(Editor's Note: See here Parts 1 and 2 of Mr. Culbreath's feature: “Moral Content of Television and Film” and “Information Content of Television.”)
Suppose we lived in a better world, where television did not contain any material that was a menace to Catholic faith and morals, and did not overwhelm people with useless information. Would there still be a problem? I think there would.
Much of what follows is taken from research performed in the late 1960s and early 1970s by advertising consultants. Advertisers wanted to know how TV “works“ in order to get the most bang for their dollar. Before we get to the research, consider the television commercials from the 1950s. A pretty, smiling, conservatively dressed woman stands behind two washing machines and is about to do two loads of laundry. She explains that both sets of clothes are very dirty, and that she is going to wash one load with Brand X Detergent, and the other load with Brand Y detergent. Then she tells us something about the ingredients and the price of each detergent. Fast forward to an hour later. The clothes have been washed. The camera now provides a close-up of the laundry from each load. Clearly, the clothes washed by Brand X are cleaner. Now go to the store and get some Brand X. The ingredients are superior to Brand Y, and it costs less than Brand Y. The commercial is a simple, straightforward, logical argument, appealing to the intellect. Today’s commercials, by contrast, do nothing of the sort. From the 1970s forward, advertisers ditched the logical arguments and appealed, instead, to our senses and our passions. And it worked like a charm.
Why the change in methods? Researchers found that watching television dramatically alters the functioning of the brain. This alteration happens immediately upon watching television, without regard to content. In an article titled “Television: Opiate of the Masses”, commentator Wes Moore explains the process:
“First of all, when you’re watching television the higher brain regions (like the mid-brain and the neo-cortex) are shut down, and most activity shifts to the lower brain regions (like the limbic system). The neurological processes that take place in these regions cannot accurately be called ‘cognitive’. The lower or reptile brain simply stands poised to react to the environment using deeply embedded ‘fight or flight’ response programs. Moreover, these lower brain regions cannot distinguish reality from fabricated images (a job performed by the neo-cortex), so they react to television content as though it were real, releasing appropriate hormones and so on. Studies have proven that, in the long run, too much activity in the lower brain leads to atrophy in the higher brain regions.
“Herbert Krugman’s research proved that watching television numbs the left hemisphere and leaves the right hemisphere to perform all cognitive duties. This has some harrowing implications for the effects of television on brain development and health. For one, the left hemisphere is the critical region for organizing, analyzing, and judging incoming data. The right hemisphere treats incoming data uncritically, and it does not decode or process information into its component parts. The right hemisphere processes information in wholes, leading to emotional rather than intelligent responses.
“Levels of brain activity are measured by an electroencenograph (EEG) machine. While watching television, the brain appears to slow to a halt, registering low alpha wave readings on the EEG machine. This is caused by the radiant light produced by cathode ray technology within the television set. Even if you’re reading text on a television screen the brain registers low levels of activity. Once again, regardless of content being presented, television essentially turns off your nervous system.”
The dramatic shift of brain activity from the Left Hemisphere to the Right Hemisphere releases a surge of endorphins an addiction-forming chemical that is structurally identical to opium. A number of studies have shown that television viewers who suddenly stop watching television experience the usual symptoms of opiate-withdrawal, including increased frustration, anxiety, and even depression. Habitual television viewing is literally a bio-chemical addiction.
Neurologically, one enters a semi-hypnotic state when watching television. Researchers are unsure exactly why this is. It probably has something to do with the dynamics of light emitted by television. It may also have something to do with the fact that light is the only thing that is really there. Jerry Mander explains:
“Television light is purposeful and directed rather than ambient … When you are watching television and believe you are looking at pictures, you are actually looking at the phosphorescent glow of three hundred thousand tiny dots. There is no picture there. These dots seem to be lit constantly, but in fact they are not. All the dots go off thirty times per second, creating what is called the flicker effect of television.”
Additional research has linked television viewing with ADD, ADHD, hyper-activity, and learning disabilities in children. The scene on your television screen changes once every 3.5 seconds for normal programming, once every 2.5 seconds for commercials. This constant stream of rapidly changing images literally programs your brain to expect frequent stimulation in order to stay focused. When that stimulation is absent, the mind and body wander restlessly in search of more stimuli. Perhaps that is why modern Catholics cannot endure more than a ten minute homily.
(Look for Part 4, “The Spiritual Effects of Television,” here in the Catholic Exchange A&E Channel.)
Jeff Culbreath resides in Sacramento, California, with his wife and three children. The Culbreaths attend St. Stephen's Catholic Church, and are expecting their fourth child in February.