You are a chief speaker in a debate on the topic: The Television has done more harm than good. Write your speech for or against the topic.

Answer Details

Debate Speech: The Television has done more harm than good (Speaking AGAINST the motion)

The Chairman, accurate timekeeper, panel of judges, my co-debaters, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. I stand before you today to oppose the motion which states that the television has done more harm than good. It is my firm belief, and one I shall prove beyond reasonable doubt, that the television remains one of the most valuable inventions ever placed in the service of mankind.

Definition: The television is an electronic device that receives and displays moving pictures and sound. To say it has done more harm than good is to claim that its damage to society outweighs its benefits. I shall demonstrate that the opposite is true.

My first and strongest point is education. Through documentaries, educational channels and school broadcasts, the television has become a teacher in millions of homes. A child in a remote village who may never visit a laboratory can watch a science programme and learn. Distance-learning and examination revision programmes have lifted the standard of learning across our nation.

My second point is information. The television keeps citizens abreast of current affairs. News broadcasts, weather forecasts and health campaigns warn people of dangers, from approaching storms to disease outbreaks such as cholera and Lassa fever. A well-informed people is a well-protected people.

My third point is wholesome entertainment and unity. After a hard day's labour, families gather to relax before the screen. National sporting events and cultural programmes bind citizens of different tongues into one proud people cheering the same team.

My opponents will argue that television promotes violence and idleness. But I put it to this house that the fault lies not with the instrument but with its misuse. A knife may kill, yet no one blames the knife; we blame the careless hand. Proper parental control and sensible viewing solve these problems entirely.

Ladies and gentlemen, an invention that educates the ignorant, informs the citizen, entertains the weary and unites the nation cannot be said to have done more harm than good. On these grounds, I urge this honourable house to reject the motion in its entirety.

Thank you, and long live our great school.