The Impact Of Television

The Impact Of Television

Since the beginning, there have been mixed reactions to television and

it was E.B. White who wrote "I believe that television is going to be the test

of the modern world, and in this new opportunity to see beyond the range of our

own vision, we shall discover either a new and unbearable disturbance of the

general peace or a saving radiance in the sky. We shall stand or fall by

television, of that I am sure." (Murray 7) White was correct, it would either be

beneficial or detrimental to society. Ever since the first television station

was licensed in 1941, our lives have been effected by the presence of television.

However, this effect is not for the negative since it is used from simple means

of entertainment to a widely used, invaluable, source of information. It is also

an excellent aid in preparing children for school and assisting in educating

children after they have begun school.

Every day millions of people turn to their televisions as a form of

escape from the pressures and stress of day to day life. The television, to them,

serves the purpose of entertaining them for a half hour or an hour at a time.

This is the purpose of sitcoms, such as the popular NBC produced shows Friends

and Fraiser, each appealing to different audiences, but both comedy bases for

purposes of entertaining. Humor is not the only approach used in television

entertainment. Shows, such as NYPD Blue, use thick plot lines and heavy drama

to draw the viewer in. Entertaining society through this media has become a

multibillion dollar industry. Top movies like Jurassic Park, which grossed 390

million dollars, bring millions of people to movie theater, which are basically

large televisions, for the soul purpose of entertainment. Movies are not

restricted only to theaters since they are available on video cassette and even

broadcasted into millions of homes each day. The privilege of television as

entertainment should be used, but not abused. For instance, watching six hours

of television every night, stopping only to eat and sleep does not promote and

active lifestyle, however, on the other end of the spectrum, never watching any

television does not expose a person to a vast array of entertainment and

information.

Television is able to show different roles in society and therefore

people are able to better u...

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...more educational and informative programs for

children.

Society has been effected and will continue to be effected, not only by

television, but by media in general. Television is a constant form of

entertainment and excellent source of information that is assessable by millions

of people. The education content in children television is beneficial to

preschoolers and students alike. However, television has been the blame for many

of societies faults because it is easy to contribute it to violence and a social

lack of initiative. Television is such a small part of a much larger picture and

its benefits far outweigh its faults. The idea of television as an informative

and education media must be embraced in the future to receive its full benefits.

Even the thought of a society without television is incomprehensible to many.

Bibliography

"Background Information: The Impact of Television on Children's Education."

Http://haas.berkely.edu/~atham/background.html (October 21, 1996)

Murray, John P. "Children and Television Violence." Kansas Journal of Law &

Public Policy, 4, No. 3 (1995), 7-14

"Top 50 Movies, 1993." The World Almanac and Book of Facts. 1995