The Benefits of Watching TV

According to the Globe and Mail, Canadians watched an average of 30 hours of TV in 2017. Not surprising considering we are in the ‘golden age of TV’. But is all that TV watching good for us? Well, like most things, it’s all about balance. But in case you were feeling bad about your TV binge-watching, let us alleviate some of your concerns. Watching TV can actually be quite beneficial! 

1. Educational
TV has many educational benefits for children and adults.  TV can be used as a learning tool both at home and in the classroom. With the wide range of TV channels, we can certainly find the perfect mix of educational programming for our children or for ourself.

With so much controversy surrounding the effects of television on the minds of young people, there is concern that TV is doing more harm than good. Since many channels are geared toward an adult audience, stick to channels like PBS, History Channel, Discovery Channel, and Animal Planet for your kids. With supervision and monitoring, television can actually be a positive experience.

TV can help a child’s intellect
In many studies, researchers have observed how educational programs can aid in boosting children’s intellect. Surprisingly, children aged 2 to 7 who watched a few hours of educational television programs per day performed better on academic tests than those who didn’t watch TV. They also found children who spent most of their television time watching shows like cartoons scored lower than those who viewed educational ones. Therefore, it is important to monitor what your children are watching and show them educational programs as opposed to simply letting them watch cartoons.

TV can be a teacher for children
Whatever your child may be interested in, there is likely an educational show on that subject. Television is a great way to open your child’s mind to a variety of things and help them learn about topics they may not be exposed to at school. On the other hand, television can reinforce what children learn in school and provide a supplementary method to teaching children about important subjects.

TV can show children things they wouldn’t see otherwise
Without television, most children would never be able to see amazing things like exotic animals, different cultures, and beautiful cities. For example, nature shows and history programs are great resources for teaching children about creatures and places that they’ve never heard of. Kids can learn from this type of media in order to appreciate and understand the world around them.

TV can provide good role models for children
When children watch television, they are bound to be influenced by the characters they see. Allowing your children to watch shows with characters who promote positive messages like healthy living and helping others will influence them to make good choices. 

While the effects of television on children continue to be debated, there are ways in which you can make television’s influence beneficial. Making sure your child is keeping their television time to a minimum and watching shows that are educational can actually help your child. Educational television programs can provide them with more knowledge and greater insight on the world that will help them mature into a well-rounded adult.

2. Stay Current
TV is a source of news. Tuning in to local news allows civilians to stay informed with what is happening in their city.  International news shows keep you up-to-date with breaking news around the world.  As well, in the wake of global warming, the weather channel is vitally important because it gives us information about tornado warnings, hurricanes and more.

3. Get Cultured
TV can provide a cheap escape instead of travelling. Exposing yourself to the cultures of the world can be easily done from behind a TV screen. Turn on a new season of BBC’s Planet Earth and unwind to the beautiful images on the screen.

4. Feel the Connection
In some ways watching TV can act as a filler for spending time with friends and family. Family bonding is a great benefit of watching TV.  Spending time together as a family watching a television program provides a chance for everyone to connect and unwind.  Bonding over a favourite TV show provides opportunity for lifelong memories. In a study from the journal of Experimental Social Psychology, researchers found that while watching a favourite TV show people reported feeling less lonely.  As well, if a certain show, news item or sports game has enough cultural weight it has the ability to bring people together to root for a common goal.  

5. Learn a Language
Expose yourself to new languages you want to learn. A great way to help learn a new language is to watch TV shows in the foreign language you are interested in learning. Many people all over the world learn English through American TV shows.  Listening and reading subtitles is an great way to passively learn.

6. Mental Health
If a certain show makes you laugh there are health benefits to that. Laughter is the best medicine!  If you decide to watch TV while you are exercising, this can provide a distraction allowing you to do cardio for a longer period of time.  A study from the University of Rochester found that people are more energetic after watching nature scenes.

7. Save Money
TV provides a cheap form of entertainment. If you compare it to going out to the movies or to a live show, it is certainly the economical choice!   

8. Fight Temptation
TV can improve your self control.  An interesting study by the University of Buffalo found that watching TV regularly can help maintain our ability to fight temptation.  The research psychologist that made this study found that watching a “familiar fictional world” helps people to control their impulses.  The social nature of watching your favourite TV show provides comfort which contributes to your ability to control your impulses.

9. Relieve Stress
TV can relieve your stress.  According to a study done at the University of California found that watching more TV can reduce your cortisol levels.  Cortisol is nick-named the “stress hormone”.  It is a cause for concern because it can increase weight gain, cholesterol and depression.  So if watching your favourite shows reduces this in anyway then its time to tune in to prime time TV. 

10. Get Inspired
TV can inspire you or your kids to try new things or pick up a new hobby.  If kids, see their favourite characters engaged in activities they have never tried before they are more likely to want to try those things too! This can create more “unplugged” learning.  The same situation can happen for you, if your watching your favourite HGTV show about home renovations perhaps this will encourage you’re to crack open a can of paint and upgrade your home! Shows on HGTV can provide many different ideas to boost your home décor creativity. TV also provides an opportunity to learn about different occupations and can help inspire kids and adults to pursue new career avenues.