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Television is disease that has crept up on Americans. Actually, to put it more accurately, the physical television is simply the carrier for the disease that has invaded each our homes. The disease, however, is the sheer laziness of Americans, how we are content to root ourselves to our couches, forever glued to the glass screen in front of our faces. In each television program we watch, we see other people doing things that we wish we were able to do. When in truth, we are able to do these things. But we have so much contempt for lifting ourselves off of the furniture, for moving our legs farther than the two feet to the kitchen that we have taught ourselves to not believe in ourselves. If we don’t think that we can do it, then there is no need to get up and try. If we don’t think that we can do it, there is no need to turn off the television that gives us hours of endless entertainment. I was infected by that strain of the disease. I never learned how to ride a bike as a child; my parents were never home, and I didn’t have any close friends. So as my entire peer group learned to ride a bike at the age of three, I spent thirteen years, from age three and onward, watching people ride bikes on television and wishing that I could do that. Granted I was frightened to get on a bike, and it was not from sheer laziness, but laziness did play a part in my reluctance to attempt to ride a bike. It eventually got to the point that my entire sports team brought a bike to a practice, and spent the entire two-hour practice teaching me to ride a bike. All because I was content to sit in front of the television , watching people weave between trees and down hills on their bikes, than to actually get on a bike myself. But the television does not operate in simply that way. Seeing as I work at a daycare, and have done at-home babysitting, I have had experience with many different types of children, but the most disturbing encounter that I had was with one child. The behavior that bothered me so much was based not on her shoving objects up her nose, or eating random objects, it was her reaction to the television. “Anna,” was four years old, and very intelligent for her age. We were working on her letters, trying to have her form the letter ‘s’ properly, but she kept walking out of the room. A few minutes later, she would walk dejectedly back into the kitchen and climb up onto the chair. The fourth times she did this, I followed her into the other room. She was sitting in front of the television, touching the buttons, trying to turn on the television. I asked her what she was doing, and she responded “Trying to get the ‘funner’ babysitter.” Needless to say, I talked to her parents, and they admitted that not only did they permit their child to sit in front of the television when they left the house, but that they allowed her to watch “Spartacus,” a very violent show that is comparable to the movie 300. We, as Americans, or as people in general, would rather watch people be physically active than be active ourselves. We would rather watch people kill each other, or let our four-year olds be exposed to this, than deal with our lives properly. Instead of paying for a babysitter who would help their child learn, we elect to perch them in front of bright lights and violence. The television. It is the perfect carrier for the perfect disease. An object that allows us to see all the things that we wish we could do. An object that watches our children for us while we go out. An object that slowly steals our humanity. We watch television because we are scared. We watch television because we are lazy. We watch television because we have been infected.
The Infection
Without sounding too vain, I would like to say that I love this piece. It is a perfect example of how I have finally been able to create an extended metaphor, which is something that I've been wanting to do for a very long time. I am far from 'mastering' this art, but at least I am on my way :)
twistidshady added this comment 2010-09-21 18:56:54-05:00
that is very true for about 90% of America.
twistidshady added this comment 2010-09-21 18:56:54-05:00
that is very true for about 90% of America.