Physically Being There

628 Words2 Pages

The insurmountable benefit to having personal experience in a society versus watching it on television is simple and can be well personified by Chance, in the text Being There by Jerzy Kosinski. Chance is a man who steps out into the world after remaining isolated in his home his whole life, only to watch television. While others seem to understand him Chance struggles to even understand himself, as his ignorant ways almost bring him to Vice-Presidential power; and it is this road to fame that satirically emphasizes the issues in television as well as modern media. While television did teach Chance a means of interaction and a glimpse into society, it was unable to teach him individuality and understanding. This is, as researchers in the field agree, because media is created more so on the basis to intrigue rather than inform, creating tantalizing stories while limiting their educational value. Electronic information and broadcasting can never fully replace personal experience in society because of the intricate workings of the human social system and the unaccountability of media. ...

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