Analysis Of The Worst Years Of Our Lives By Barbara Ehrenreich

In Barbara Ehrenreich’s “The Worst Years of Our Lives,” Ehrenreich denounces the American population’s obsession with television and the resulting decline of activity in the 1950s. Although Ehrenreich is correct that the popularity of television causes the American public to spend more hours in front of the television, what she fails to mention is that television goes beyond cheesy sitcoms and spicy dramas, and serves a greater purpose in society by educating the public and exposing them to new experiences. Television does not turn the American public into “couch potatoes” or “root vegetables,” but rather educates and inspires the public.

The newspaper has been a reliable, yet flawed source of current events throughout all of American history. A newspaper can only inform a person of events that occurred a day previous to its publication, whereas news stations can provide up-to-the-minute information due to multiple broadcasts throughout the day, and can even interrupt other programs for breaking news in order to keep the public informed. The popularity in television causes a viewer to be up to speed in recent events and socially aware, instead of relying on

yesterday’s news.
Television is unique in the fact that it allows a viewer to witness something in action from anywhere in the world; because of this accessibility to foreign events, a great variety of new information reaches viewers and extends their scope of knowledge beyond local events.

The panoply of programs a television provides allows a viewer to search for new interests and inspires them to do new things. I, for one, can attest to this, as my knowledge of baseball was limited as a child, until one day I decided to watch a broadcast of the San Francisco Giants; now I am a baseball superfan with friends from all over the country who share in this interest, and also a softball player who exercises every day. I did not become a couch potato from my experiences with television, but rather, a happier, healthier

person.
Television even goes as far as specialized channels from the enrichment of children. Many of today’s American youth did not learn how to count in a classroom, but in Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood; Many of today’s American youth did not learn how to spell from a paid instructor, but rather, their good friend Elmo. These types of television programs enrich young learners long before their school days begin, and create happy, entertained children who are willing to learn. These programs teach children a wide array of skills, whether it be tying their shoes or learning how to deal with a bad day, even encouraging them to learn other languages and go outside and exercise. The televisions is a fun and easy way to stimulate and enrich American youth, no harm them.