Blog 2
Television and its Impact on Health
Before one can understand how effective the television is at communicating a variety of information, we must first understand how the television came to be, and how it’s so easy to show commercials of all sorts. The modern HDTV generally utilizes a few components as the foundation: the size of the frame, the frames per second, and the type of scanning utilized (interlaced or progressive, according to the class lecture which compares the two). With these components in mind, technology has allowed us to create a television capable of producing a moving picture in 4K, or 1920x1080 pixels, one of the best frame sizes in the market. Capabilities such as these send its predecessors back to the stone age with such a massive jump in innovation, all for the sake of producing better quality. But how exactly has this worked against humanity? Generation Z grew up after all the shifts in technology made its debut (the time period Millennials experienced), therefore it’s this same technology that they are growing up with. Nowadays, children are exposed to so much when they’re in front of a TV screen, and one of those things is a problem America has struggled with for decades: the obesity epidemic. Turn on a modern TV to any channel, and sooner or later an advertisement for a fast food restaurant will show up, glorifying greasy food and high-calorie eating habits, with the illusion that everyone is happy when they have a Big Mac from McDonald’s or a 1000 calorie snack box from Popeye’s for $5. According to a study titled The Effect of Television Food Advertising, “The advancement of potentially junk food and beverage products is a relevant risk element for child obesity and for the evolution of chronic disease (Frechette, 2016).” In other words, once kids notice the juicy burger dangling before their young minds, all of a sudden hunger pangs kick in, and so does the begging, begging for a small taste of the beauty they witnessed on a TV screen. Once in a while, or in moderation, this concept doesn’t seem so bad in hindsight. But as the days get busier, work hours last longer, and curfews arrive earlier than expected, the commercials of the newest half pound “not-frozen” burger become a convenience, and unfortunately a habit. Once the trend starts, it becomes instinctual to want to stop at the local burger joint for a quick and “satisfying” meal, with no regard to the moderation concept. Next on the list, becoming the country that earned a trophy titled “Top 20 Most Obese Countries in the World”.
Citation: Frechette, S. (2016). THE EFFECT OF TELEVISION FOOD ADVERTISING ON CHILDREN’S PREFERENCES, DEMANDS, AND INTAKE OF HIGH-FAT AND LOW-NUTRIENT PRODUCTS. Annals of Spiru Haret University. Journalism Studies, 30-40. Retrieved June 19, 2019
I love the flow and growth throughout your blog, would not have expected for someone to go into depth on not only the topic, but the effects it has on humanity, especially millennials and generation z. I remember growing up with very little technology and a lot more interaction versus the new generation growing up with technologies expected to be by their side for entertainment. We tend to neglect that these negative habits can harm and affect today’s youth.
ReplyDelete- Calasia Haynes
I definitely agree with your points on how this effects peoples health and the generation growing up with this technology. Particularly how nowadays kids spend so much time front of the television. Which, not only do I think is true but so sad. When I was a kid I spent the majority of my time outside playing, and hardly ever watched TV. I think it is very important to keep kids outdoors and not inside watching a screen. With that said, I do also like that you mention that you will always see a commercial for junk food. This is without a doubt something that comes on almost every 5 to 10 minutes. Seeing a juicy burger would definitely make a child beg a parent to get them this kind of food. I see these commercials and its a struggle for me at times. While the TV is a great invention and technology that has brought a lot of entertainment, it is true that is doesn't help with health. People should spend more time doing other activities rather than being in front of the TV. Also, as you mention that the advertisement of fast food doesn't make things better for the obesity epidemic that is occurring as well.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your points on how this effects peoples health and the generation growing up with this technology. Particularly how nowadays kids spend so much time front of the television. Which, not only do I think is true but so sad. When I was a kid I spent the majority of my time outside playing, and hardly ever watched TV. I think it is very important to keep kids outdoors and not inside watching a screen. With that said, I do also like that you mention that you will always see a commercial for junk food. This is without a doubt something that comes on almost every 5 to 10 minutes. Seeing a juicy burger would definitely make a child beg a parent to get them this kind of food. I see these commercials and its a struggle for me at times. While the TV is a great invention and technology that has brought a lot of entertainment, it is true that is doesn't help with health. People should spend more time doing other activities rather than being in front of the TV. Also, as you mention that the advertisement of fast food doesn't make things better for the obesity epidemic that is occurring as well.
ReplyDelete- Rachelle Salinas