Television has long been a part of American culture. From its conception to the present there have been people who believe that television is a waste of time and energy and there have been people in the opposite camp who believe that television should be a part of every American's life. There is also a middle ground between people who watch television to stay informed about what is happening in the world and to be entertained by the latest sitcom or, more commonly today, reality show. In this middle ground, the amount of television watched is moderate, sometimes just turning on the set to see the next day's weather or the latest sports results, other times sitting down for a prolonged period. Those in the middle don't believe television is a total waste of time, but it's not the main part of their day either. These are the people who stay active and healthy. They are the people who realize that, while there are certainly some negative effects of television, television is not all bad. In the To The Point articles (Muller and Wiener, 2009), there are some different points of view. Karen Springen, in the article Why We Tuned Out, (Muller and Wiener, 2009, p. 293-296) explains that her family made the decision not to allow their children to watch television at all. It also doesn't allow them to watch movies or videos. She states that “without television our daughters spend more time doing cartwheels, listening to stories and asking interesting questions.” (Springen, 2009. p. 293) He cites some very good evidence on the link between television viewing and obesity, aggression and slow learning. These things make it seem like he's actually doing his kids a favor. But is it? The reality is that perhaps his children see… half the paper… visionary vision. This offers a “best of both worlds” approach to television and media. It leaves people informed about the world around them and current trends, as well as giving them free time to dedicate to the business. Going to extremes, for or against television, is really not the best way to live in our media-dependent world. The middle ground is the best place to be in our quest to be constantly in touch with the world around us. Works Cited Muller, G.H., & Wiener, H.S. (2009). To the point: read and write short arguments. New York: Pearson Education, Inc. Sherwood, C. (2011). The effects of teasing on children. Retrieved from: http://www.livestrong.com/article/509026-the-effects-of-teasing-on-children/?vm=rJudge Orders Shooting of Boys Held in Arkansas. Retrieved October 3, 2011, from http://www.cnn.com/US/9803/26/school.shooting/?vm=r