you agree or disagree? The major purpose of television is to educate, not to entertain. | Teen Ink

Do you agree or disagree? The major purpose of television is to educate, not to entertain.

August 19, 2009
By Yifan Fei SILVER, Beijing, Other
Yifan Fei SILVER, Beijing, Other
5 articles 0 photos 2 comments

To many people the major purpose of television could not be depending on a single program. In my opinion, TV is a tool for education and entertainment as well.
Natural science programs, documentaries, and educational programs--these kinds of the TV programs are to educate. For example: When we have a biology course, our teacher always shows some TV programs to compliment our text book. Most of these programs also show additional information that is not covered in the text book, so we can gain more knowledge from the programs than from text books alone. Consequently, they have expanded my horizon.
I saw a TV show recently called The Quiz Show. This was a Chinese history competition and everyone had a chance to join in. I learned a lot about Chinese history and I also answered some questions correctly and immediately. I benefited a lot from this show and I thought it was a good idea for teachers using this program to educate.
In term of entertainment, most cartoons, soap operas, or violent crime television shows are to entertain and simulate. We watch these shows when we are bored or tired. For example, the Super Girls Competition, a recent singing program, is popular among Chinese. People want to get more fun from this show or even want to pretend like a judging person to guess which girl is the best. These kinds of the programs help people relax.
In short, TV is both educational and entertaining. If we can use this media properly and if we can watch TV appropriate numbers of TV programs as well as a win-win situation for all.


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This article has 9 comments.


on Jan. 25 2011 at 10:05 pm
nooneloves BRONZE, Oshawa, Other
2 articles 0 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life is like a box of chocolates, you never Know what you're gonna get

some people don't watch educatoinal shows maybe that was the purpose but now it's just keeping us up with the world outside our neighborhood

on Jul. 11 2010 at 4:17 pm
accio-sarcasm, Nunya Effin Business, Other
0 articles 0 photos 59 comments

Favorite Quote:
"To the well organized man, death is but the next great adventure."
-Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

"There's nothing wrong with you. There's just a lot wrong with the world you live in."
-Chris Colfer

I think television can be a waste of time, but it is entertaining, and I think that is what people are aiming for. I bet most people don't remember what they watched on television last Tuesday, but they CAN remember the last board game they played with their family. That's MY take on it.

Falcore BRONZE said...
on May. 6 2010 at 6:36 pm
Falcore BRONZE, Davidsonville, Maryland
3 articles 1 photo 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
"its goblin spelled backwards"

Television has grown into more than just entertainment or education (or both put together), just like film its grown into an art form, just by watching one episode of shows like "breaking bad" would immediately show that

Star717 said...
on Dec. 25 2009 at 11:30 pm
Star717, Lansing, Michigan
0 articles 0 photos 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
When given ruled paper, write the other way

In the deepest hour of the night, confess to yourself that you would die if you were forbidden to write. And look inside your heart where the roots spread, the answer, must I write?

Television is both educational and entertaining. TV at first was meant to inform others, but now it has exploded to inlcude entertainment which is fine.

on Nov. 3 2009 at 11:44 am
music_lover PLATINUM, Park City, Utah
25 articles 0 photos 51 comments

Favorite Quote:
MY quote: "Without music, life would be absolutely pointless.... Music is my life and it always will be!"

I think that when the TV was first made, it was made mainly to entertain and inform people about current events like the news. Now, there are history channels to educate and learn. And there are also movies and shows to entertain. Some things can be bad like voilence, but I think that tv is to both entertain and educate.

T C said...
on Oct. 11 2009 at 9:29 am
T C, Las Crucise, New Mexico
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
I think that T.V. does both it entertains and educates. You have shows like the discovery channel which have all this informational facts on them about the moon, animals, nature, ect. Then you have channels like TNT that have a tone of fictional shows on them meant to entertain people. I think in the beginning when they first came out with T.V. they were meant to inform people about current events, example: the news. Now its mostly entertainment because there are so many more channels that are entertaining than informational.

ImmortalDay said...
on Oct. 10 2009 at 3:14 pm
Your right but even what they put on for entertainment is meant to imprint the feelings and thoughts of the network/writer in a way most people wont realize it.

on Oct. 10 2009 at 1:02 am
TheRaisinBranLover BRONZE, Yucca Valley, California
2 articles 0 photos 12 comments

Favorite Quote:
nnnn eeee wayzzz

omg i can write so much aobut this bcuz i debated in a competition on this one

first of all it could go on equally on prop n opp ( proposition and opposition )

1.prop

-is eduacating becuase of the lessons that are learned from the shows even if they are reality tv show they show you what NOT to do ...

2. opp

well even if the reality tv shows are helping some people learn what not to do others think it is ok such as ok say some shows like when its late children whose parents let them stay up late watch shows such as family guy n w/e else they learn that it is OK to do those bad things so its not educating ...

and it goes on n on n on LOL = D

zakkw said...
on Sep. 16 2009 at 11:48 am
television is used for both entertainment and education purposes...... so if you don't like the entertainment of tv then go watch educational channels. that simple

goldrush77 said...
on Sep. 10 2009 at 12:13 pm
tv is for fun ******. not for education. what the heck are we supposed to do on rainy days or when there is a football game on.