English 2: Unit 4 Explanatory/Informative Essay

Prompt: Television has long been a part of our everyday lives, but at what cost to adults and children? Write an informative essay in which you explain the harm that television can cause to adult and children viewers.

Before you begin planning and writing, read the two texts:

1. TV Watching and Health

2. Is TV Really So Bad for Kids?

As you read the texts, think about what details from the texts you might use in your essay. You may take notes on scrap paper as you read. After reading the texts, create a plan for your informational essay. Think about ideas, facts, definitions, details, and other information and examples you want to use. Think about how you will introduce your topic and what the main topic will be for each paragraph. Now write your informational essay.

Be sure to:

• Introduce the topic to be examined.

• Develop the topic with specific facts, details, definitions, examples and other relevant information from both passages.

• Organize the information and evidence effectively.

• Use words, phrases, and/or clauses to connect and show the relationship among your ideas.

• Establish and maintain a formal style.

• Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information presented.

TV Watching and Health

Watching too much television can make you feel a bit brain-dead. According to a new study, it might also take years off your life. The more time you spend watching TV, the greater your risk of dying at an earlier age -- especially from heart disease, researchers found.

The study followed 8,800 adults with no history of heart disease for more than six years. Compared to those who watched less than two hours of TV per day, people who watched four hours or more were 80 percent more likely to die from heart disease and 46 percent more likely to die from any cause. All told, 284 people died during the study.

Each additional hour spent in front of the TV increased the risk of dying from heart disease by 18 percent and the overall risk of death by 11 percent, according to the study, which was published Monday on the Web site of Circulation, an American Heart Association journal.

Television isn't lethal in and of itself; the real problem appears to be that sitting is the "default position" for TV viewing, says lead study author David Dunstan, Ph.D., the head of the physical activity lab at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, a national research center in Victoria, Australia.

"Prolonged watching of television equals a lot of sitting, which invariably means there's an absence of muscle movement," Dunstan says. If your muscles stay inactive for too long, it can disrupt your metabolism, he explains.

What's more, exercise doesn't necessarily make up for long sessions in front of the tube. Dunstan and his colleagues figured into their analysis how much the study participants exercised. When they compared groups of adults who exercised the same amount but watched varying amounts of TV, those who watched more TV were still at a higher risk of dying during the study.

"You can be active and also watch high amounts of television," Dunstan says. Television isn't necessarily replacing our exercise time, he explains, but it is replacing everyday, "non-sweaty" movements as basic as standing and walking from room to room. The positive health effects of these seemingly negligible activities are underestimated, he says.

The amount of television a person watches is a good index of the overall time they spend sitting, Dunstan says. But there's also some evidence that watching TV may be unhealthier than other sedentary activities, says Peter Katzmarzyk, Ph.D., an exercise scientist at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The bottom line? Exercise is important for health, but avoiding prolonged periods of sitting is nearly as important, Dunstan says. "Just get up and move about during the day. The more you move, the greater the health benefits are likely to be."

Is TV Really So Bad for Kids?

Violence and sexual images are as much a part of today's television fare as peanut butter ads and infomercials. A Surgeon General's report last year concluded that 61% of all TV programming contains violence. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a child who watches three to four hours a day of non-educational TV will see about 8,000 small-screen murders by the time he or she completes grade school.

American children spend an average of 6 hours, 32 minutes each day watching TV or using other media (including the Internet, videotapes, video games, and radio). That's more time than they devote to any other activity except sleep, according to the AAP.

"Most parents don't spend the same amount of time-- about six hours a day --with their children," says child psychiatrist Michael Brody, MD, chair of the television and media committee of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. "Television has a very big influence, and a lot of it is negative. There are hundreds of studies showing a connection between violence on TV and its impact on children -- from aggressive behavior to sleep disturbances."

A recent study by New York University School of Medicine researchers concluded that preschool children who frequently watch violent TV programs or play violent video games are 11 times more likely to engage in aggressive and antisocial behavior than children not frequently exposed. A study at the National Institute on Media and the Family, published in 2002, found that third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade children who watch media violence are more likely to treat their peers with rudeness and mean behavior.

In a study of more than 700 children, Columbia University researchers found that adolescents who watch more than an hour a day of TV are more prone to aggression and violence once they reach their late teens and early 20s.

Here's how the AAP puts it: "Watching a lot of violence on television can lead to hostility, fear, anxiety, depression, nightmares, sleep disturbances, and posttraumatic stress disorder. It is best not to let your child watch violent programs and cartoons."

Risks and Benefits

When it comes to choosing the best programs for your child, an AAP policy statement issued in 2001 notes that by watching certain carefully selected shows, children can, in fact, learn positive social behaviors, including cooperation, sharing, and good manners. "Children in the over-3 age group can learn songs, learn to count, and increase their vocabulary if they already have a good language base," says Miriam Bar-on, professor of pediatrics at Chicago's Loyola University Health System and chair of the organization's committee on public education.

But, adds Bar-on, the AAP believes that parents should discourage children under the age of 2 from watching TV. According to AAP policy, "Research on early brain development shows that babies and toddlers have a critical need for direct interaction with parents and other significant caregivers for healthy brain growth and the development of appropriate social, emotional, and cognitive skills.

2 answers

The Harmful Effects of Television on Adults and Children

Television has become a ubiquitous element of modern life, providing entertainment, information, and education to millions of viewers daily. However, while it has its benefits, television also poses significant risks to both adult and child viewers. This essay will explore the harmful effects of excessive television watching, including health issues in adults and negative behavior impacts on children.

Health Risks for Adults

A recent study highlights the alarming health consequences associated with prolonged television viewing among adults. According to researchers, individuals who watch four hours or more of television daily are 80 percent more likely to die from heart disease compared to those who watch less than two hours daily. As noted in a report from the American Heart Association's journal, the study followed nearly 8,800 adults for over six years, revealing that each additional hour of television watching increases the risk of dying from heart disease by 18 percent and the overall risk of death by 11 percent.

The primary issue tied to television viewing is not the content itself but the sedentary lifestyle that often accompanies it. Lead author of the study, David Dunstan, notes that prolonged periods of sitting while watching television can disrupt metabolic processes, leading to severe health consequences. Notably, even regular exercise does not mitigate these risks as the detrimental effects of excessive sitting remain, meaning that the act of sitting while watching TV negates some of the benefits of physical activity. Simply put, excessive television watching contributes to a lifestyle characterized by inactivity, which can have life-threatening implications.

Negative Impact on Children’s Behavior

In addition to the health risks faced by adults, television viewing has a profound negative impact on children. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that children in the United States spend an average of over six hours daily consuming media, including television. A concerning aspect of this viewing behavior is the exposure to violence: a Surgeon General's report revealed that 61% of television programming contains violent content. Over the course of their formative years, children can witness thousands of violent acts on screen, leading to aggressive behaviors and desensitization to violence.

Research corroborates these claims, indicating that children who consume violent media are significantly more likely to exhibit antisocial behavior. A study from New York University School of Medicine found that preschool children exposed frequently to violent TV or video games are 11 times more likely to engage in aggressive behavior than their counterparts who are not exposed. Furthermore, exposure to such content has been linked to mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and even post-traumatic stress disorder, demonstrating that the negative effects of television on children can be both immediate and lasting.

The Importance of Moderation and Guidance

While it is true that not all television content is harmful and can have educational value, both the American Academy of Pediatrics and child development experts recommend limiting TV time, particularly for young children. There is potential for children to learn positive behaviors from educational programs. However, it is vital that parents supervise their children's viewing habits actively, ensuring that exposure to violent or inappropriate content is minimized. The AAP argues that children under the age of two should completely avoid watching television, as direct interaction with caregivers is crucial for healthy brain development.

In summary, while television serves as a popular form of entertainment and can provide educational benefits, its harmful effects on the health of adults and the behavioral development of children cannot be overlooked. Excessive television viewing leads to increased health risks in adults, while children face the dangers of aggression, anxiety, and desensitization to violence. As society continues to grapple with these issues, it is essential for parents and guardians to promote moderation and mindful consumption of media to safeguard the well-being of both themselves and the younger generation.

In this unit, you are required to write an explanatory text. It is imperative that you understand the essay prompt before you begin writing a response.

The prompt in unit 4 is as follows:

Television has long been a part of our everyday lives, but at what cost to adults and children?

Write an informative essay in which you explain the harm that television can cause to adult and children viewers.

Question 1: What is a writing prompt, AND what does it mean to DEconstruct a writing prompt?