THE CULTURAL POWER OF AN ANTI-TELEVISION METAPHOR: Questioning the Plug-in Drug and a TV-Free America

Television plays an essential role in today's daily life. Because of that reason, the argument of Plug-in Drug is been discussing by lots of authors. Jason Mittel is one those authors with a unique perspective. Although it is not given in his article explicitly if television has a good or bad effect on people's lives, he argues the idea of Plug-in Drug. According to Mittel, it may effects but those effect are not be proven by strong evidence. Moreover, the metaphor of Plug-in Drug is a state that is over-exagurated. But in my opinion, it may be too much to call it a drug but television has obvious impact that can prevent people's improvement.

TELEVISION: THE PLUG-IN DRUG by MARIE WINN

It can be realized clearly in Marie Winn's “The Plug-in Drug” text that she has concerns about the omnipresence of television and as a problem, TV takes place in people's life like a drug. Possible reasons can be indicated for this metaphor in relation with its symtoms, results but most essentially television has so strong effects on people's life that it can change someone's whole point of view, thinking style, way of living, socibility and even body type. Such an essential tool in individual's stressful or problematic lives may easily absorb them in its perfect and easy but “fake” life. For instance, one of the basic family rituals, having a dinner at one table with all the family members is changed to eating something while watching TV without communication with other family members. When TV-viweing become an addiction like drugs, it has outcomes that are difficult to get rid of.