This is like asking if food is a bad influence.
Yes, it can be, when we eat too much, and when we do not consume a balanced diet.
It’s not true that all television is trash or bad or immoral or mindless. People who say that are always the ones who don’t watch television, so how would they know?
There is MUCH on television that is good. Yes, there really is.
Yes, we can watch too much television, and yes, we can watch a very unbalanced “diet” of really bad television shows that, IMO, will drag down our moral compass and make our brains turn to jelly.
But we can also monitor the amount of television we watch, and we can choose to watch uplifting or thought-provoking or useful shows.
And there is much that has elements of good, but we have to be discerning and separate what is good from what is bad. I’m thinking of the various newscasts. Most local newscasts are still excellent, and keep us in touch with our neighbors, our communities, and our regions. The newscasters on these shows are our neighbors, fellow parishioners, and sometimes our friends. I see absolutely no harm and MUCH GOOD in tuning in to the local news/weather/sports.
As for the national newcasts, I think we have to be very careful. Much of what is presented is done from a “godless” or “a-religious” point of view. Also, we only hear a small amount of the facts, and the journalists will often leave things out, or push things forward that do not necessarily have any relevance, but make a good story and increase the ratings. An example of this would be the reports that the killer of the Sandy Hook children and teachers has Asperger’s. At this point, we’re not even sure that’s TRUE. And if it is true, what does it have to do with the killings? Is there a link? No one knows, and yet the journalist threw it out there with no heed of the consequences. I think it was irresponsible journalism.
That’s the kind of discerning we have to exercise when we watch TV. There are excellent dramas and comedies. Most of them show highly immoral situations; e.g., unmarried people having sex. We need to constantly remind ourselves that “This is immoral. This is sinful.” And IMO, if the show offers nothing other than one immoral situation after another, with no plot or acting or anything–why watch it? That would be an example of a “bad” television show that is not helping to improve your life and soul.
But there are plenty of television shows that have the occasional immoral scene, but the rest of the show is rock-solid and thoughtfully-written. Why condemn shows like this? An example is the show
The Unit. This was a fantastic show for Christians to watch. Shawn Ryan and David Mamet consistently wrote religion INTO the show, and gave it a fair treatment. But they also included a philandering Commanding Officer who betrayed one of the men under his command–but in the end, the cheating guy got what he deserved!
And of course, there are the “information” shows and channels, like HGTV, Food channel, etc. What is the harm in watching these?
Finally, there are many many people who live alone, who are disabled, or who are ill. For these people, television is a wonderful thing. They can turn on a football game or a newcasts and suddenly, they are part of a large group of fellow human beings who are all involved in something outside of themselves. My mother (RIP), who was invalid and homebound due to severe rheumatoid arthritis, used to love watching Cubs games on TV, and she also loved the Olympics. A lot of Senior Citizens love watching sports on TV. A lot of young mothers through the decades have gotten caught up in a soap opera–it sounds stupid and yes, soaps ARE kind of stupid! But for a young mom who is up throughout the night nursing a baby, and doesn’t get out much–a soap can be a marvelous opportunity for a little escape. Obviously, the soaps have always presented highly immoral situations, but most young mothers are able to figure out right from wrong, and say, “Wow, what trashy behavior! I’m glad that I have a good husband and a lovely family.” Give people credit for basic intelligence.
My mother, bless her heart, used to watch
All My Children mainly to see how beautiful the women were and how handsome the men were. She knew good and well that the plot was silly and that the people were trashy. But she loved watching them anyway. It didn’t seem to influence her badly at all in her faith or life.
I just don’t understand its popularity.
