Speaker A. Ninety-⁠eight per cent of us in Britain have a TV set in our homes and, according to the experts, we rarely turn it off. In fact, the average viewer watches as much as 25 hours a week. Television informs, educates and entertains people. It also influences the way people look at the world and makes them change their views.

Speaker B. Primary school teachers are complaining of youngsters’ inability to concentrate and their need to be constantly entertained. Some students do their homework in front of the television set. Others rush through their homework so they can watch television. It would seem that too much TV is to blame.

Speaker C. Watching too much TV can lead to the ‘lodger’ syndrome. Some husbands come home, sit in front of the TV and simply don’t communicate with their families at all. Even when programmes contain nothing negative, it’s not really a good thing for so many families to spend whole evenings glued to the box.

Speaker D. However, there is another side to the picture. For the lonely, elderly or housebound, television can be a good thing, being a cheap and convenient form of entertainment and a ‘friendly face’ in the house. It can be an ideal way to relax, without necessarily turning you into a TV addict.

Speaker E. Television doesn’t just entertain, of course. There are times when it can be informative and can provide a source of good family conversation, e. g. TV programmes featuring various cultural, historical, political and artistic issues. For example, The National Geographic documentaries have recently become very popular.

Speaker F. Informative, useful, entertaining and relaxing  — and yes, banal and boring  — television is all of these. But if we’re not selective, surely we have only ourselves to blame. TV can be a part of family life, but when it becomes all of it, maybe that’s the time to reach for the ‘off’ switch.