How do television and the other visual media affect
the lives of individuals and families around the globe? The
media can be very helpful to people (and their children) who
carefully choose what they watch. With high-quality
programming in various fields of study-science, medicine,
nature, history, the arts, and so on-TV, video tapes, and DVDs
increase the knowledge of the average and the well-educated
person; they can also improve thinking ability. Moreover,
television and other visual media benefit elderly people who
can’t go out often, as well as patients in hospitals and
residents of nursing facilities. Additionally, it offers language
learners the advantage of “real-life” audiovisual instruction
and aural comprehension practice at any time of day or night.
And of course, visual media can provide almost everyone
with good entertainment-a pleasant way to relax and spend
free time at home.