Letter to the editor telling yours views on the comments, (Television is an idiot box)
Answers
Explanation:
Television – An Idiot Box or Wisdom Box
It is wrong to call television an idiot box. People who don’t know how to use it may call it an idiot box. Alan Corenk has wittily said: “Television is more interesting than people. If it were not, we would have people standing in the corners of our rooms.” It is quite true that much of television’s potential remains underutilized.
Television has the potential of becoming an exceedingly innovative tool of liberal education for children. All that is required is insightful handling of this wonderful medium of imparting information. Unplanned TV programmes management can be both good and bed depending upon how you use it. TV watched in controlled manner and as an aid to knowledge and learning is a wonderful tool. For example, news channels, Discovery, Nat Geo, Animal Planet, History channel, Sony BBC Earth, etc. can really enhance one’s knowledge and understanding about so many concepts.
TV has an edge over all other learning aids. It imparts information in the most entertaining manner. Scientifically it is better as it involves both the visual and the auditory sense organs in the learning process optimally. Have you ever seen a child watching any programme on Discovery? He is perfectly engrossed in it. The video accompanied by flawless audio absorbs the child’s attention completely. The child learns entreatingly. He remembers it lifelong. Given this advantage, why don’t the educationists use it as a learning tool? Why are there not as many learning programmes as are movies, soap operas or reality shows?
If a series of learning programmes are made on each subject and telecast on TV, the quality of learning will improve manifolds. Unfortunately, TV is chiefly being used for entertainment. However, some learning based channels such as mentioned above are attracting the attention of progressive educationists and may be in the years to come we will have many more learning channels which will revolutionize education. Let’s wait for that happy time excitedly.