Is Television a Good Thing or a Bad Thing? 98 % of homes in the US have at least one television, and on average ( 1 ) ....... Television clearly plays an important part in most people’s lives, but is this a good or a bad thing? On the positive side, people use television as a way of entertaining themselves, (2) .. . After watching a soap opera or reality TV show, people often like to talk about it with their friends the next day. Television also provides an opportunity to keep up-to-date with the news, and people ( 3 ) such as cooking. Unfortunately, television also has many negative effects. ( 4 ) to spend se­ veral hours on the sofa watching the screen. Sometimes people seem more interested in watching the TV than talking to their family. A lot of programmes, which are broadcast, are of a very poor quality. ( 5 ) we must not let it take over our lives. (Taken from Longman Essential Activator)