How The World Changed Since TVs Appeared On The Scene.
To try and imagine the world before television must be very difficult for anyone. TVs have become a standard household item in homes around the world. It’s not far-fetched to claim that the television is now part of the global culture.
The cultural changes brought on by the introduction of television is hard to over-emphasize. Many of these changes were clearly positive, while many social commentators are of the opinion that some of these changes had a negative result.
The most obvious and life-altering change that television brought to most households must surely be the huge amount of entertainment, news and information that suddenly became available to all of us. For those living in outlying areas, the television is very often their only connection with the outside world. This is where they get their news and this is where they watch their favorite actors playing in their favorite Hollywood or Bollywood movies.
One negative effect of television, not for society as a whole but for a specific industry, is the fact that it often harmed the cinema industry. Research has indeed shown that in many countries the attendance figures for cinemas have dropped markedly since the introduction of television.
A profound and positive effect of television is the fact that it often helps to break down cultural barriers between different nations. There is nothing that breeds distrust, xenophobia and animosity like ignorance. And to the extent that television has helped to break down the walls of ignorance between nations, it has certainly helped to make the world a better place. Once you know that people in China, Africa, India or South America are in fact not so different from you at all, you no longer see them as ‘foreign’ and as your natural enemies.
Many people argue that the television had a negative effect on family life. To a certain extent this might be true, but the other side of the coin is that TVs might well have the opposite effect as well: if your kids are glued to the TV they are less likely to be out on the streets getting involved in all kinds of mischief. With so many educational programs on TV nowadays, it’s also not hard to see how the television can in fact help us raise better educated children.
The introduction of large flat screen TVs equipped with surround sound has turned the television from a humble box with a screen transmitting black and white images to a true center of entertainment and education for the entire family. It has indeed brought the world to your lounge.
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