Church And The Media Essay, Research Paper
INTRODUCTION : Many religious organizations, like the Christian Coalition, conduct experiments that try to link people’s church attendance with that of their television viewing habits. I have developed a study that focuses on the same subject matter. In addition, my study compares student’s grade level to their television viewing habits and how viewing specific types of television programs might influence there decision to attend church. In all, 10 students participated in the study. RESULTS: Freshman female # 1 -one hour spent watching a news magazine showAttends church at least once a week Freshman female # 2 -5 hours spent watching television per week2 hours spent watching dramas1 hour spent watching comedy2 hours spent watching sportsNot religious – doesn’t attend church Freshman male # 1 -Zero hours spent watching televisionNot religious Freshman male # 2 -3 hours spent watching television2 hours spent watching comedy1 hour spent watching newsmagazineAttends church only on religious holidays Sophomore female -
Watches zero hours of television a weekAttends church twice a month Sophomore male – Watches 3 hours of television a week1 & 1/2 hours spent watching comedies1 & 1/2 hours spent watching dramasNot religious, doesn’t attend church Junior female -Watches 3 hours of television a week1 & 1/2 hours spent watching comedies1 & 1/2 hours spent watching dramasNot religious, doesn’t attend church Junior male – Watches zero hours of television a weekAttends church only on religious holidays Senior female -Watches one hour of news magazinesReligious, does not attend church Senior maleWatches zero hours of television a weekReligious but does not attend church THOUGHTS : According to my findings, seniors watch less television than any other grade level. This can be contributed to the fact that seniors tend to have a heavier workload than the descending grade levels. There seems to be no pattern between grade level, viewing habits and church attendance. Therefor, it is my belief that the amount of television one watches has no impact on whether or not they will attend church. While some would argue the media has negative effects on one’s church habits, this study proves otherwise.