Television shapes what normality and acceptability in society is mainly due to the fact that 99% of households watch television and that the television is on an average of 5 and 1/21?2 hours a day.
What was perceived as fun 40 years ago may be looked upon as boring nowadays, what is okay to air on television today may have caused riots not long ago. With the power and influence of television, one is able to connect with different types of people and cultures and often this can help extinguish prejudices.
After the civil rights movement of the 1960s moods of most Americans had shifted towards one of equality between blacks and whites. However, there was still a good number of Americans who held prejudices.
In the 1970s a handful of television shows featuring all or highly black casts were introduced such as That’s My Mama, Good Times, What’s Happening?, and Sanford & Son. Many of these would rise to big success and would help to further integrate the idea of equality into American homes.
When Interracial marriage became legal in 1967 approval was only at 20% yet only 8 years with only 1/3 of Americans now in support a hit show would help push for normality. The Jeffersons first aired in 1975 and ran for 11 seasons while featuring a prominent interracial marriage.
By the time the show had ended in 1985 approval had nearly reached half the country. Many other shows have touched on sensitive issues and made a big impact on the issues themselves.
Shows such as All In the Family, Roseanne, and Glee have appeared through the years and have tackled sensitive issues like political matters, gender roles, racism, and lgbt issues.
However, other progressions in society have not been so helpful to society. In the early days of television, a code of ethics had been adopted called “The Code of Practices for Television Broadcasters”. This code aimed to prevent many negative practices such as profanity, anti-god material, most sexual material, drug use, and violence.
If that code had stayed in effect (the justice department effectively suspended the code in 1983) most of the hit shows of today would not exist due to the increase in violence and sexual activity among television shows of today.
It is hard to imagine a world where Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Jersey Shore, or any of the numerous reality television shows do not exist. Television has also made it easier to access information. News channels are plentiful and every television channel can provide some type of information on a topic.
Before television, news could only be heard quickly through the radio and one could not actually see any photos or video until the day after in the newspaper.
Television also changes how people interpret a big happening. Reading about an event like 9-11 would evoke some emotion however actually seeing the sheer terror and chaos for oneself hits an even deeper level.
Reading about an election is sure to bring up some feelings, but actually seeing the cheers of one camp and the sadness emitted from the other is sure to bring heavier opinions. In this sense, Television has served a different purpose as an emotional amplifier.
Smaller news such as sports has also taken on a much bigger factor with the television. Nearly every night there is some kind of televised sport and of course on a fall weekend football can be seen on a plethora of channels.
Sports also hold the trophy for most viewership as the Super Bowl is routinely one of the most watched programs of the year. Information regarding advertised products is also easier to find since the average American will watch 2 million 30-second long commercials before the age of 65.
Other information that has been made easier to find includes weather, entertainment, and local news.
Television may possibly be the biggest influence ever to affect America but not all of that impact happened directly. The Television set the path for a plethora of other inventions like the cell phone, videos, gaming systems, tablets, and so many more items that make up such a large part of American culture today.
What would American life be like had television never been invented? Well had the television not been invented than one can take away the computer, cell phone, videogames, and DVD’S.
In other words, television itself was the beginning of an entire technological revolution that rivals and perhaps surpasses any other invention-based revolution that America has ever seen. Another heavily discussed aspect of the television is the effect that it has on family life.
This is a complicated issue because there are many positive and likewise many negative effects. One study found that television and video games lessened stress, helped self-esteem, and led to a better overall emotional health but also attributed to obesity and antisocial behavior.
Another study found that if television is watched in large amounts by children than the chances of antisocial behavior like lack of friends, poor attention span, lack of empathy, chances of becoming a bully, or even later on in life committing major crimes such as theft and murder increase.
One study also found that television could shorten life by about 4 to 5 years (Rourke). Television may also play a role especially among teens and young adult in weight disorders like anorexia and bulimia.
TV shows marketed toward teens often use model teens that are very skinny, very attractive, and that seem to have a perfect or at least better life. This can often make the viewer feel inadequate and may cause them to take drastic measures such as the above disorders.
Of course, moderation does seem to be the key in these studies as positive effects are often seen when a family gathers to watch a television favorite. Content is also thought to be a main factor in these results.
The television has changed so much in just a few decades. The impacts of the television can be felt in nearly every aspect of American life these days. Television is a teacher, a parent, a friend, and a hero to many and yet also a villain, a convict and a killer to others.
Television teaches children to learn about their ABC’S and yet also how one can kill or carry out crimes. Television decides what is normal in society and has often held the most power in deciding what is and what is not acceptable in society in subjects ranging from social issues to violence and sex.
Television has affected major events like the Super Bowl and presidential debates by reaching mass audiences. Bias has also invaded television especially in the news networks but also in things as simple as advertisements.
The news and advertisements that are broadcasted influence beliefs in everything from favorite restaurant to political affiliations. News and up to date information is no longer a daily or hourly event instead news in some form is broadcasted 24/7. Work ethic, Obesity, and social nature have all been affected by televisions influence.
New fields of technology like much of the video game industry, DVDs, cell phones, and the computer all show televisions indirect influence on life. Television shapes, schedules, and influences what the talks of the times are in sports, shows, scandals, celebs, and news.
Television’s effects are not limited to the past and present, as the future also seems promising with new inventions like Google glass, Smart watches, and new generations in television itself.
There are very few inventions that have had the ability to influence an entire generation, but the television has gone far and above that, influencing every single generation since its unveiling and showing few signs of slowing down. It takes very little trepidation to call the television the most important invention in American History.
