FOODNETWORK EFFECT

Icing Smear

In almost every American home sits a digital window into a far away world, and for most families it's something we share with each other every day. Watching television has become a part of our holidays, our after work stress relief, and our sleepless nights. We watch the parade every Thanksgiving, followed by football. We watch the news and
weather every evening after work or during dinner, and when it's late we will stare at the screen for hours complaining that nothing is on. The typical American spends an average of almost four hours a day watching television. That means if you live to be 65 years old, then you have spent nine years of your life glued to the tube. In fact, 49 percent of Americans say they watch too much television. It's no wonder that it's such a massive part of our everyday life and that it plays such a large role in what we do.

Television influences us on what to wear, where to go for vacation, what to listen to, what car to drive, what food to eat, and even how to interact with the people around us. It inspires us with beautiful images and ideas that we would not have seen or heard of otherwise. However, it can never be a replacement for real life experiences, so for some people it can be a crippling, time-consuming hobby that leads nowhere. According to Robert Kubey, a board member for TV-Free American and for the Rutgers University official psychiatric manual, millions of Americans are so hooked on television that they fit the criteria for substance abuse. But, whether you see television as a waste of time, educational, or simply entertainment there is no denying it's usefulness in spreading information to the people who watch.