TV Addiction

Television Addiction
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Topic:
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Television addiction
Prepared by:
Miss. Adeela Rana
MBA, Semester – I, Department of Economic & Business
Management
Miss. Aimen Khawaja

Management
Miss. Momina Jamil

Management
Prepared for:
Mr. Asim Naseem
Visiting Faculty Member of Commercial English,
Department of MBA Life- Sciences
Submitted on:
18th January, 2010
University of Veterinary &Animal Sciences Page | 2

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DADICATION
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We dedicate this report to our loving parents,

their prays, affection and support are always a
source of encouragement for us to reach at this
destination and a humble icon for others in
future. . Our parents and teachers, colleagues at
UVAS and esteemed instructor of the concerned
course who give us real eyes that help us to leads
others and ourselves in the dark and cruel world.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

date] In the name of Almighty Omniscient, the most merciful and

beneficent.
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O Lord of the Worlds!

We are very much obliged to you for enabling us present this “TV
Addiction” Report.
Respected Instructor:
We humbly pay our sincere regards to you as your generosity and
assistance was vital in the execution of this particular report
Last but not least we pay Sincere thanks to our friends and colleagues of
the selected organization who assisted us a lot in the completion of this
task.
“If a journey ends successfully, the whole course of it will be called
successful”
(Wasif Ali Wasif)
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

Dear, Mr. Asim Naseem

date]Thank you very much for giving us an opportunity to prepare a
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report:
“TELEVISION ADDICTION”
We have first provided introduction of the topic and describe
various symptoms of television addiction then we explain effects
of television addiction on children & women and then conclude
the topic by describing the making of new culture in Pakistan.
Preparing this report provided us with a great learning
opportunity to us, once again, thank you for that.
Yours sincerely,
( ) ( ) ( )
Adeela Rana Aimen Khawaja Momina Jamil
TABLE OF CONTENT
DADICATION........................................................................................3
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.............................................................4
SYNOPSIS...............................................................................................8
date]SUGGESTIONS.......................................................................................10
CONCLUSION.........................................................................................10
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INTRODUCTION................................................................................11
AUTHORIZATION: ..................................................................................11
PURPOSE: ............................................................................................11
PROBLEM: ............................................................................................11
OUTLINE: .............................................................................................11
TELEVISION ADDICTION...............................................................13
SYMPTOMS:
HERE ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF TELEVISION ADDICTION. 14
THE SERIOUS PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH TV ADDICTION:...........................................14
TV IN PAKISTAN:..............................................................................15
CABLE DISTRIBUTION IN PAKISTAN.........................................18
INFLUENCE OF TELEVISION .......................................................19
RESEARCH ON CABLE TELEVISION EFFECTS.......................22
ROLE OF MEDIA IN TV ADDICTION...........................................26
TELEVISION SOCIAL PERCEPTION OF ADDICTS............................................................26

THE FAMILY OF TELEVISION ADDICTS....................................................................27
THE MULTI-CHANNEL PROBLEM..........................................................................28
TELEVISION ADDICTION AND RACIAL/GENDER ATTITUDES................................................30
TV ADDICTION IN CHILDREN......................................................33
EFFECTS ON HEALTHY CHILD DEVELOPMENT....................37
date]VIOLENCE..................................................................................................39
TELEVISION ADDICTION AND SCHOOL PERFORMANCE ....................................................41
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TELEVISION ADDICTION AND SCHOOL PERFORMANCE ....................................................41
COGNITIVE EFFECTS........................................................................................41
STUDY ON WOMEN..........................................................................42
A NEW CULTURE MAKING...........................................................45
THE IMPACT ON LANGUAGE ..............................................................................47

EFFECT ON LIFE............................................................................................47
CHANGE IN FASHION AND STYLE .........................................................................48
RELIGION..................................................................................................49
TRADITIONS................................................................................................49
THE GENDER CRISIS ......................................................................50
THE LONELY AUDIENCE ...............................................................51
SOME COMMON OBSERVATIONS...............................................54
LOWER STRESS LEVELS....................................................................................54

INCREASED READING.......................................................................................54
INCREASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.............................................................................55
INCREASED LIBIDO.........................................................................................55
PREVENTATIVE MEASURES.........................................................55
APPENDIX............................................................................................57
GLOSSARY..........................................................................................58

...............................................................................................................58
date]BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................................................59
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INDEX...................................................................................................60
SYNOPSIS
“The term ‘TV addiction’ is imprecise and laden with value judgments, but it
captures the essence of a very real phenomenon. The dependence on television has
enormously increased and deteriorating law and order situation has compelled
people to stay at home in many parts of the country including small villages. People
have always wondered how media messages are affecting them by bringing about
an imperceptible change in their culture, values and behavioral patterns. “All these
criteria can apply to people who watch a lot of television. That does not mean that
watching television is problematic. Television can teach and amuse; it can reach
aesthetic heights; it can provide much needed distraction and escape. The
symptoms of television addiction are you never turn off the television at the
decided time and always wish you could watch less television but you cannot.
According to the most recent study by the Kaiser Foundation our new generations
get addicted to television within the first year of their life. Between the ages of 8
and 18 they spend an average of 4 hours per day watching television. For decades,
research and studies have demonstrated that heavy television-viewing may lead to
serious health consequences. The woman rejects reality by refusing to work on
getting on with her in laws. 70 percent female cable viewers were interested in
watching only two kinds of programmes: films and dramas. Only 17.3 percent of
the women used cable television for information and awareness purpose. When
parents try to minimize time spent before time, the children protest and in an
unhealthy way. Self harm and destruction are common. Studies have also found that
children enslaved to TV mature early and feel helpless before difficulties Television
can affect learning and school performance if it cuts into the time kids need for
date]activities crucial to healthy mental and physical development. Most of children's
free time, especially during the early formative years, should be spent in activities
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such as playing, reading, exploring nature, learning about music or participating in

sports. The emergence of new satellite culture has shown clearly that success in a
large market like Pakistan requires a high degree of localization. The religious
programs on Geo, Indus and ARY and transformation of Star TV and of the music
channels is a clear proof of that. The success of some regional channels (like Zee
TV) has been copied by GEO, ARY, Indus , and to some extent by PTV. Beyond
the evident success of localization, there are important questions about the form and
character it has taken. New collaborations between international and national
business have generated a culture which follows western-style consumerism with
the popularity of Bollywood and reaches a sizeable audiences. Its success has raised
questions within Pakistan about the failure of national culture. On the mass
entertainment channel like PTV, it is largely Pakistani culture which is being
projected in a Pakistani version of globalization. The researcher assumed that such
conditions might affect the religious trends in Pakistan. Now a days, people in
Pakistan are being exposed to Indian, western and other culture’s rituals, traditions
and celebrations like Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Holly, etc. not aligned with
Pakistani norms and traditions. The rituals of Pakistani marriages have been
changed as many norms and traditions of India are being followed now by the
women in Pakistan. You can overcome the problem of TV Addiction by Spend time
engaging in physical activities, sports, hiking, rock climbing, mountaineering,
swimming, tree climbing, etc according to one's physical capacity and Read books
including novels, short stories, poetry, science fiction stories, science magazines,
etc. as well as Engage in indoor games like chess, caroms, scrabble, board games,
etc. and be active at a social service club (so far the best antidote for all stress
related problems). While you feel energy sapped, lethargic and tensed after
prolonged TV viewing, these activities make you feel refreshed. TV Addiction
promotes the nuclear family at the expense of the joint family and many children
have begun to associate happiness with owning or possessing a toy or being
indulged by their parents. To minimize the potential negative effects of television,
it's important to understand what the impact of television can be on children,
women and on family. The addiction to a program will begin to determine the
addict's behavior related to eating, study, exercise, worship and other lifestyle
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SUGGESTIONS
A Scientific American article entitled "Television Addiction" examined

why children and adults may find it hard to turn their TVs off. To
minimize the potential negative effects of television, it's important to
understand what the impact of television can be on children. Television
addiction increases because in a given family there are people of
different ages, genders, with differing levels of education, personal
beliefs, intellectual orientation, personal tastes, and so on.
CONCLUSION
Television addiction increases because in a given family there are people

of different ages, genders, with differing levels of education, personal
beliefs, intellectual orientation, personal tastes, and so on. Pakistan
Electronic Media Regulatory Authorities' role in expanding and
strengthening the media market and providing a workable policy model
to operators with principles of social responsibility should be of
foremost importance. It should perform this role through wide
stakeholder consultation and recourse to the general public through
authentic surveys.

INTRODUCTION
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AUTHORIZATION:
Our Commercial English teacher, Mr. Asim Naseem told us
to prepare a report on TV Addiction
PURPOSE:
We are providing information to the people that television
is not only providing entertainment to masses but also
made its contribution in the field of education, infotainment
& communication.
PROBLEM:
In this report we are try to make aware people of the fact
that watching to much television is an addiction.
OUTLINE:
We have first provided introduction of the topic and
describe various symptoms of television addiction then we
explain effects of television addiction on children & women
and then conclude the topic by describing the making of
new culture in Pakistan.
1. METHODOLOGY:
We have collected information from internet, by discussing

with friends, reading books & newspaper.

2. SOURCES:
date]  For primary sources please see bibliography on page.

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 And For secondary resources please see appendix on
page.
3. DEFINITION OF TERMS:
For the meanings of difficult words please see glossary on

page.
4. LIMITATIONS:
While preparing this report we faced the following major

problems:
 Limited time
 Limited finance
 Limited resources
5. A BRIEF STATEMENT:
In the end we have specify the role of PEMRA & also given
some suggestions in order to minimize the effects of
television addiction.

TELEVISION ADDICTION
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“The term ‘TV addiction’ is imprecise and laden with value

judgments, but it captures the essence of a very real
phenomenon. Psychologists and psychiatrists formally define
substance dependence as a disorder characterized by criteria that
include spending a great deal of time using the substance; using
it more often than one intends; thinking about reducing use or
making repeated unsuccessful efforts to reduce use; giving up
important social, family or occupational activities to use it; and
reporting withdrawal symptoms when one stops using it.
Television addiction is a disorder where the subject has a

compulsion to watch. The compulsion can be extremely difficult
to control in many cases. It has many parallels to other forms of
addiction, such as addiction to drugs or gambling, which create
an altered mental state in the subject. Addiction is characterized
by spending an unusually large amount of time using a substance
that is addictive; finding oneself using it more often than
intended; thinking about reducing the use, and are making
repeated unsuccessful attempts to reduce it; giving up social
activities to use the substance, and reporting withdrawal
symptoms when one does achieve stopping the use.
“All these criteria can apply to people who watch a lot of

television. That does not mean that watching television, per se, is
problematic. Television can teach and amuse; it can reach
aesthetic heights; it can provide much needed distraction and
escape. The difficulty arises when people strongly sense that they
ought not to watch as much as they do and yet find themselves

strangely unable to reduce their viewing. Some knowledge of
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how the medium exerts its pull may help heavy viewers gain
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better control over their lives.”
Symptoms:
Here are the symptoms of television addiction.
 You never turn off the television at the decided time.

 You always wish you could watch less television but you
cannot.
 You feel uncomfortable when you miss watching television.
 The television begins replacing other activities and you
often complain about shortage of time.
In a society such as ours where television is an essential
household item, calling it addiction and accepting it as such is
virtually impossible. It is difficult to accept that when everyone
is discussing the latest game, soap, or cartoon then they are
actually discussing their drug induced fantasies.
According to the most recent study by the Kaiser Foundation

our new generations get addicted to television within the first
year of their life. Between the ages of 8 and 18 they spend an
average of 4 hours per day watching television.
The Serious Problems Associated with TV Addiction:
 Anxiety
 Lethargy
 Prefers solitude
date]  Turns away from social situations
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 Difficulty getting along with others

 Risk of obesity
TV in Pakistan:
For most of us, television has become the center of our

communication lives. Its content entertains us, informs us, and
angers us. Yet television content is increasingly the only
communication experience that members of modern society have
in common. In Pakistan people value television very high and
associate themselves with its discourses very keenly. It has
multiple historical, social and economic reasons: the foremost
being absence of any other leisure time activity for youth,
women and low income groups owing to decrease in economic
opportunities changing lifestyles, less out of home entertainment
opportunities and tradition of staying at home with family under
the four walls. The dependence on television has enormously
increased and deteriorating law and order situation has
compelled people to stay at home in many parts of the country
including small villages.
The picture tube has replaced traditional public spheres such as
autaq in Sindh, Chopal in Punjab, bethak in NWFP and
Baluchistan and small teashops and Thara ( a sitting place in
front of shops and houses) in urban centers. A new public sphere
has emerged in the form of television. Pakistani society during
the last thirty years has gradually undergone an aesthetic
transformation substituting all other entertainments with a

singular choice for TV.
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Radio due to its orthodoxy in content and form, centralized

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broadcasting and acute lack of professionalism is no more a

leisure time activity. Cinema with all its promiscuity and old
styled theatrical presentation with no charming faces and impulse
touching music has shrunk to a limited audience mostly laborers
and out of home bachelors. Parks and public places are not there
to offer a fresh breath to entertainment-starved populace. Family
gatherings and visiting friend and relatives are a dying tradition.
In this scenario the entire responsibility of entertaining,
involving, informing and refreshing a melancholous population
rests on a small box, we call TV.
In such complex situation the role and responsibility of
Television and Television producers and media managers has
increased manifold. The expectation level has equally expanded
enormously. Everybody wants TV to behave like a leader, a
reformist, a friend and above all a catharsis chamber. With
multiplicity of ethnic, religious, economic and social differences,
television is expected to meet the demands of an ethically and
ideologically divided population.
State in one hand is strong custodian of electronic media
operations, it provides finances, employs media managers and
producers, formulate policies, impose regulations and expect
wide publicity of its development programs and political
activities. Ministry of information and broadcasting is
responsible for keeping the media on track: no deviance is
permissible what so ever.
Brief History of Cable Television

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The traditional mass media had a confined sphere in countries
where it initially grew, functioning strictly in line with the
values, norms, traditions and basic requirements of the local
populace. But, the invention of new technologies like satellite
communication, cable television and internet has helped it cross
national boundaries and address the worldwide audience. These
boosting inventions have, in fact, made the world a global village
by transforming media into an international entity.
We are living in an era which has frequently been characterized
as ‘the age of communication revolution’ a cycle of profound
and accelerating social and cultural change often attributed to the
impact of new media technologies. This communication
revolution is, in fact, a succession of three overlapping
technological stages that have taken place during the last 150
years
Encyclopedia Britannica (1986) describes cable television that
generally, a system that distributes television signals by means of
coaxial or fibre optic cables. The term also includes systems that
distribute signals solely via satellite. Cable television system
originated in United States in the early 1950s and was designed
to improve reception of commercial network broadcasts in
remote and hilly areas.

Cable Distribution in Pakistan

date]Estimate of the number of people watching television in Pakistan
rests largely on guesswork. Although Pakistan, unlike India has
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retained a system of licensing for television sets till 2006, the

number of licenses is not even an approximate guide to the
number of households with sets or the number of viewers who
have access to them, so official statistics are little help. On the
basis of Gallup surveys up to 2006 the number of television sets
estimate between 8 and 10 million.
The overall reach of television is considerably lower than in
India . But access to satellite TV, which Gallup estimates at 13
per cent of the adult population or 8.5 million adults, is on par
with the Indian experience. According to Gallup, in terms of
actual numbers, viewing is 'about the same in rural and urban
Pakistan ', A greater proportion of urban Pakistanis watch
satellite TV. Moreover, by early 2006, the growth rate in urban
areas appeared to be increasing down, while in rural areas the
novelty of satellite had not yet worn off and the number of dishes
was still increasing."
It is in Pakistan’s largest metropolitan city, Karachi , that satellite
television is viewed most intensively. Karachi is the only
Pakistani city with developed cable systems, which can compare
with those in India. Some of these were set up in the 1970s, since
the arrival of satellite; however, cable systems have spread to
most of the lower middle class and working class areas.
The cabling of more prosperous suburbs has lagged behind
poorer localities and has been developed by larger commercial
concerns. According to a study conducted in 2006 by the

Department of Anthropology, Quaid-e-Azam University,
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Islamabad and poor localities and even slums are now receiving
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cable television. But most of these services are operated without
official sanction and no figures are forthcoming.
Cable television in Pakistan is subject to strict controls, but until
early 2000, when the government began to address the issue of
licensing cable operators, there was no separate cable law or
regulatory authority; cable operators lived in the some kind of
legal limbo.
Influence of Television
For decades, research and studies have demonstrated that heavy
television-viewing may lead to serious health consequences.
Now the American medical community, which has long-voiced
its concerns about the nation's epidemic of violence, TV
addiction and the passive, sedentary nature of TV-watching, is
taking a more activist stance, demonstrated by its endorsement of
National TV-Turnoff Week.
The average child will watch 8,000 murders on TV before

finishing elementary school. By age eighteen, the average
American has seen 200,000 acts of violence on TV, including
40,000 murders. At a meeting in Nashville, TN last July, Dr.
John Nelson of the American Medical Association (an endorser
of National TV-Turnoff Week) said that if 2,888 out of 3,000
studies show that TV violence is a casual factor in real-life
mayhem, "it's a public health problem.
The American Psychiatric Association addressed this problem
in its endorsement of National TV-Turnoff Week, stating, "We
have had a long-standing concern with the impact of television

on behavior, especially among children."
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In Pakistan, no other technology has been accepted and ever
made a so sudden impact on minds of peoples as the cable
television network has made. With emergence of private satellite
channels, the whole broadcasting industry has been
commercialized. The expansion of commercial broadcasting has
created a consumer-oriented market which further expanded the
marketing and advertising infrastructure of Pakistan’s economy.
Apart from live coverage of major happenings, interviews with
personalities on news channels, music channels, dramas on Geo,
Star Plus, ARY and Sports channels attracted both viewers and
advertisers which posed a serious threat to PTV. The soap
operas, talk shows, chat shows and other programmes have
become quite popular among viewers of all income status
groups, though these programmes promote a very different
values system from that of Pakistanis.
As a result, rapid growth of cable television in Pakistan has not

only broken the monopoly of PTV in the country but also
possessed a challenge to the behavior and values system of our
nation. Further, with the advent of satellite transmission and
growth of cable television has enhanced the element of
competition among the television channels. Consequently, local
and state-owned television channels are following the production
patterns of foreign channels, particularly Star Plus owned by Star
TV Network. Star plus is projecting and promoting the Indian
traditions, values and culture in Hindi language.

Millions of Pakistanis are so hooked on television that they fit

the criteria for substance abuse as defined in the official
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psychiatric manual which exhibit five dependency symptoms--
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two more than necessary to arrive at a clinical diagnosis of
substance abuse. These include:
1) Using TV as a sedative
2) Indiscriminate viewing
3) Feeling loss of control while viewing
4) Feeling angry with oneself for watching too much
5) Inability to stop watching
6) Feeling miserable when kept from watching.
Violence and addiction are not the only TV-related health

problems. A National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey released in October 1995 found 4.7 million children
between the ages of 6-17 (11% of this age group) to be severely
overweight, more than twice the rate during the 1960's. The main
culprits: inactivity (these same children average more than 22
hours of television-viewing a week) and a high-calorie diet. A
1991 study showed that there was an average of 200 junk food
ads in four hours of children's Saturday morning cartoons.
According to William H. Dietz, pediatrician and prominent

obesity expert at Tufts University School of Medicine, "The
easiest way to reduce inactivity is to turn off the TV set. Almost
anything else uses more energy than watching TV." Children are
not the only Americans suffering from weight problems; one-
third of American adults are overweight. According to an
American Journal of Public Health study, an adult who watches
three hours of TV a day is far more likely to be obese than an

adult who watches less than one hour.
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Sometimes the problem is not too much weight; it's too little.
Seventy-five percent of American women believe they are too
fat, an image problem that often leads to bulimia or anorexia.
Sound strange? Not when one takes into account that female
models and actresses are twenty-three percent thinner than the
average woman and thinner than ninety-five percent of the
female population.
Research on Cable Television Effects
In 19th century, new technologies & the spread of literacy led
to the development of a remarkable new form of communication:
the mass communication. Since that period, concern over
powerful media effects has been expressed by society’s educated
elite, individuals and groups from all strata of population; from
presidents to parents and from intelligentsia to beginning
students. These historical instances of concern about detrimental
societal affects of media messages have been strong and loud
enough to influence lawmakers, public policy makers and attract
the interest of numerous scholars.
Therefore, the researcher believes that present study could

perform the same function. We live in a world where we receive
a multitude of mediated messages daily.
Thompson and Bryant (2002) state that the knowledge of effects
from mediated communication assumed an increased
importance. We have become information-oriented and

information-dependent and some have dubbed ours as an

“Information Society”.
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Computers and mass media are vital cogs in our societal
infrastructure. With so much of what is perceived to be wrong, in
today’s world, has been blamed on the media of communication
of some sort or another. The issue of mass media effects has
become one of the paramount social relevance. Media effect is
an important and fascinating research domain. A fundamental
knowledge of media effects is a necessary criterion for excelling
in the information age.
James Current (1988) said “Empirically grounded audience
research stressing audience power also raises difficulties”. Much
of this work is directed towards the short term media influence,
even through media influence is primarily long term and
cumulative.
Concerns over impacts/effects of media always reinforce

whenever a new communication technology is introduced in the
society because technology has never been neutral. It always has
negative or positive impact. Thus to judge the effects of cable
television, a communication system recently gained popularity in
Pakistan is the most relevant and important area of research for
communication experts and researchers.
Since the acceptability of cable television has been termed as a

household commodity, it was therefore necessary to check
whether it has any impact on its consumers or not. More
importantly, if it does have an impact, the researcher intended to
explore the nature of the impact. The researcher observed that
laws and rules have been devised but the cable operators are not
abiding them.
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Through this dissertation, the researcher intended to explore
whether people are adopting these new trends and fashions or
not. In light of the findings of the study conducted by the
researcher herself: “Cable Television Network in Pakistan.”
Development, Usage, Prospects and Dilemmas” in 2003 the

programmes that were being projected on the satellite channels
were pre-dominantly western and Indian. On these cable
television networks, a lot of undesirable programmes and
advertisements were also being screened without any fear of
being checked as the government does not have any system of
check and balance.
Bedtime is a fairly serious problem for parents and children
living in homes that are in possession of a television set. Such
children go to bed later than children of the same age in homes
without a television set. Television interferes very little with
homework. Parents generally insist on their children’s finishing
their homework before they watch television and virtually none
of the children attempts to do their studying in the same room
with the television set when some one is watching a programme.
The number of children who do home work on Sunday is
somewhat smaller in television than non- television homes, but
on weekdays, television children seem to spend approximately
the same amount of time in study as non- television children of
similar ages and family background.

Children are substituting television for radio, cinema and reading

to a significant extent. Children who have television spend more
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time watching it than they formerly spent with the other mass
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media so their total exposure to mass media has doubled. While
some television time involves a shift from other mass media to
television much of it is taken from playtime and some from
helping around the house, practicing musical instruments and
other forms of activity which might be called “creative” or
“productive”.
Parents who have a television set do not feel it so rather they
believe it has many advantages. First of all, they enjoy television
for the entertainment value. They also find many of the
programmes educational both for themselves and for their
children. But beyond this, they find it helpful in taking care of
the children. They say it keeps them quiet, keeps them off the
streets and generally keeps them from harassing their parents.
Parents very commonly use television as a “Pacifier”.
The family and social interaction patterns were studied in this

research to tackle the question of “Lundberg” that “television is
bringing the families together but is it bringing them together
only physically or is the closeness psychological as well?” Sine
bare (1997) analyses the programmes advertised by Australian
Broadcasting.
Commission Television (ABCTV) to see which culture was

being promoted for each and every individual programme and
how relevant these programmes were to Papua New
Guinea.

He concludes that majority who lives in urban area are virtually

in undated with information, which is culturally irrelevant to
Papua New Guinea audience. The expectations promoted on
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television are beyond their economic means and the values and
lifestyles portrayed contradict and conflict with those of their
own culture.
Role Of Media in TV Addiction

Television Social Perception of Addicts
Seen in this light, scientists conclude that a television addict is
somewhere between a drug addict and a workaholic. A drug
addict has a negative image in society while a workaholic is on
the positive side.
The television addict has a slightly negative image that is neither

considered fully positive nor wholly negative. The reason for this
is that human society evaluates certain attitudes based on what it
considers work and leisure. Anything productive is work and
hence good. Leisure, by definition, is not productive. It may be
relaxing and all other wonderful things but productive it is not.
Therefore, the social attitude is that a person committed to work
cannot become a television addict because television is a leisure
activity.
It is also argued that television addiction has some benefits in

that it brings the family physically together (especially during
dinner time). The catch here is that the togetherness is only

physical because no one desires of conversation when they are
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together in front of the television. They are merely "there".
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In this way a family full of television addicts is physically
together and mentally distanced at the same time. The problem
arises because the addiction is not limited to the content but the
medium in which the content is presented. Studies show that
people who are hooked to specific programs (sports, cartoons,
wildlife, and so on) are less likely to suffer from full-blown
television addiction when compared to mindless channel surfers.
Sadly, the percentage of television viewers that have specific

favorites is dismally low. Most viewers will watch damn near
anything that is coming on the television.
The Family of Television Addicts
Television addiction increases because in a given family there
are people of different ages, genders, with differing levels of
education, personal beliefs, intellectual orientation, personal
tastes, and so on. This creates the familiar situation where
children prefer cartoons, women prefer soaps, young males to
sports, elder males to news, young females to fashion shows,
students to quiz and educational programs, while the very elderly
may veer towards religious programs.
The end result = Non-stop television as they take turns = A
family full of television addicts.
The physical togetherness mentioned earlier is not harmonious

under these conditions. This is especially true when two different
programs are aired at the same time and cause a conflict among
the family as to which one will be watched. This creates

categorical addiction and its associated conflicts.
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Sometimes a single program cannot be watched together. When
all age groups in family are watching the same program a sudden
appearance of nudity, excessive violence, foul language, or any
objectionable material causes severe tension as embarrassment or
confusion is experienced by the entire family but there is a
severe inability to do anything about it. This creates responses
like panic channel switching, leaving the room or asking the
children to leave the room, or the elderly scolding their children
for allowing the grandchildren to see such material.
The physical togetherness in front of a television not only

harbors mental distance but also engenders intellectual conflicts.
Then there is the fact that addiction to specific programs can
have severe and direct impact of the lifestyle of the viewer.
Around the time when the program is to be aired the addict will
resent social intrusion by others and avoid personal social duties.
In other words, the addiction to a program will begin to
determine the addict's behavior related to eating, study, exercise,
worship and other lifestyle issues.
The physical sense of being together is false because there is no
intellectual or emotional togetherness. The addicts thus begin to
lose out on social life as well as family life.
The Multi-Channel Problem
This problem was less severe before cable and the advent of
hundreds of channels. The increase in choice has increased the
probability of every family member being addicted to a different
program on some channel and this eventually leads to time

conflicts when two channels show their programs at the same
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time
[Pick the
and there are different viewing demands.
Among high-income families this results in more than one

television in the house and the physical togetherness of the
middle-class family is sacrificed to television addiction. In
essence, the so-called freedom of choice actually turns into a
form of bondage. This is especially true when you consider that
all family soaps targeted at the lowest common denominator are
essentially the same and the conflict on who gets to watch which
one is completely without merit.
Another problem with multi-channel content is language. With

the advent of international channels, countries like India
suddenly had a ton of English channels that found favor with
youngsters, college students, and Hollywood lovers. This is in
addition to multilingual countries like India having hundreds of
channels dedicated to individual languages. There are Punjabi,
Bengali, Marathi, Malayalam, Telugu, Gujarati, Jain, Assamese,
and many, many more channels carrying programs specific to
certain regional languages. The case is the same in other
countries with international operators vying for local audiences.
This is often seen as progress but when seen from a television

addiction perspective it all comes down to restricting the choice
of the addict and forcing him down one particular line. Think of
it like this: You are walking through a jungle and suddenly you
are face-to-face with a hungry tiger. Your freedom of movement
is limited to every direction except the one leading "towards" the
tiger. If a second tiger appears from another direction then you

freedom of movement has two restrictions. When you are
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completely surrounded by tigers you have absolutely no freedom
[Pick the
of movement.
In my earlier articles I mentioned how the human brain perceives

television as a potential threat from a predator. When there are
too many simultaneous threats, the human being will simply
drop unconscious, as the brain is unable to cope. With television
there is a severe restriction in freedom of choice of action and
this creates a false sense of anxiety and all its associated physical
and psychological evils.
Eventually the family of television addicts reaches a point where,

for example when a student has to skip television because of a
crucial university exam, the inability to watch television begins
to create deprivation and withdrawal.
Television addiction is also a result of inability to intelligently

choose what to watch and above all else it is clear and
undeniable evidence of a lack of self-discipline.
Human beings with physical and mental self-control are fully

capable of avoiding all sorts of addiction.
Television Addiction and Racial/Gender Attitudes
Television also affects a child's perspective and beliefs about
race and gender.
 Television stereotypes everything and children grow up
believing in those stereotypes.
 Television viewing encourages racism and intolerance.

 In the western nations, television programs and movies
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[Pick the
seldom focus on the eastern side and even when it does it is
either negatively or it is stereotyped. The same applies in
reverse.
 Television women are always thin. Fat women mostly have
negative characters.
 Fair people are always given prominence and darker skin
tones are made to look inconsequential and undeserving of
human empathy.
 Commercials for kitchenware, cleaning products, and
similar consumables always feature thin and beautiful
female characters.
 Even in G-rated content for children, which is allegedly safe
for them, male characters outnumber females by 3:1. These
men are never in healthy relationships and always solve
problems with violence.
 Dark skinned characters in G-rated content are always bad,
comedians, or dumb sidekicks.
 Music videos exaggerate the image of women as victims
and darker skinned males as aggressors despite this being a
complete lie.
The women begin to believe that that is the right way to live.
That plotting, scheming, lying, causing rift among family
members, cutting off those you do not like, deliberately doing
what others may not like, is the right and proper way to run a
family.

It is not possible to fix this problem because the woman is not

choosing this consciously. It is not her fault really. The
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suggestion is planted and replanted over the years through
[Pick the
constant trash viewing on the television until the woman is
unable to distinguish between good and bad.
Questioning her conduct will create instant hostility because no

one questions what is seen on television and real life questioning
is seen as a violation of some obscure law they apply to their real
life behavior.
The entire process is summed up in the following steps:

1. The woman rejects reality by refusing to work on getting
on with her in laws.
2. She instead recedes into the alternative reality of television
and builds "real" relationships with fictional characters.
3. Eventually the fictional characters gain equal prominence
and then become more important than her real life relatives;
even her own husband and children must take a back seat to
her fictional relatives.
4. The woman can no longer live without her fictional
relatives though the absence of her husband and children
does not bother her.
5. The woman will fight to retain her right to access to her
fictional relatives and no amount of persuasion or force can
change her mind about it.
6. The entire family suffers because the woman is making
decisions that have no bearing on reality.

This is but interesting psychological fallout of television

addiction.
That television cause’s behavior modification is undeniable
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because the human brain is not smart enough to realize that the
television content is fictional.
However, human society being what it is continues to stay blind
to this menace and countless families are destroyed because of
greedy producers that deliberately create bad family value
engendering television content for its addicts.
TV Addiction in Children
Televisions became more modern and people couldn't pry
themselves away from the "tube". Soon enough this was
affecting just how a family acted with each other. Parents were
seeing less and less of their children and children were becoming
"couch-potatoes". The television has changed the way families
were and are. When television was invented, it was not intended
to be a replacement. Family is the most important influence in a
child's life, but television is not far behind.
When parents began to use the television as a "baby-sitter" or a
"teacher" for their children is when they began to lose touch with
their children. As the children grew up watching television and
not interacting with their parents, they grew less and less apart.
"Children below 12 years of age are especially vulnerable to the
dangers of TV addiction. They can forget everything about their
studies and spend so much time before TV.
When parents try to minimize time spent before time, the

children protest and in an unhealthy way. Self harm and
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destruction are common.

Studies have also found that children enslaved to TV mature
early and feel helpless before difficulties
There is much debate on whether and how viewing television

influences children in their formative years. But the mounting
evidence from numerous studies indicates that there are real
adverse affects. For example: There is a direct correlation
between time in front of a TV and the rise of obesity in children.
This sedentary time, often accompanied with consuming high-
calorie and high-fat junk foods, replaces time that could have
been spent engaging in energy-burning activities.
One study, published in the June 2002 issue of Pediatrics, stated,

“Almost 40% of children had a TV set in their bedroom; [and]
they were more likely to be overweight and spent more time (4.6
hours per week) watching TV/video than children without a TV
in their bedroom.” “This study extends the association between
TV viewing and risk of being overweight to younger, preschool-
aged children. A TV in the child’s bedroom is an even stronger
marker of increased risk of being overweight. Because most
children watch TV by age 2, educational efforts about limiting
child TV/video viewing and keeping the TV out of the child’s
bedroom need to begin before then.”
There is also evidence suggesting that early exposure to this

media can perhaps “rewire” a child’s developing brain patterns.
With commercials interrupting programming approximately

every seven minutes, it can produce the same seven-minute
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attention span. This seems to be confirmed in the experiences of
[Pick the
Odds Bodkin, a professional storyteller, who reads mostly to
children. He observed that children began to be restless after
about seven minutes, in anticipation of a commercial break.
An article titled “Toddler TV Time May Shorten Attention”

points to a link between time spent watching TV and attention
problems in children. It states, “Experts know too much TV is
bad for older kids, but it may also harm the attention spans of
children as young as 1 year old, a new study suggests” (Health
Day Reporter). “We found that watching television before the
age of 3 increases the chances that children will develop
attention problems at age 7,” said study author Dr. Dmitri
Christakis, of the University of Washington, Seattle. In their
study, Christakis and his team examined data on nearly 1,300
children from a major government survey of children and youth.
They compared rates of TV watching during the first three years
of life to the development of attention problems at age 7.
The researchers found that “for each additional daily hour of

television that young children watched on average, the risk of
subsequently having attention problems [by age 7] was increased
by almost 10.” This means that 1- to 3-year-olds who watched
eight hours of television a day “would have an 80% higher risk
of attention problems compared to a child who watched zero
hours.”
Even a cursory look at the world reveals that society has become
increasingly violent. Incidences of “adult crimes,” up to and
including murder committed by adolescents, have become

common in the news. It has long been known that the viewing of
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violent programs increases the number of violent acts committed
[Pick the
—starting at an early age and continuing into adulthood.
In 1972, a U.S. Surgeon General’s committee released a six-

volume Scientific Advisory Report on Television and Social
Behavior, which concluded that viewing TV violence has serious
consequences for children. They become more willing to respond
with aggression in a conflict situation, more willing to harm
others, and more aggressive when playing. Appendix III of the
report, “Television and Growing Up: The Impact of Televised
Violence,” concludes with the following: “The relation of third-
grade television habits to later behavior now appears even more
impressive. Not only is the violence of programs preferred in
third grade related to peer-rated aggression in the third grade and
ten years later, but it is also related positively to self-discipline
and anti-social behavior ten years later on.” A recently released
study holds some answers. Zero to Six: Electronic Media in the
Lives of Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers, published by the
Kaiser Family Foundation, provides a look into the use of media
among the very young and their parents. Some of its findings
include:
 80% of children use screen media, whether TV, movies or

video games.
 77% turn the television on by themselves.
 Two-thirds request a particular program or surf channels

using a remote.
 65% live in homes in which the TV is on half the time or

more.
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36% live in homes in which the TV is always on

[Pick the

(considered a “heavy” TV household).
 In “heavy” TV households, 77% of children watch it every

day.
 They are also less likely to read (59% vs. 68%).
 They are less likely to be able to read at all (34% of children

ages 4-6 from heavy TV households can read, compared to
56% of others the same age).
 The majority of parents (59%) say their 4-to 6-year-old

boys imitate aggressive behavior seen on TV.
 30% of children under 2 have a TV in their bedroom.

Remember, these statistics are merely for infants to six-year-
olds!
Effects on healthy child development
Television can affect learning and school performance if it cuts

into the time kids need for activities crucial to healthy mental
and physical development. Most of children's free time,
especially during the early formative years, should be spent in
activities such as playing, reading, exploring nature, learning
about music or participating in sports.

TV viewing is a sedentary activity, and has been proven to be a

significant factor in childhood obesity. According to the Heart
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and Stroke Foundation of Canada almost one in four Canadian
[Pick the
children, between seven and 12, is obese. Time spent in front of
the TV is often at the expense of more active pastimes.
A Scientific American article entitled "Television Addiction"
examined why children and adults may find it hard to turn their
TVs off. According to researchers, viewers feel an instant sense
of relaxation when they start to watch TV—but that feeling
disappears just as quickly when the box is turned off. While
people generally feel more energized after playing sports or
engaging in hobbies, after watching TV they usually feel
depleted of energy. According to the article "this is the irony of
TV: people watch a great deal longer than they plan to, even
though prolonged viewing is less rewarding."
As well as encouraging a sedentary lifestyle, television can also
contribute to childhood obesity by aggressively marketing junk
food to young audiences. According to the Canadian Pediatric
Society, most food advertising on children's TV shows is for fast
foods, candy and pre-sweetened cereals. Commercials for
healthy food make up only 4 per cent of those shown.
How much impact TV has on children depends on many factors:
How much they watch, their age and personality, whether they
watch alone or with adults, and whether their parents talk with
them about what they see on TV.
To minimize the potential negative effects of television, it's
important to understand what the impact of television can be on

children. Below you will find information on some areas of

concern.
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Violence
[Pick the
Over the past two decades, hundreds of studies have examined

how violent programming on TV affects children and young
people. While a direct "cause and effect" link is difficult to
establish, there is a growing consensus that some children may
be vulnerable to violent images and messages. So, what has been
determined through research with regards to children and
television violence? Two outcomes were discovered; catharsis
and stimulation which are still the leading theories in this area.
Catharsis was found to remove negativity, whereas the
stimulation effect increased violent emotions with the latter
showing to be the most likely outcome. There is a proven small
and consistent link between viewing violence and increased
aggression. However, the results were highest amongst children
witnessing violence at home rather than non television.
Researchers have identified three potential responses to media
violence in children:
• Increased fear—also known as the "mean and scary world"
syndrome
Children, particularly girls, are much more likely than
adults to be portrayed as victims of violence on TV, and this
can make them more afraid of the world around them.
• Desensitization to real-life violence
Some of the most violent TV shows are children's cartoons,

in which violence is portrayed as humorous—and realistic

consequences of violence are seldom shown.
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• Increased aggressive behavior
This can be especially true of young children, who are more
likely to exhibit aggressive behavior after viewing violent
TV shows or movies.
Parents should also pay close attention to what their children see
in the news since studies have shown that kids are more afraid of
violence in news coverage than in any other media content. Fear
based on real news events increases as children get older and is
better able to distinguish fantasy from reality. This is another
great controversy with no clear agreement on whether television
actually causes violence. Considering that children learn from
everything they see and experience, here are some damning
statistics.
 By the age of 18 an individual will have seen 18,000
murders and 200,000 acts of violence.
 66% of all television programming focuses on violence.
 Programs that are designed for children have more violence
than those designed for adults.
 Violence on television is seldom punished; it is actually
represented as being funny. The suffering that follows
violence is never depicted.
 Television glamorizes violence when showing it to children.
 For children, even the act of good guys beating up bad guys
is a clear lesson that violence is good. This is especially true
below the age of 8 when children do not differentiate
between fantasy and reality.
 Television viewing effectively murders the human child's

inhibition to violence and human suffering.
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Television Addiction and School Performance

[Pick the
 Television replaces activities like reading, homework,

hobbies, sports, and causes sleep problems.
 Television has a long term effect on academic achievement.
According to one study the individual will be hampered up
to the age of 26 after uncontrolled childhood television
viewing.
 Poor academic performance in school is directly linked to
television viewing.
Television Addiction and School Performance
 Television replaces activities like reading, homework,

hobbies, sports, and causes sleep problems.
 Television has a long term effect on academic achievement.
According to one study the individual will be hampered up
to the age of 26 after uncontrolled childhood television
viewing.
 Poor academic performance in school is directly linked to
television viewing.
Cognitive effects
Other studies showed that there are definite cognitive effects

when children watch television as they are stimulated by visual
movement. This includes the movement of colour, camera
angles, and panoramic views. Television aimed at children takes

this into account and this is why children seem transfixed.
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Research shows, however, that attention to the television is in
[Pick the
fact fragmentary before the age of two, but it steadily increases
until attention peaks at the age of 12 years. The understanding of
many concepts is lost until aged 10 in the average child as there
is too much information to comprehend and so concentration
depends upon pure enjoyment.
Obesity
In terms of health, the main problem is obesity through a lack of
exercise, and so television has been blamed for this in part. This
is because watching television distracts the receptors in the brain
which let the child know when they are full. However, there is no
research to state that this has any more effect than general family
eating habits. Television is like any other factor in life; it can
have positive effects in moderation. There are no suggested
guidelines for television viewing, and so it is down to personal
and family choice.
Study on Women
Women population under study has been further divided into
three categories: light viewers (watching cable television from 1-
2 hours daily), moderate viewers (watching cable television for
more than 2 but less then 4 hours daily) and heavy viewers
(watching cable television 4 and more then 4 hours daily).
They live in contrasting social set-ups, have different levels of
education, reside in different environments and have varying
exposure to outer world and communication opportunities. All

these factors have been taken into consideration because the
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researcher intended to examine varying affects on females
[Pick the
according to their demographic characteristics.
With the reference to passive audience behavior of the women as

stated by Bell our (1975), moving images on screen function
simultaneously for the imaginary and the symbolic. As the
spectator enters into a filmic experience, she first identifies with
the cinematic apparatus; the projector functions as the eye.
Secondly, she has a narcissistic identification with the image and
then as she moves from imaginary to the symbolic, she desires
the image.
Laura Mulley further suggests that in order to derive visual
pleasure, the female spectator must identify with the passive,
fetish position of the female character on screen. Hence, with
such concern in the back of her mind, it was very necessary to
measure those implicit and explicit effects that (might) affect the
behavior and attitudes of the female-audience.
It is a general observation that females in Pakistan are the

housewives. A very small segment of the female population
professionally works. Hence their exposure to outside world is
limited. Thus, their perception falls back upon the mediated and
glamorized reality via television. This also directed attention
towards an important issue: the weak analytical and expressive
powers of female population in general. Even if the women
possess communicative skills, they are not provided with a
proper platform to get themselves heard. Further, in Pakistan’s
male-dominated society, women are not encouraged to come
forward and speak-out their minds. Such observations developed

the need of this study.
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[Pick the
In Pakistan, a woman is supposed to perform an important
responsibility of bringing up their children. She is considered as
the first institution of the society from where the child learns.
Moreover, woman is also the one who is responsible for keeping
intact the value system of the family unit and thus the women
population holds the key to value system of the society in
general. Hence, this study had a strong rationale for analyzing
the effects women are receiving through the cable television.
70 percent female cable viewers were interested in watching
only two kinds of programmes: films and dramas. Only 17.3
percent of the women used cable television for information and
awareness purpose. Hence, with all these aspects in mind, the
study explored the area of cable and TV watching and its effects
with special reference to women residing in Lahore, Pakistan
Cable television channels have been immensely popular among

viewers, particularly among women folk in Pakistan. Public
concern over the ill effects of media violence and sexuality,
explicit content, obscenity and vulgar language shown through
cable television channels is evident and important. This caused
many to criticize the channels and express concern over the
effects of such material on an innocent and expanding
viewership. It was reported in the national dailies several times
that angry viewers physically attacked the cable operators. On
the other hand, the PEMRA does not have any proper system of
check and balance and monitoring cable networks. Thus, this

study was deemed significant for the public and the policy
makers
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A New Culture Making
[Pick the
The satellite television has made its greatest impact among the
college and university populations of Pakistan because this group
is most affected by new trends in language, fashion or behavior.
Now satellite television is thrusting the commercial face of
Western industrial civilization into almost every metropolitan
household and helping to create a new global middle class ethos
which affects far larger numbers of people. 'Given certain socio-
economic characteristics', said a Pakistani advertising executive,
'we are looking at the same kinds of markets. And
advertisements are market driven. So the foundation of a shared
culture is already laid. Earlier, the gap between the elite and the
rest of the middle class was very wide. Now television is playing
a part in leveling those differences, particularly among college
students in metropolitan cities'. As the same executive put it, 'the
children of the middle class, with their demand for Nike shoes
and Docker Levis Jeans and Calvin Klein T-shirts, look much
the same wherever they live'.
A discussion group among 17- and 18-year old students from the
elite Beacon House school and college in Islamabad revealed
that most of them spoke English in the school (some at home
too) and watched English language television programs. None of
the group watched PTV and neither did their parents. VJs from
the music channels were definite reference points for style and
fashion in music and dress, though most of it was western.

Outside the elite groups in Islamabad , Lahore and Karachi , the
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middle class even in same cities and other large cities like
[Pick the
Peshawar or Faisalabad , the music channels were less popular
and more controversial. In these cities, traditional values are still
well respected and students displayed more resistance to western
role models and morals. Among middle class Pashto-speaking
students in Peshawar , the boys expressed a preference for news,
sports and quizzes, while girls favored mythological and Urdu
satellite serials. However, the girls were openly enthusiastic
about TV fashions. ‘That is what I am watching each time', said
one young woman, '... the hairstyle, the shoes, the clothes.... I
watch the music channels only for that'.
Channels are more popular in the big cities than in the small
towns. 'In urban areas, the culture is being taken over by
something that is not Pakistani', said one student. 'TV has
introduced a ‘punk' culture. From childhood, kids have taken to
wear earrings and singing pop songs. These are the negative
effects of TV, said another. Most young Pakistanis deny any
disloyalty to their culture or disrespect for their parents. But they
acknowledge the power of the new influences. 'Pakistan TV
should also go on satellite', said one student. ‘That way other
people will also know something of our country... It also means
that just like Zee, Sony and MTV have a strong impact on our
society, similarly Pakistan TV can promote Pakistani culture
elsewhere.'

The Impact on Language

date]A new language, pioneered by Zee TV and later followed by
Geo, ARY , and innumerable FM radio Stations throughout
[Pick the
Pakistan has come to be known as ‘Unglish' and sometimes

‘Minglish', has caught on with the urban young all over
Pakistani metropolis and has become a point of controversy with
others. One of the reasons for its popularity is its complete break
with the style and preoccupations of the national broadcasters.
Television has produced 'a perceptible change in the usage of
language'. In Pakistani urban centers, ‘higher classes' are
reported to be using more Urdu and English words in everyday
language. The 'educated middle classes' are trying to retain the
Persian flavor of their language by using 'either pure Urdu or
elite English words'.
The concept of purity of language is humburg. This language
does not make a fetish whether the word is English or Urdu or
Punjabi, as long as it is understood by the majority of listeners.'
There are concerns that the new style is an urban phenomenon
which reflects the dominance of the upper middle class, English
elite in the new media and a lack of seriousness in
communicating with the rest of society, which does not know
English.
Effect on life
 Television addiction becomes a problem when a subject
does not want to watch TV, but experiences an

uncontrollable compulsion to start or continue watching.
The subject may not accomplish tasks or goals that he or

she feels are important
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Another negative effect of TV addiction is that people often

[Pick the

feel withdrawal symptoms when they try to go for long

periods without watching TV. Many viewers may feel
anxious for a time as they try to adjust to living without
TV's relaxing effects
 Coupled with other factors, habitual television watching,
over long periods of time, has been known to cause, in some
people, a lack of motivation and feelings of listlessness,
depression, and anger.
 People watch television more than any other activity, 4
hours a day on average in the United State For reading and
other activities the figures did not go above 30 mins
Change in Fashion and Style
A survey of the impact of satellite television in two big cities in
Pakistan—Lahore and Karachi provided ample evidence that
satellite television serials are stimulating a growing interest in
personal appearance and beautification. Though many of those
interviewed denied they were imitating the styles of the stars, the
proprietor of famous Diplex Beauty Parlour, Musarrat Misbah in
Lahore said, her clients specifically demanded hair styles from
famous models as well as those of Krishna kapoor and Princess
Diana.

Evidence from dress shops in big cities suggests that there is a

roaring business in dresses popularized in Indian films, with the
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Karachi wholesalers dispatching them in volume once the film
[Pick the
has become popular. These Indian movies are available to
Pakistani audience through Cable TV. These new fashions
encouraged by TV have provoked some criticism from
traditionalists.
Religion
Cable television is not only providing Pakistani channels but also
transferring European, American, Indian and other channels.
Through their programmes, religions other than Islam, are
exposed to the public in Pakistan which have different values.
The researcher assumed that such conditions might affect the
religious trends in Pakistan. Some of the researches have proved
that Indian channels are giving undue exposure to Hinduism
through their dramas and movies (Pervez, 2006). Vulgarity and
action scenes in these movies might influence their attitudes
towards religion and their routine lives. Therefore, this research
tried to evaluate effects on religious attitudes of light and heavy
viewers.
Traditions
Pakistani people practice hospitality and show generosity
towards others. They obey and respect each other, particularly
their elders. Moreover, in Pakistan joint family system is as
praised as compared to nuclear family. They share their
happiness as well as sorrows. Now a days, people in Pakistan are
being exposed to Indian, western and other culture’s rituals,
traditions and celebrations like Valentine’s Day, Halloween,
Holly, etc. not aligned with Pakistani norms and traditions. The
rituals of Pakistani marriages have been changed as many norms
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and traditions of India are being followed now by the women in
[Pick the
Pakistan. This statement is verified by a study conducted by
Tariq (2004) on “Invasion of Indian culture through movies”.
The Gender Crisis
The evidence from one discussion groups suggested that new

role models created by the satellite cable channels have been
more influential in the larger cities than elsewhere. A group of
women in Lahore felt that the serials on Zee by and large painted
'an unreal and perverted picture of women'. Two working class
women took very strong objection to what they termed 'the
misbehavior of young women in serials'. They claimed that their
day-to-day life and reality was never shown in the serials or
films. To them the women shown on the screen belonged to a
very small affluent section of the Pakistani society, which is not
at all representative.
In general the women appreciated the new bold woman, though
they differed considerably over how the boldness was portrayed.
An underlying concern among working women themselves was
that their portrayal in the serials was 'extremely negative and
problematic. One conclusion of these discussions was that
women's worlds are not reflected adequately on television and
that something needs to be done to correct the imbalance.
Professional women in Islamabad wanted programs to show
women playing a variety of roles. 'Women are shown in plays,
entertainment and movies and are not much included in current
affairs discussions, economic and political debates', said one

participant. 'Television is not showing what our women are
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achieving', said another. 'Women should appear in the media in a
[Pick the
diversity of roles, not a limited and stereotyped one', was a third
opinion.
The Lonely Audience
Discussants in various cities and towns had consensus over

decline in socializing. Family gatherings have grown less
frequent as TV programs take priority and social interaction is
often determined by what is on TV. A common complaint of
parents is that children are glued to the television set and neglect
their studies, though the supposed correlation between addiction
to television and poor exam results is not easy to prove. Some
parents have cable TV disconnected as exams approach, though
most teachers argue that television, properly used, has widened
children's horizons and helped them do better. The viewing and
reading habits of parents are (in most cases) more significant
determining factors than the presence or absence of a television
set.
In Islamabad , it was not just parents who were complaining,
school children were also annoyed that parents did not bother to
sit down with them when they had difficulty with their
homework. They would rather watch TV than talk to their
children
Pakistani parents of almost all backgrounds express worries
about the greater incidence of sex, violence, bad language and
bad behavior on satellite television. There is concern that
violence on the screen is producing copycat violence on the

streets or in the classroom, that sexual gratification and
date]
promiscuity are being encouraged and that certain kinds of more
[Pick the
explicit programs undermine family and traditional values.
Parents and grandparents fear that children are losing their
innocence by being exposed to unsuitable adult programs—
especially the vulgarity of Indian Urdu film songs and the
unnecessary violence and frankness of serials.
Family viewing of programs with bolder themes or franker
treatment of sexuality is a source of embarrassment for most
parents and some children. Speculation about the impact of
television is common; though most of it cannot be confirmed
when specific examples are sought. In discussion groups in
Lahore, some participants wanted to blame television for girls
running away with men of different ethnic groups and classes,
though others pointed out that such things had happened before.
Others talked of girls being raped in offices and workplaces,
though no one was aware of any specific examples and the police
had no records of such crimes. Such examples are symptomatic
of general concerns about the impact of satellite television,
which is reflecting the fractured world of advanced urban
societies to localities with more conservative traditions.
Discussion groups commonly expressed the view that cable TV
is responsible for growing promiscuity in society. TV is seen as
the immediate culprit because of its visual presence discussing
sex or portraying sexuality related activities. However, as groups
examined the issue in more depth, they would generally modify
their verdict, accepting that no media product alone can be
responsible for something as basic as sexual behavior patterns.
Satellite television is part of a complex pattern of social change,

but a number of professionals dealing with social and personal
date]
problems see it as a negative influence. Another worry for
[Pick the
parents is the level of violence in Urdu films, tely serials and
cartoons. One worried parent said, 'Even cartoons are no longer
safe. Some of the characters have become so ridiculously violent
that they are losing their suitability for children. Children are
learning to kick and punch and use foul language.'
A discussion group accepted that violence in society had its
origins in economic deprivation and social breakdown and could
not be blamed solely on the media, but many discussants did
blame TV for a process of violence. They held that people are
willing to accept a greater degree of violence because of their
exposure to it on TV. Some also believed that TV did influence
the behavior of marginal players; those on the verge of assault or
adultery may risk it under the influence of TV. There seems to be
a class dimension to reactions to media violence. For the middle
class, the level of violence in films is outside their normal
experience, whereas for the working class it is not regarded as
unusual.
Some discussants expressed concern that satellite television,
which is targeting the middle class with expensive products, may
be alienating working class and rural viewers and fuelling social
unrest. But our research among working class families in Lahore
and Rawalpindi found more evidence of prudence than of
frustration and anger. These families, with a purchasing power of
less than Rs 6,000 a month, all confront the dilemma that their
children are constantly exposed to advertisements for goods they
cannot afford to buy. They were critical of many of the programs
and of the advertisements, but they followed new products

closely and exhibited a high rate of sampling, whether of soaps,
date]
shampoos, biscuits or chocolates.
[Pick the
All the discussions and data show that people are worried about
the impact on others, not on themselves. The middle class is
concerned about other people's children and about the impact on
the working class. The working class, significantly, is concerned
about what it sees as the growth of corruption in the middle
class. The parents of rich children for conniving at indecent
behaviour. TV is responsible for the creeping corruption in
society, but they also recognised ‘some good effects' of TV.
Some common observations

There are some common observations among people who give
up on television completely.
Lower stress levels
Television subconsciously creates stress in the viewer that

keeps adding up and eventually begins to show adverse
affects. Hypertension (high blood pressure) can be
seriously aggravated through television viewing.
Increased reading
It has been documented that those who give up on
television automatically begin reading more. Their minds
make a natural shift to a healthier source of information.

Increased physical activity

date] People who give up television are more active physically
and consequently they are in better control of their weight
[Pick the
and fitness. Countless medical studies have shown that

television causes problems like weight gain, obesity, high
cholesterol, arthritis, and visual impairment.
Increased libido
As I have mentioned in my previous articles, the affect of

television is similar to alcohol or any other central nervous
system depressants. You know what happens when you
drink too much or take antidepressant pills for too long.
Your libido drops like a rock. Long term alcohol and
antidepressant usage leads to male impotency.
Put simply, sex and television are completely

incompatible. Giving up television means more sex and
more importantly, quality sex (sorry if that sounds cheesy).
Preventative Measures
 Spend time engaging in physical activities, sports, hiking,
rock climbing, mountaineering, swimming, tree climbing,

etc according to one's physical capacity.
 Read books including novels, short stories, poetry, science
fiction stories, science magazines, etc.
 Engage in indoor games like chess, caroms, scrabble, board
games, etc.
 Be active at a social service club (so far the best antidote for
all stress related problems).
date]
[Pick the
All the above activities are helpful in overcoming addiction

to TV. While you feel energy sapped, lethargic and tensed
after prolonged TV viewing, these activities make you feel
refreshed.

date]
APPENDIX
[Pick the

GLOSSARY
date]
[Pick the

BIBLIOGRAPHY
date]
[Pick the
Agarwal, V. B. (1993). Impact of cable television on social life,

Communicator, 3, (3), 7- 12.
Ahtesham, Z. T. (1998). The Effect of PTV dramas on the wedding
ceremonies and thoughts. Unpublished master’s thesis, Bahauddin
Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan.
Ali, D. (2001). Impact of satellite TV channels on the people living in
Lahore. Unpublished master’s thesis, department of Sociology,
University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
Anjlee, Loona., & Towhid, (2006). Star plus Indian drama. Retrieved
April 3, 2007 from http://forum.indya.com/index-php?t-2973.html.
Atkin D., & LaRose, R. (1991). Cable access: Market concerns amidst
the market place of ideas. Journalism Quarterly, Colombia: the
association for education in Journalism and mass communication at
University of South Carolina, 68 (4), 354 - 362.
Aziz, Y. (2003). Cable television, A vision of the future. A report
published by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).
(pp. 13-16). Islamabad, Pakistan.
Babi, F. B. (1990). The adoption of television in Cameroon and its
effects on youth, Dissertation Abstracts International, 50 (7), 2

date]
[Pick the Index
A
academic achievement..........................................................................................................................41
accelerating social.................................................................................................................................17
addiction.....................................2, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 19, 21, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 33, 47, 48, 51, 56
adolescents............................................................................................................................................36
afraid...............................................................................................................................................39, 40
aggression.......................................................................................................................................36, 39
aggressive..................................................................................................................................36, 37, 40
allegedly safe.........................................................................................................................................31
antidote.............................................................................................................................................9, 56
attention spans......................................................................................................................................35
B
baby-sitter.............................................................................................................................................33
behavior modification............................................................................................................................33
behavior patterns...................................................................................................................................52
broadcasts.............................................................................................................................................17
C
catharsis and stimulation.......................................................................................................................39
coaxial...................................................................................................................................................17
communication...................................................................................................11, 15, 17, 22, 23, 43, 59
communication revolution......................................................................................................................17
confined sphere.....................................................................................................................................17
conservative traditions...........................................................................................................................52
couch-potatoes......................................................................................................................................33
creeping corruption................................................................................................................................54
cultural change......................................................................................................................................17
custodian...............................................................................................................................................16
D
depressants...........................................................................................................................................55
depression.............................................................................................................................................48
destroyed...............................................................................................................................................33
destruction.........................................................................................................................................8, 34
direct correlation....................................................................................................................................34
dissertation............................................................................................................................................24
distinguish.......................................................................................................................................32, 40
dumb sidekicks......................................................................................................................................31
E
emergence.........................................................................................................................................9, 20

energy sapped...................................................................................................................................9, 56
energy-burning activities.......................................................................................................................34
engendering...........................................................................................................................................33
entertainment value..............................................................................................................................25
essence..................................................................................................................................................13
date]
ethically.................................................................................................................................................16
[Pick the
ethnic groups.........................................................................................................................................52
evidence.........................................................................................................................30, 34, 48, 50, 53
expectation............................................................................................................................................16
experience.....................................................................................................................15, 18, 40, 43, 53
F
fictional relatives....................................................................................................................................32
fitness....................................................................................................................................................55
fractured................................................................................................................................................52
fragmentary...........................................................................................................................................42
G
gambling................................................................................................................................................13
glamorizes.............................................................................................................................................40
growing consensus.................................................................................................................................39
growing promiscuity...............................................................................................................................52
H
habitual television watching...................................................................................................................48
Halloween..........................................................................................................................................9, 49
hampered..............................................................................................................................................41
high-calorie......................................................................................................................................21, 34
high-calorie diet.....................................................................................................................................21
Holly...................................................................................................................................................9, 50
hospitality..............................................................................................................................................49
I
ideologically...........................................................................................................................................16
imprecise...............................................................................................................................................13
inconsequential......................................................................................................................................31
Increased libido......................................................................................................................................55
Increased physical activity.....................................................................................................................55
Increased reading..................................................................................................................................54
intolerance.............................................................................................................................................31
invention................................................................................................................................................17
K
Kaiser Foundation..............................................................................................................................8, 14
knowledge.............................................................................................................................................14
L
laden..................................................................................................................................................8, 13
libido drops............................................................................................................................................55
licenses..................................................................................................................................................18

Lower stress levels.................................................................................................................................54

M
date]mass media................................................................................................................................17, 23, 25
menace..................................................................................................................................................33
[Pick the
Minglish.................................................................................................................................................47
mountaineering......................................................................................................................................55
multilingual............................................................................................................................................29
N
national boundaries...............................................................................................................................17
O
obese...............................................................................................................................................22, 38
overweight.......................................................................................................................................21, 34
P
panic......................................................................................................................................................28
panoramic views....................................................................................................................................42
perceptible change................................................................................................................................47
Persian...................................................................................................................................................47
personal beliefs................................................................................................................................10, 27
physical activities...............................................................................................................................9, 55
Preventative Measures...........................................................................................................................55
problematic..................................................................................................................................8, 13, 50
prolonged.....................................................................................................................................9, 38, 56
promiscuity......................................................................................................................................16, 52
psychiatrists...........................................................................................................................................13
Psychologists.........................................................................................................................................13
Pushto....................................................................................................................................................46
R
racism....................................................................................................................................................31
relaxation...............................................................................................................................................38
S
sedative.................................................................................................................................................21
seldom focus..........................................................................................................................................31
self-discipline...................................................................................................................................30, 36
social change.........................................................................................................................................53
some common observations..................................................................................................................54
Speculation............................................................................................................................................52
symptomatic..........................................................................................................................................52
symptoms..............................................................................................................................................13
T
technologies.....................................................................................................................................17, 22
television programming.........................................................................................................................40
tensed................................................................................................................................................9, 56
The Gender Crisis...................................................................................................................................50

traditional.............................................................................................................................15, 17, 46, 52

U
date]uncontrollable compulsion.....................................................................................................................47
undeniable.......................................................................................................................................30, 33
[Pick the
V
Valentine’s Day..................................................................................................................................9, 49
violence............................................................................................19, 28, 31, 36, 39, 40, 41, 44, 51, 53
vital cogs...............................................................................................................................................23
vulgarity.................................................................................................................................................52
vulnerable........................................................................................................................................33, 39
W
weight........................................................................................................................................21, 22, 55
withdrawal symptoms......................................................................................................................13, 48
workaholic..............................................................................................................................................26
worldwide audience...............................................................................................................................17
‘
‘Unglish'.................................................................................................................................................47

TV Addiction

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Television Addiction

Miss. Aimen Khawaja

Miss. Momina Jamil

University of Veterinary &Animal Sciences Page | 2

We dedicate this report to our loving parents,

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date] In the name of Almighty Omniscient, the most merciful and

O Lord of the Worlds!

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Dear, Mr. Asim Naseem

THE SERIOUS PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH TV ADDICTION:...........................................14

CABLE DISTRIBUTION IN PAKISTAN.........................................18

INFLUENCE OF TELEVISION .......................................................19

RESEARCH ON CABLE TELEVISION EFFECTS.......................22

ROLE OF MEDIA IN TV ADDICTION...........................................26

TELEVISION SOCIAL PERCEPTION OF ADDICTS............................................................26

EFFECTS ON HEALTHY CHILD DEVELOPMENT....................37

A NEW CULTURE MAKING...........................................................45

THE IMPACT ON LANGUAGE ..............................................................................47

THE GENDER CRISIS ......................................................................50

THE LONELY AUDIENCE ...............................................................51

SOME COMMON OBSERVATIONS...............................................54

LOWER STRESS LEVELS....................................................................................54

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such as playing, reading, exploring nature, learning about music or participating in

A Scientific American article entitled "Television Addiction" examined

Television addiction increases because in a given family there are people

University of Veterinary &Animal Sciences Page | 10

We have collected information from internet, by discussing

University of Veterinary &Animal Sciences Page | 11

date]  For primary sources please see bibliography on page.

For the meanings of difficult words please see glossary on

While preparing this report we faced the following major

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“The term ‘TV addiction’ is imprecise and laden with value

Television addiction is a disorder where the subject has a

“All these criteria can apply to people who watch a lot of

ought not to watch as much as they do and yet find themselves

 You never turn off the television at the decided time.

According to the most recent study by the Kaiser Foundation

 Difficulty getting along with others

For most of us, television has become the center of our

transformation substituting all other entertainments with a

Radio due to its orthodoxy in content and form, centralized

broadcasting and acute lack of professionalism is no more a

Brief History of Cable Television

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Cable Distribution in Pakistan

retained a system of licensing for television sets till 2006, the

concerns. According to a study conducted in 2006 by the

The average child will watch 8,000 murders on TV before

have had a long-standing concern with the impact of television

As a result, rapid growth of cable television in Pakistan has not

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Millions of Pakistanis are so hooked on television that they fit

Violence and addiction are not the only TV-related health

According to William H. Dietz, pediatrician and prominent

three hours of TV a day is far more likely to be obese than an

Therefore, the researcher believes that present study could

University of Veterinary &Animal Sciences Page | 22

information-dependent and some have dubbed ours as an

Concerns over impacts/effects of media always reinforce