Television Addiction By Marie Winn example essay topic

753 words
According to Rita Dove, the author of "Loose Ends", and "Television Addiction", by Marie Winn. Both authors often share the same the views about television. But television addiction is more expressed in Ms. Winn's essay. However, Ms. Dove speaks of a more personal experience with her daughter, and how the television is an issue in her household. Although, Ms. Dove says in her essay, "For years the following scene would play daily at our house: Home from school, my daughter would have her backpack off her shoulder and let it thud to the hall floor, then jump her jacket on top of the pile" (Dove 503).

However, when I first read this I thought to myself about my habits and how I do things around the house. What Ms. Dove talk about my mom tells me the same things each and everyday. It's sort of a recording that never ends. Although, I always try to pick up my stuff before she gets home, but it never happens because either my mind gets easily distracted. Moreover, Ms. Winn compares television to drugs, and drinking addictions. Furthermore, Ms. Winn points out, "When we think of addiction to drugs or alcohol, we frequently focus on negative aspects, ignoring the pleasures that accompany drinking and drug taking" (Winn 505).

When I first read this statement I thought to myself for some people there are some good aspects to drinking and drugs. For example, Ms. Winn says, "And yet the essence of any serious addiction is a pursuit of pleasure a search for a "high" that normally life does not supply". Ms. Winn also lightens the readers by talking about how people become addicted to television she says, "The self-confessed television addict often feels he "ought" to do other things-but the fact doesn't read and doesn't plant his garden or sew or crochet or play games or have conversations means that those activities are no longer as desirable as television viewing" (Winn 506). She gives reasoning of why people become addicts and I think it strengthens her essay. In addition, Ms. Rita Dove also explains in her essay that, "It is not that we confuse TV with reality, but that we prefer it to reality-the manageable struggle resolved in twenty-six minutes, the witty repartee with the family circle instead of the grunts and silence common to real families; the sharpened conflict and defined despair instead of vague anxiety and invisible enemies" (Dove 504).

This statement is however pretty true because what goes on TV maybe reality and some may not. For example, on TV now a days we have what we call reality TV and what we call Cartoons. But, in any case how you see it on TV is not always reality because you can't see what you " re actually watching in person. Even though they do portray the real things that go on around the world.

In conclusion, in both case between these two essays however in Dove's essay she doesn't really set limits for her daughter. So, maybe if she did set limits for her daughter she wouldn't just come into the house drop her bags and head straight to her room, and watch television. I believe that parents have to set limits in order to get what they want from a child because I can speak from experience because my mom never really set limits towards me when I was young. Yes, she would tell me no and things of that nature, but she would never map out. For example, when you come home from school I want you to do this and this. She would just make sure that my homework was done correctly and made sure I got it to the teacher on time.

But, however in Ms. Winn's essay she talks more about the addition of the television. Television Addition is more expressed in her essay and I like that because of that simple fact that she gives more examples of Television Addiction, and other addictions as the proposed fact of drugs and drinking. My last and final point is that maybe if Ms. Dove would have given more examples of her daughter's situation then I would better understand her story. Overall, I feel that Ms. Winn has a better point on Television Addition, and the addictions on drugs and drinking.