There is no doubt that watching television and movies can influence the way that peoplebehave. Moreover, it seems that people are spending more and more time watchingsome sort of visual entertainment, whether it is television, a video tape or aDVD. Therefore, the effects of visual media cannot be ignored.

　　One obvious effect of these media is that watching theminduces people to buy certain products. Television advertising is widespreadand, nowadays, even movie theaters permit advertisements.

　　Another way TV and the movies affect people is that theygive people either a broader view of the world or a distorted one, depending onwhat type of program people watch. Those who watch news and educational programcan learn many new things while those who watch primarily entertainment showsmay come to believe that most people in the world possess great wealth and goodlooks. It may make them become dissatisfied with their own lives.

　　Finally, perhaps the most susceptible viewers arechildren, who may be unable to tell fact from fiction and may try to imitateacts that they see on TV or in the movies. With theevery-increasing popularity of video entertainment, society must pay attentionto these effects. Television and movies, while entertaining and informative,cannot take the place of real experience.

　　How do movies or TV influence our behavior?

　　Estimated score:6.0/6.0

　　This is a uniqueessay; it is written in a more literary style than the traditional cutand dried approach of most essays. It is refreshing to read such essays!

　　Hesitating, Ienter my house, the light outside is dimming and the shadows make everythingappear unfamiliar. I know that my husband has not returned from work yet,simply because his car is not in the garage. I am alone. I carefully check allthe rooms, almost expecting something to happen suddenly. I hold my bag in myhand as if it were a weapon. After the whole house has been declared clear, Istart to breathe normally again and a smile appears on my face as I realize,once again, how a simple movie seen at the cinema a week earlier can modify myactions.

　　Sometimes I wonderif I should watch TV, with all its shows that make me wonder whether I exerciseenough, whether I am slim enough, or whether I treat my pets with the care theydeserve: am I really concerned about their mental health? Not to mention thehundreds of commercials that try to make me believe I need a water purifier toremain alive since the water I am currently drinking is heavily polluted! Andcountless are the times when I have heard people talking by quotations learnedfrom movies? We need to watch shows and films to know what to say, how to be,how to act. We are so addicted to all this that it almost seems like we cannotthink on our own.

　　I cannot helpthinking about what happened to me some days ago, an example that clearly showswhat kind of power TV has over people. My husband and I were in a restaurantwhen I heard my young neighbor pronouncing violent words in a low angry voice.Surprised, I turned to better understand the situation and I saw that he washolding a fake military device and was acting as if he were filming a warmovie. I am sure that if I had been a little be more updated about this type ofmovie, I would have recognized what he was saying as a quotation. Now, I wonderif he uses such a language also with his friends and with his parents, if he isaggressive, and if so, whether his attitude has really nothing to do with whathe watches on TV.

　　That same eveningon the way home I saw two cars stopped one next to the other at a traffic lightand as soon as the light turned green they started racing, in the middle oftown. In this case not even a major knowledge of movies and TV programs wouldhave helped me: there are just too many of them on the market showing the exactsame thing: people racing with cars.

　　I am sure thateverybody, if asked, could easily list many other examples of how TV and moviescan modify our behavior and therefore our life but, I wonder, if we will alwaysbe able to draw the line between a TV show and real life, between what they makeus think we want and what instead we really need and are and believe.

　　There is no doubt that watching television and movies can influence the way that peoplebehave. Moreover, it seems that people are spending more and more time watchingsome sort of visual entertainment, whether it is television, a video tape or aDVD. Therefore, the effects of visual media cannot be ignored.

　　One obvious effect of these media is that watching theminduces people to buy certain products. Television advertising is widespreadand, nowadays, even movie theaters permit advertisements.

　　Another way TV and the movies affect people is that theygive people either a broader view of the world or a distorted one, depending onwhat type of program people watch. Those who watch news and educational programcan learn many new things while those who watch primarily entertainment showsmay come to believe that most people in the world possess great wealth and goodlooks. It may make them become dissatisfied with their own lives.

　　Finally, perhaps the most susceptible viewers arechildren, who may be unable to tell fact from fiction and may try to imitateacts that they see on TV or in the movies. With theevery-increasing popularity of video entertainment, society must pay attentionto these effects. Television and movies, while entertaining and informative,cannot take the place of real experience.

　　How do movies or TV influence our behavior?

　　Estimated score:6.0/6.0

　　This is a uniqueessay; it is written in a more literary style than the traditional cutand dried approach of most essays. It is refreshing to read such essays!

　　Hesitating, Ienter my house, the light outside is dimming and the shadows make everythingappear unfamiliar. I know that my husband has not returned from work yet,simply because his car is not in the garage. I am alone. I carefully check allthe rooms, almost expecting something to happen suddenly. I hold my bag in myhand as if it were a weapon. After the whole house has been declared clear, Istart to breathe normally again and a smile appears on my face as I realize,once again, how a simple movie seen at the cinema a week earlier can modify myactions.

　　Sometimes I wonderif I should watch TV, with all its shows that make me wonder whether I exerciseenough, whether I am slim enough, or whether I treat my pets with the care theydeserve: am I really concerned about their mental health? Not to mention thehundreds of commercials that try to make me believe I need a water purifier toremain alive since the water I am currently drinking is heavily polluted! Andcountless are the times when I have heard people talking by quotations learnedfrom movies? We need to watch shows and films to know what to say, how to be,how to act. We are so addicted to all this that it almost seems like we cannotthink on our own.

　　I cannot helpthinking about what happened to me some days ago, an example that clearly showswhat kind of power TV has over people. My husband and I were in a restaurantwhen I heard my young neighbor pronouncing violent words in a low angry voice.Surprised, I turned to better understand the situation and I saw that he washolding a fake military device and was acting as if he were filming a warmovie. I am sure that if I had been a little be more updated about this type ofmovie, I would have recognized what he was saying as a quotation. Now, I wonderif he uses such a language also with his friends and with his parents, if he isaggressive, and if so, whether his attitude has really nothing to do with whathe watches on TV.

　　That same eveningon the way home I saw two cars stopped one next to the other at a traffic lightand as soon as the light turned green they started racing, in the middle oftown. In this case not even a major knowledge of movies and TV programs wouldhave helped me: there are just too many of them on the market showing the exactsame thing: people racing with cars.

　　I am sure thateverybody, if asked, could easily list many other examples of how TV and moviescan modify our behavior and therefore our life but, I wonder, if we will alwaysbe able to draw the line between a TV show and real life, between what they makeus think we want and what instead we really need and are and believe.