Television and The Internet
Having already done my fair share of internet surfing, I was excited to finally have the opportunity to do a research paper that involved this vast and seemingly boundless electronic world. It is easy to passively interact with the rest of the world and scan effortlessly through millions of pages of information, some of which is useful, some of which simply takes up space; the problem that many researchers and interest groups face is making sense of the whole thing.
What effects does the internet have on people? This question is no doubt an immense one. In this paper I will attempt to explore the effects the internet has on one major aspect of our everyday lives: television. The internet is not only linked to television in the sense that they both convey vast amounts of information, but they both seem to complement each other. The internet is presenting vast amounts of information about our favorite television shows as well as providing an arena for discussion about the programs. I will present to you what is available out there and hypothesize how this can enhance or alter one's experience with television. Included in this paper will be actual responses from individuals around the world who responded to a survey I posted on various internet newsgroups devoted to specific television shows. The most relevant responses are attached as an appendix at the end of this paper.
I will first briefly define the terms that I will use to avoid any ambiguities. When I refer to the internet, I refer to the vast encyclopedia of information presented through a graphical interface as pages, or web sites.
Newsgroups refer to a different aspect of the world-wide web. They consist of over ten thousand separate and specific forums or centers where people post comments or remarks and read other's replies or comments. Each newsgroup is devoted to a different theme. For example, there are over two hundred devoted to television; one or two for Friends, one for Party of Five, one for the CBC, etc.
Chat groups are an interactive aspect of the world-wide web in which people can talk in real time. There is an unlimited number of channels one can speak on, although there are more popular ones with specific themes; for example, the channel alt.tv.simpsons is a popular channel for Simpsons fans to discuss the show. These are the main aspects of the world-wide web which can handle affairs dealing with television. The broadest, of course, is the internet. I will refer to those who browse the internet as "surfers.
The Effect of Television In The Age of Missing Information Bill McKibben, in his book The Age of Missing Information, explores the impact of television on modern cultures both in America and around the world. In the book McKibben carries out an experiment; he watches the entire television broadcast of 93 separate cable channels for one entire day. In all McKibben viewed 24 hours of programming from 93 separate cable stations, that is more than 2,200 hours of television. His purpose in this formidable undertaking was to determine how much actual information that was relevant to real life he could glean from a day of television broadcasting. McKibben also spent a day camping alone on a mountain near his home.
Reflect on everyday life conversations, it can relate to you, the audience Now this leads to, are we really communicating effectively? With fragmented words, as we do with our cellphone texts.
Even though mise-en-scène plays an important role in crafting meaning in television programs, the impact of the mise-en-scène only works when a narrative is present. Most readers may be familiar with the idea that television programs tells stories, but Mittell argues that even unscripted television programs use narrative structures in their programming as well. While chapter five of Jason Mittell’s book. Television and American Culture, focused on mise-en-scène and the stylistic elements that contribute to the meaning made inside a television show such as setting, staging, costumes & makeup, and lighting, chapter six focuses more on the creation of the television narrative.
Ever since television was introduced to America in 1947, it has changed a lot about American culture.
Children today are experiencing more technological advances than any other generation. With the development of iPhones, iPads, tablets, and so much more, children are learning to ways to discover the world. Some critics say television is exploiting children and their young minds, “ “In addition, “adult” programming on television (not to mention in films and on the Internet) carries grown-up concerns such as sex, drugs, and violence into young people’s lives” (Society pg. 101). Others argue that television can help kids learn in a fun and engaging way. Looking at television through a sociological aspect we can see three sociological aspects of the power of television. These include education, behavior, and a social change.
In our modern society, two separate worlds exist. The first, the world of reality, is where most of our important life experiences take place. The second, however, is where nothing substantial exists. Nothing there can have any direct impact on our lives. This is the world of the unreal; the world of television.
Television is a vital source from which most Americans receive information. News and media delegates on television have abused theirs powers over society through the airing of appealing news shows that misinform the public. Through literary research and experimentation, it has been proven that people's perception of reality has been altered by the information they receive from such programs. Manipulation, misinterpretation, word arrangement, picture placement and timing are all factors and tricks that play a major role in the case. Research, experimentation, and actual media coverage has pinpointed actual methods used for deceptive advertising. Television influences society in many ways. People are easily swayed to accept a belief that they may not normally have unless expressed on television, since many people think that everything they hear on television is true. This, however, is not always the case. It has been observed that over the past twenty to thirty years, normal social behavior, even actual life roles of men and women and media, regulatory policies have all been altered (Browne 1998). Media has changed with time, along with quality and respectability. Many Americans receive and accept false information that is merely used as an attention grabber that better the show's ratings and popularity. Many magazines and Journal reviews have periodically discussed the "muckraking" that many tabloid shows rely on to draw in their viewers. This involves sensationalizing a story to make it more interesting, therefore increasing the interest of the audience. "Along the way, all sorts of scandalous substance and goofy tricks appear, but not much mystery in the logic," (Garnson 1997). People often know that these shows aim to deceive them, but still accept the information as truth. Many times, people have strong opinions on certain topics. Yet, when they are exposed to the other side of the argument, they may be likely to agree with the opposite view. As Leon Festinger said, "If I chose to do it (or say it), I must believe in it," (Myers 1997). This is an example of Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory, which pertains to acting contrary to our beliefs. Television influences many people to change their original beliefs. It has the viewers think that the majority of other people hold the contrary idea. Once these views are presented, people have the option to hol...
This topic is worth discussing because it reflects the evolution of the television industry. From a time of massive tube televisions, to TV on multiple platforms, it is clear that the field has come a long way. Also, it is a reflection of the industry’s attempt to regain ground. TV Everywhere is the cable provider’s response over-the-top (OTT) Internet video providers like Hulu and Hulu Plus that are ultimately forcing a loss of revenue. In addition to this, TVE provides an answer to cord-cutting. Cord-cutting occurs when a customer “ends their relationship” with the cable company. In order to win back the customers lost, as well as obtain new customers, cable companies are joining forces in the TVE craze. According to Paul Levinson, author and Professor of Communication and Media Studies at Fordham University, “TV Everywhere is definitely the way this is all headed…this is the future of television” (Spangler, 2011). This type of technology is much needed for the industry’s survival in modern society. TVE has the potential to lead the way in transforming the way we perceive television overall. “TV Everywhere will serve as a catalyst for a migration to more IP-centric video delivery and, potentially, all-IP delivery in the long term (Faltesek, 2011).
The television has been commercially available in America since the 1930’s. According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day. In a sixty-five year lifespan, that person will have spent nine years glued to the tube. This constant attention to programming can cause positive and negative effects. The negative effects on an average American family can be explained psychologically, emotionally, and physically.
... pictures and videos. Communicating these days is a total different story than how individuals would associate with each other in the olden days. As technology continues to advance, the way we communicate will proceed to multiply. In the next 20 years I am sure there will be tons more ways to make communicating faster, easier, and more interesting than it is these days.
As Americans we take pride in our liberating government. But, it is essential to ask how much we, the general public, know about our democracy. Because of the representative structure of our government, it is in our best interest to remain as knowledgeable as possible about political affairs so that we can play an active role in our democracy by voting for candidates and issues. The media, which includes print, television, and the internet, is our primary link to political events and issues. (For the purposes of this essay only print and television will be considered.) Therefore, in order to assess the success of our democracy it is necessary to assess the soundness of our media. We are lucky enough to have a media, in theory, free from government influences because of our rights to freedom of press and freedom of speech, but we are still subject to the media’s interpretation and presentation of politics, as is the danger when depending on any source for information. So, we must address how the media informs us; how successful it is at doing so; and how we should respond to it.
After a long day of classes, I just like to lie down on the couch and relax while watching my favorite television show. Like me, this is how many college students end the day. After conducting a series of surveys and interviews, I realized that, even though we all like to watch our favorite shows, we prefer different shows and watch them at different times in different ways. My overall goal was to determine if there was any difference in television viewing based upon gender. In addition, I hoped to learn: how much TV college students watch per day; if viewers look forward to watching a particular show; if college students use TV as an escape from the everyday pressures; and, if they “channel surf” or remain with one channel throughout an entire program.
When television first came on the market about fifty years ago, families had one television at the most in the household, and most families only used the television for the news or for an occasional show or two. Today, it is a rarity if you find only one television in a household. Most families have numerous televisions in their house and use it more and more for entertainment purposes. People of all ages are addicted to television. On average, people watch about thirty hours of television a week. But the people who go beyond this mark are known to society as “couch potatoes';.
Another example of simultaneous communication would be when I was giving a talk to the restaurant staff at the hotel I was working for, it was on a Sunday. After the first 30 minutes, while I was speaking, I noticed people starting to fidget, and stop paying attention. I found this understandable, but I still had to say something to draw their attention back. They were communicating to me they were ready to leave.
TV screen. This means I can shop online and often just ring up for a