It is an undeniable fact that, television acts as a very powerful tool of controlling our mind. Since the television first appeared in the early 20th century, it has impacted people's lives for many generations. The information that we obtain from various TV programs impinges on our individualities in some way. Namely television has become the most powerful tool which can insensibly convert the manner in which viewers think and experience. When the television is becoming a part of social culture, people are unwittingly get stuck and spend more spare time on watching TV. Even though the Internet, which acts as the fourth media, is dismantling people’s concentration seriously, the dominant-hegemonic position of television will exist for quite some time as well as influence the behaviors of the public to a large extent. Indeed, as John Fiske said, “Television-as-culture is a crucial part of the social dynamics by which the social structure maintains itself in a constant process of production and reproduction: meanings, popular pleasures, and their circulation are therefore part and parcel of this social structure” (1987:1). It seems that the television holds powerful functions on changing structure of society and perspectives of people.
After working and studying all day, most people expect the moment that they can sit on the sofa and watch their favorite TV shows without tense and anxiety. However, entertainment is the most simple function which television undertake. This primary function is not enough to draw as much as attention of audiences because other medium can also achieve easily.When it comes to other medium, the radio and the newspaper have to be mentioned. Although the radio has sound, television provides both sound ...
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...e of a culture industry, TV programs should correspond to the contemporary culture and background of the time. Simultaneously, it is required to deliver positive energy to the public. No matter how the society changes, the influence of television will continue to be profound and durable!
Works Cited
Television-as-culture is a crucial part of the social dynamics by which the social structure maintains itself in a constant process of production and reproduction: meanings, popular pleasures, and their circulation are therefore part and parcel of this social structure
These fundamental changes in television and the value of its products should be located in broader economic and cultural shifts that have seen a marked drift towards a consumer individualism in which everybody is encouraged to assert their right to the satisfaction of their particular needs and wants
The United States is the biggest economical power in the world today, and consequently has also the strongest and largest media industry. Therefore, it is essential to take a look at the crucial relationship between the media and the popular culture within the social context of the United States for a better understanding of the issue. For a simpler analysis of the subject we shall divide the media industry into three main branches: Entertainment, News and Commercials (which is the essential device for the survival of the industry, and shall be considered in integration with Entertainment). Researches have shown that the most popular reason behind TV viewing is relaxation and emptying the mind.
One of the mediums by which this cultural shift has continually happened is through television. Not only does culture affect choices made by those in the television industry, but popular series and talk shows, whether intentionally or not, name what culturally acceptable regarding many social issues. Television, TV for short, is referring to the telecommunication medium by which ideas are transmitted into moving pictures. The Television industry will be defined as the group of brains behind the creating process of a television show of any genre. Genres each have their own purpose and effect on the audience; talk shows mean to engage, while sitcoms, drams, mini-series, and television comedies are meant to entertain. Regardless of its intentions, each genre of TV has an affect on the people who internalize what they are watching.
The book As Seen on TV by Karal Ann Marling, is a fascinating study into television and its influence it had on America in the 1950’s. There are many concepts, which are studied in detail proving the pull and push the TV “images” had on the entire U.S. culture.
In Neil Postman’s book “Amusing Ourselves to Death” we take an in depth look at how different forms of media and technology have transformed our world and our society. He more specifically wanted to point out the dangers and issues that our society faces because of our fixation on television. I think that Posman’s fears should be acknowledged and taken into consideration because television impacts us a lot more than we would like to admit.
Studies show that, today television has become an important part of our family households and almost another ‘member of the family’ (Gunter & Svennevig 4). Television has become the common symbolic environment that interacts with most of the things we think and do (Silverstone 148). However all the viewers of television have their own interests as different audiences have different needs. While television is a central dimension of our everyday lives and, its meaning and interpretations vary according to our individual circumstances (Silverstone 1) its addiction is non-productive. According to Silverstone, our inherited institutions like family, household, neighborhoods, community, and nation are more vulnerable to challenges of television and technology (Heath 267). Television has many advantages and disadvantages. However, addiction to television has been the greatest challenges because of its effects to human productivity.
Television has given each of us a podium to voice our ideas on all sorts of social and political issues and share information with one another. It has brought out stress-free ways of communication and provided us with simply accessible means to reach out to people in numerous parts of the world. Thanks to technological development, we have been capable to achieve a podium that allows us to present ourselves to the rest of the world. The negative influences of television that are a result of an overexposure to it, are most often talked about. It is accurate to a certain degree that television has affected the society in a negative manner. But, unquestionably, television has proved being an enjoyment.
Of course, everyone can agree that television has become an important fixture in our lives. This machine makes it possible for people at any place or time to learn, laugh, and discover the many wonders of the universe from their living room chair. It also allows those who dislike the idea of reading a newspaper, browsing the internet, or listening to a radio station a simple alternative for staying caught up on the news. Television has been seen as one of the most effective ways for reaching out and influencing the masses since it caught on in the 1950’s. TV affects the way people view politics, fashion, social culture, and the world itself. From news stations broadcasting across the country and keeping us all up to date, to movies and TV shows playing for pleasure, television keeps our society connected and entertained.
Television has long been a part of American culture. From its conception until today there have been people who believe that television is a waste of time and energy and there have been those in the opposite camp who believe that television should be a part of every American life. There is also a middle ground of people who watch television to keep informed on what’s happening in the world as well as entertained by the latest sitcom, or more popularly today, reality show.
Showing the cause and effects of the growth in the use of the television is the purpose of this piece. Individuals do not grasp the full extent of the different areas that the TV has the ability to reach and even manipulate. These “dirty” our sources of truth by perfectly formed propaganda that is absorbed into every area of our lives as a “true” sense of reality or what life should look like.
The theory is developed by George Gerbner and Larry Gross. Cultivation theory is derived from several large-bit researches cast as part of an overall research project entitled ‘Cultural Indicant’. The purpose of the Cultural indicators project was to identify and track the cultivated effects of video on viewing audience. They were bothered with the effects of television programming especially violent programming on the attitudes and behaviors of the public. Gerbner claimed that the overall concern about effects of television on public. The theory clearly put forward that cultivation effect occurs only after long term, accumulative view to television. He claimed that because television contains so much violence, people who contribute the most time in front of the TV. He postulates that television is mass medium of communication.24/7 the TV set is a pitch member of the household, with virtually unlimited access to every person in the family. He compared the power of TV to the power of religion, saving that TV was to innovative society what religion once was in earlier times.
Gerbner’s cultivation theory suggests that media can affect beliefs of people regarding the social world. He states that ‘television, among modern media has acquired such a central place in daily life that dominates our symbolic environment, substituting its distorted message about reality for personal and other means of knowing about the world. He also states that ‘Television is the cultural arm of the established industrial order which serves primarily to maintain, stabilize and reinforce rather than to alter, threaten or weaken conventional beliefs and behavior.’
Since its introduction in 1946, television has been one of the most important sources of information for mankind. After its debut, television rapidly spread throughout the country and for many it became the gathering point around which the family would meet to talk about the latest news. In the many years since its introduction, television has gradually developed to the one we enjoy today but at the same time this development brought some major changes to its quality. As a matter of fact, I believe that television today is very different to the television I used to watch when I was younger.
The role of mass media in the society cannot be underrated. All breaking news consistently aired and disseminated to the public as soon as it occurs. Furthermore, some forms of mass media such as the television heavily contribute towards the shaping of the consciousness of many people. According to Berger (17), “the media entertain us, socialize us, inform us, educate us, sell things to us (and sell us, as audiences, to advertisers), and indoctrinate us – among other things.” Moreover, television is a story-telling centralized system. All the programs viewed on television creates a coherent system that signifies various messages in every homestead (Gerbner 177). Crime drama programs are not an exception. Crime drama is not a new thing on television;
“I wanted to escape Small Town U.S.A. To dismiss the boundaries, to explore. My life experience came from watching movies, TV, and reading books and magazines. When your culture comes from watching TV everyday, you're bombarded with images of things that seem cool, places that seem interesting, people who have jobs and careers and opportunities” (Trent Reznor). The previous quote describes what television means to so many Americans. In a culture like ours, mostly every way we communicate is through cell phones, computers, tablets, and radios. One interesting way is the television. The following paragraphs describe the positive and negative effects of the technology known as television on our past and present.
Television has become one of the major entertainment providers in our modern life. It sits in the living room of about almost every home in the world and it is the one thing that most people like to come home to after a long day of work or school. Not only does it give us something to laugh or get scared at but it also provides us with valuable information about what is happening around our local community and around different places in the world. But, as good as this sounds, Television may be affecting us without even realizing it. Being one of the major distractors in today 's society, it gets us attached to its content in which a lot of people spend a lot of their time watching. Being thus, watching too