The Influence Of 1960's On American Society

One of the most influential decades that changed American society is the 1960’s. An important aspect of American society even before the 1960’s was the television; however, the 1960’s changed television and the people watching television drastically. The 1960’s shaped the American public by introducing several new concepts to television, such as the use of television as a political device, the dramatic rise of broadcasting stations such as CBS, NBC, and ABC, the creation of relatable shows that the average person could understand, the introduction of variety shows such as the Ed Sullivan Show, and the use of television to help address issues such as racism. Before the 1960’s, television was mainly used as a substitute for the radio. However, as the 1960’s came around, television

Stations like ABC, CBS, and NBC were around before the 1960’s (in fact, all of theses stations were originally radio stations), but they dramatically rose during this decade. Viewership dramatically increased due to popular shows being broadcasted on the broadcasting stations and the quality of the news on the broadcasting stations. The news was easier to see on the television than heard on the radio, and in the 1960’s, political leaders began to utilize the television as a political force. One of the first politicians to utilize the television as a political force was John F. Kennedy. Because viewership for the broadcasting stations was so high, more people could find out information about him, and it incidentally led to more people voting for Kennedy in the election. Another way the television helped politically was in the broadcasting of events such as the Vietnam War. The American population could keep close tabs on the events going on in Vietnam much better by seeing it “in person” on the television rather than listening to it on the