Kids spend more and more time watching TV. For the first few years of life, on average, 2 hours are spent per day in front of the TV. Later, from around ages 8 to 18, 4 hours are spent each day watching, not including computer or video game time. For the youngest children, a good reason not watch TV is because it hampers important brain development. As they grow, a child's physical development is also discouraged by TV, and many children become overweight because exercise time is taken up with TV time.
Violence on TV, whether on popular shows or on the local news, can warp a person's world view into one that sees the world fearfully, and excessive violence can also desensitize a viewer. For younger viewers, TV can encourage sexual behavior through its portrayal of sexually explicit material. In addition, TV portrayals of alcohol, tobacco or other drug consumption may encourage those activities.
Almost a third of most shows' allotted time is taken up by advertising for everything and anything: food, cleaning products, vacations, even more TV watching. Yet, in a psychological sense, commercials could produce unhappiness by creating want for things that aren't necessary. Someone influenced by a commercial could feel their life is inadequate without the advertised product, and a steady influx of advertisements could result in serious dissatisfaction with the current, perfectly satisfactory life.
TV can become a serious financial strain on a household, and cutting it from the budget could result in a lot of extra spending money. Cable alone can run up to $60 a month, and over time that builds up. In addition, basic electricity costs are certainly run up by regular TV watching. Throw in expenses like digital video recorders and expensive plasma screens and it becomes clear what an expense TV can become.
The most important gain from cutting TV watching is the time gained to pursue a hobby or spend with friends and family. Indeed, TV encourages a lack of communication and thus isolation, which could result in depression. In addition, constant TV watching encourages snacking, and coupled with a sedentary lifestyle that could result in obesity. Finally, TV is often used as a bad excuse to procrastinate, and putting off work for TV eventually results in stress.