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	For our third and last essay in the language structure class we have been asked to write an essay that will explains our own reflections on the uses or abuses of television in today's society. A very hard question to answer, I believe, since I can see both good and bad things about television as a source of information and entertainment for young and old.
	 I have lived in the United States for a year and during that time I worked as an au-pair in a family with two children. In my host family the children were not allowed to watch TV during weekdays. Which was very unusual and something I thought was wrong when I first came to the family. After a few weeks though I understood why the parents in my host family had such a rule. As soon as the children were allowed to watch TV that was the only thing they did, it was practically impossible to get in contact with them when they were sitting in front of the TV. I remember once I had to shout their names three times until they heard me. The children's programs in the USA starts in early morning an goes on to late night and there are some channels that only show children's programs like The Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. So there is always something on that kids would want to see. And now that I know the effect TV has on children I believe it is dangerous to let them have too much to chose from. Of course something good can come out of children's programs, some children's shows are aimed at being educating and some shows have a good moral message that teach children how to act in certain situations but these kind of shows are the less common once. Schoolwork, outdoor activities and reading books is probably the part, for children, that gets most ignored because of TV. 
	 Something good that TV can bring is company. You do not feel alone when you have the television set on. Very lonely people appreciate the TV, I believe, it brings a part of the world into your living room. Also the togetherness people feel with help of the TV during major sport events. The Olympics as an example or soccer games that are watched all over the world in homes or in pubs and restaurants.
	 Something I feel I have learnt through the television is the English language. I know it has made my pronunciation better and it has made me interested in the English language, more than I believe any book would have. Since so much on TV is in English I believe many feel as I do.
	 Television has a great power in today's society, it chooses which news we should know about, which clothes we should wear or what music we should listen to. There are often debates about news. Can we really trust the news we watch on TV and is it really the most important news we see on TV? Since TV is such a powerful medium this is really an important question. TV can make the whole world believe whatever it wants. 
TV is also a trendsetter, on teenage shows like Beverly Hills 90210 for an example, the latest trends in clothes are shown and the latest hairstyles. TV gives the impression that looks are important, you never see a sixty year old, fat lady introducing a program or host a show.
On those jobs we only have nice looking men and women in their twenties or thirties. 
I can also take music as an example, the music that is played on the TV is the music that hits the charts. We have music channels like we have children's channels and these are MTV and
VH1. It is the music that is played on these channels that succeed. 
	 The bottom line I believe is that to much of anything is not good for you. Of course no one would want to take away the television, it brings a lot of happiness and knowledge to a lot of people but maybe it could be a little less of everything. I believe it is dangerous to watch too much TV, young or old, TV does not let you think for yourself.
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