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I blame society for the decline of society. Blaming any type of media outlet for your mistakes and downfalls is a complete evasion of the truth. Sure we all watch too much TV, and reality shows are vulgar, and most celebrities are out of control, but that is no way for us to behave. Good thing we don't all share the same mind that is housed in the head of Britney Spears, huh? We all act on our own, make our own decisions, and have our own sense of right and wrong. Though television is a large part of our lives and we often find ourselves transported to different worlds through our favorite shows, it isn't real.

Society as a whole has a problem that stretches far beyond the glow of the boob-tube. Parents need to teach their children morals and values, and how to separate right from wrong. It seems that whenever there is a case of wrong-doing in the world the first thing that we do is point to the television. Can't we be in charge of our own minds? Can we not make our own decisions, anymore? We choose which TV shows that we want to watch, or that would hold our interest. Does this mean that we are not capable of not extending our minds toward other capabilities?

Our mantra has become 'what is wrong with Hollywood?' Perhaps we should focus on whom the stars are before heading out west to become famous. They are people too, so wouldn't it be prudent to recognize this before placing such people upon a pedestal? The writers of television shows have jobs to do, and are most likely not considering that we could be swayed by their opinions. Furthermore, there are many shows on TV that send us good messages, what would be our excuse for not following them if we proclaim that TV causes society to misbehave?

The local news is real, and it reveals to us the evils of our world. It reports murder, rape, kidnapping, immoral acts, evil-doings, corruptions, and anything else that may be considered a downfall. Yet, we do not blame our bad behavior on what we see on the news. It sounds like a double standard to me. Hollywood is made solely for entertainment purposes, not to emulate. There is no justifiable reason that we could use to our advantage in reasoning that television is the cause of our destruction. If anything, we learn a great deal from television that we would not know if it hadn't been shown to us in a storyline or a quote from a favorite character. As a matter of fact, I remember things that my favorite actors and actresses say rather than simply reading it in a book. Especially things that are considered 'smart'.

I get wrapped up in personalities that are introduced to me via television, I have feelings for characters and I get hooked on story-lines and shows. I often times wish that some of these people are real, but I know the difference. It is one thing to wish to dress like the people on TV, and to follow their styles, but it is an entire different thing to commit acts that we have seen on 'Law and Order'. People should know right from wrong based upon age, which is part of the reasoning behind the PG-13 or R ratings that television shows and movies are required. This alone suggests that we should know right from wrong. No television should not be considered any reason for society's downfall.

Learn more about this author, Shawna Blake.
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