Television Influence


Peter: “Hey Lois, give Chris a break. I mean, no TV? So he failed a class, it’s not like he felt up his cousin in the garage that one time when I was nine-teen.” This quote is from the television show Family Guy. This show is known for its vulgar and crude humor. How can a TV show get away with saying sexual things like this?
Lois: “You're drunk again.” Peter: “No, I'm just exhausted 'cause I've been up all night drinking.” How can this show promote that being drunk is a funny thing? It is a continuous cycle. Sooner or later writers will be able to make being raped or committing suicide funny.
I personally think Family Guy is hilarious, but that might be because of how TV was when I was growing up. Although there are some, most adults past the age of fourty, don’t think Family Guy is that appealing. Is it because they think it’s childish? Or is it because when they were younger they had shows like M.A.S.H. or The Brady Bunch? Now people say that the younger generation is in mature and irresponsible. It might be because of what television pumps into their minds. Maybe that’s why older families are all about eating together at dinner or having a family night like they are supposed to, but these days most teens eat dinner in their rooms and never seem to have enough time for the people they are closest to.


I believe that television is the main source for what teens are today. Every year, television writers get away with more and more. Sometimes when I watch TV I hear some of those words that your mother would wash your mouth out with soap if she heard them come from your mouth. Some of these words are so bad that I don’t feel comfortable writing them. Stewie: “I'd love to stay and chat but you’re a complete b----, so bye!” If teens can hear things like this in their very own homes and their parents can’t even stop it, who knows what the effect could be down the road. The parents of the teens in America are getting less strict and not knowing what is being pumped into their child’s mind. Parent.com says, “In a survey of more than 2,000 children between ages 8 and 18 by the Kaiser Family Foundation, only 13 percent said their parents imposed limits on which shows they could watch” (Laliberte). That means that eighty-seven percent of parents have no idea of what their teenagers are watching. Basically, if the TV producers wanted to, they could say whatever they wanted and most likely get away with it. To me this is a crime.
For example, The University of Michigan says, “Ads for alcohol portray people as being happier, sexier, and more successful when they drink. Alcohol advertising, including TV ads, contributes to increased drinking among youth” (University of Michigan Health System). Every teenager wants to look the best and be the greatest. Studies have been done that have shown that teens get most of their ideas from television. If television wouldn’t pump these things into the innocent minds of the teenagers, then there would be an absolute increase in less drug and alcohol usage and more respectful and responsible teenagers.

I have one question. If you had children, would you want them watching things that would influence them into doing drugs, drinking alcohol, using bad language, or having sex at an early age? I think more parents than not would say no! If that’s the answer, then why do parents continue to let their teens watch these things?
In conclusion, with what TV gets away with today who knows what will be to come. Also, the crude humor, alcohol and drug protagonists and violent word usage are what influence how teens act. I believe without TV, teens would be more responsible and more respectful towards their elders and better people overall.