ANALYZING AN ARGUMENT WEEK 11

GROUP 3 :
1. Andhika Putra Pratama (119140224)
2. Muhammad Esa Alhasyir (119220190)
3. Lucky Febrian (119140163)
4. Kevin Reinhard Rudi Hasiholan Silalahi (119220155)
5. Aretha Betzy (119220218)
6. Teuku Akbar (119220205)
7. Muhammad Farhan Andani (119140109)
 THE DANGERS OF TELEVISION
When television was first introduced into American society thirty years ago, writers and social scientists thought that this new invention would better
American life. “Television is going to bring American families closer together,” predicted psychologist Joel Gold in 1949. Pictures which advertised
television in the 1950s invariably showed a happy family gathered together in the living room, sharing the TV viewing experience. Who could have guessed
that a quarter of a century later Mother would be in the kitchen watching a daytime drama, Dad would be in the living room watching a ball game, and the
children would be watching cartoons in their bedroom? TV, in fact, shatters the family cohesion.

Television has certainly changed American life, but not the way the first critics predicted. The first televisions were enormously expensive, so most
families owned only one. By 1975, however, 60% of American families owned two televisions or more; some middle class families had as many as five
television sets under one roof. Such multi-set families may keep family members in the same house, but that hardly brings them “together.” In fact, family
outings— hiking, going to the movies, going out to dinner—are often limited by TV because one or more family members don’t want to go: “I’ll miss my
program,” is the common complaint.

Perhaps more important than the lack of family outings is the destruction of family time together at home. Social scientists in the 1950s could not
have realized how much television Americans would watch in the 1980s; the average American watches 6 hours of TV a day. That leaves little time for the
special family characteristics and traditions that used to be formed during long evenings together. The time devoted to games, songs, and hobbies—all shared
activities—in the years before TV is now dominated by “the tube.” And especially damaging to family relationships is the elimination of the opportunities for
talking, chatting, arguing, discussing. Without such communication, family life disintegrates.

Domination is the key word. Families in American today schedule their lives around the television. Children rush home from school to watch their
programs while they do their homework. Mother shops between her special programs. The ski slopes are nearly empty on Super bowl Sunday; football on TV
takes precedence. The family may even eat meals in front of the television. Moreover, television is used as a baby-sitter; small children nationwide spend
countless hours in front of the TV, passively ingesting whatever flashes before their eyes. Addition of some sort inevitably follows; TV becomes a necessary
part of life, and receiving a TV for his own room becomes the wish of every child. Moreover, parents use the television as a source of reward and punishment:
“If you mow the lawn, you can watch TV an extra hour tonight,” or “No TV for you. You didn’t do your homework.” Ultimately, life-styles revolve around a
regular schedule of eating, sleeping, and watching television.

Isn’t there a better family life than this dismal, mechanized arrangement? According to social scientist Mary Helen Thuente, “ The quality of life is
diminished as family ties grow weaker, as children’s lives grow more and more separate from their parents, as the opportunities for living and sharing within
a family are eliminated.” Indeed, if the family does not accumulate shared experiences, it is not likely to survive. Consequently, if parents and children alike
do not change their priorities, television will continue to exert its influence on American family life as baby-sitter, pacifier, teacher, role model, and supplier
of mores and morals, thus supplanting the place of the family in society.

Harriet B. Fidler
(U.S.)
 ANALYZING ARGUMENTS

PARAGRAPH CLAIMS REASONS REFUTATIONS

1.
Century later TV separates family
TV, shatters the family cohesion Because the families can closer together
relations

2.
They become less active together
Television has certainly changed In 1975, 60% of American families
because, they are more concerned with
American life, had a lot of television
the TV programs they like
3.
Television is the destruction of family their time is up to watch tv, average
time together at home American watches 6 hours of TV a day

4.
because they only schedule their daily
Family live dominated by they tv
activities to watch preferred TV programs
program
and TV becomes a necessary part of life
Consequently, if parents and children According to social scientist Mary
alike do not change their priorities, Helen Thuente, “The quality of life is
5. television will continue to exert its diminished as family ties grow
The existence of tv has reduced the
influence on American family life as weaker, as children’s lives grow more
quality of life in the family because of
baby-sitter, pacifier, teacher, role model, and more separate from their parents,
the weakening of ties
and supplier of mores and morals, thus as the opportunities for living and
supplanting the place of the family in sharing within a family are
society. eliminated.”
 ANALYZING BACKING

PARAGRAPH FACT EXAMPLE ANALOGY AUTHORITY CAUSAL SHARED SHARED

RELATIONSHIP BELIEFS VALUES
Mother would “Television is
be in the kitchen going to bring
watching a American
daytime drama, families closer
1.
TV shatters the Dad would be in together,”
the living room predicted
family watching a ball psychologist
cohesion. game, and the Joel Gold in
children would 1949
be watching
cartoons in their
bedroom
some middle
Television class families
has had as many as
certainly five television
2.
changed sets under one
American roof,
life, but not “I’ll miss my
the way the program,” is the
first critics common
complaint.
predicted.
3. TV destroys
TV is now
family time
dominated by
together and
“the tube.”
relantionship
4. receiving a Children rush "If you Ultimately, life-
TV for his home from mow the styles revolve
own room school to watch lawn, you around a regular
 becomes their programs
the wish while they do
of every their homework.
child. Mother shops
between her
TV becomes
special
a necessary programs. The
part of life. ski slopes are can
schedule of eating,
Watch TV nearly empty on watch TV an sleeping, and
duration as Super bowl extra hour watching television.
punishment Sunday; football tonight,”
and reward. on TV takes
TV becomes precedence
a necessary
part of life
American
family
5. “The quality of children’s According Isn’t there a
life is lives grow to social better family
diminished as more and more scientist life than this
family ties separate from Mary Helen dismal,
mechanized
grow weaker their parents, Thuente,
arrangement?
as the “The
opportunities quality of
for living and life is
sharing within diminished
a family are as family
eliminated. ties grow
weaker, as
children’s
lives grow
more and
more
 separate
from their
parents, as
the
opportunities
for living
and sharing
within a
family are
eliminated.”