Is television literally functioning as our conscience, tempting us and rewarding us at the same time?

Zalaznick’s question frames television not as passive entertainment but as a moral and behavioral feedback system. By likening TV to “our conscience,” she suggests it can both police and shape desire: it “tempts” by staging transgression, consumption, and fantasy, yet “rewards” by offering catharsis, reassurance, or social approval (e.g., narratives that punish villains, celebrate winners, or normalize certain lifestyles). The adverb “literally” heightens the provocation—inviting readers to consider whether repeated exposure to televised scripts and incentives can substitute for internal ethical deliberation. The quote points to television’s power to blur guilt and gratification, making moral judgment feel outsourced to the screen’s cues and outcomes.