We’ve heard it a million times: movies and television are bad for us. Of course, in the 19th century they said the same about novels. In general, any hobby that does not involve physical activity is accused of making people lazy and lazy. However, movies and television are actually a mixed bag. Yes, it is true that there are drawbacks. However, there are also positives. In this article, I will discuss some of the pros and cons of movies and television.

Pros

Greater emotional range: Movies and television can introduce us to new emotional experiences that we would not otherwise experience. This can even include things like experiencing the thrill of successfully running for president with emotions as bad as a revenge movie. While there is of course a great deal of emotional content in our daily lives, our lives are rarely as complex as what we see on television or in the movies. Besides, we only live our own lives. Increasing our range of emotions can make us more empathic with other people.

Emotional training: By this, I mean how movies can help us learn to deal with emotions. before we have to deal with them in real life. A program that involves the death of a spouse, for example, can help us think and develop our own emotional reactions so that when something equally tragic happens to us, we are more prepared.

Imaginative education: All of our thoughts are mediated by the imagination. Think about something. Do you realize how you had an image that went with that thought? We constantly have our thoughts mediated by images, and experiencing new images gives us new ways of thinking and reacting to things.

Cons

Fake objects: I think I realized this when the character in one of my favorite shows apparently died at the end of a season. We converted incredibly attached to television and movie characters. However, those people are not real. This causes a couple of problems. First, we have a disconnect between our own emotions and the real world. Second, it divides our psyche. When our emotions feel something about objects that our reason knows are not real, we divide.

Addiction: Television, especially, is addictive. No one has ever given a particularly good explanation why, but for all practical purposes, does it matter? We often find ourselves sitting in front of the television, trying to find something to watch. The pleasure of movies and television can become addictive, like any other pleasure.

Not social: Movies and television are non-social activities, even when done with another person. They do not involve any personal interaction with the people around us and envelop us in our own world. However, they give the appearance of being a social activity, which is why people go to the movies together. This can give us the false impression that we are interacting with people more than we really are.

conclusion

Do you realize that I did not say that film and television are wastes of time? I didn’t because that would be begging. Movies and television would only be a waste of time if they were bad; They can’t be bad either because they are a waste of time. Instead, movies and television have positive and negative elements, like most hobbies.