The Concept of Television Exposed
As I remember, my family was one of the first families in our neighborhood to purchase a television. The year was either 1949 or in the early 1950s. The television had a black & white 10-inch screen in the middle of a large wooden cabinet. Everyone on our block who was available at the time the technician did the installation was present for the event. I remember clearly when the television was turned on; the first image on the screen was that of the Lone Ranger and his stallion Silver standing in his famous two legged pose. All of those who were in attendance roared with approval.
Prior to T.V. the main source of getting outside communication of world events was through the radio. I can remember our family members gathering around the radio on a rainy Sunday evening listening to the radio dramas in silence and with intense concentration. One good thing about this form of entertainment was that each person had to use their own imagination to form mental pictures to go along with the dialogue that they were listening to. This is something that the younger generations of our society have no concept of today. It seems that many of our citizens do not exercise the option of innovative thinking and would rather have someone else make their decisions for them. This can be a dangerous practice especially when those who are making the decisions do not have the person's best interest in mind.
The concept of Television
After evaluating the role that television has played in American society for the past half century it is clear to me what has happened.
During the later part of the 1800s and the first part of the 1900s, the industrial revolution was instrumental in changing our nation into a nation of consumers. One way to accomplish this was to convince the masses that they needed what was being produced to make their lives easier and more comfortable. This could be accomplished by advertisement and getting the messages out via the mass media (radio, print and eventually television.) The first thing that needed to be done in the first half of the twentieth century was to make sure that there was a television in every home or in a location that would reach the most people.
Advertisements
In the early 1950s I can remember hearing the term "Madison Avenue" was used a lot, but I had no idea what it meant until much later in life. This term referred to the vast advertising media that was located on the east coast. During the early years of television in America, it appears that the programmers devised certain test to see what the viewing public was interested in seeing and concentrated on refining those television programs that would garner the most attention from the viewers. At this time the shows used most of the allotted time to tell their stories and the commercials (advertisements were slowly slipped in), and took up a minimum amount of time. Now that the majority of the viewing audience has had time to become adequately hooked on T.V., the programmers have become bolder and the advertisements may take up as much as 60 to 75 percent of a program's viewing time to sell products. This fact has not escaped my keen eye and I refuse to cooperate with the deception.
Conclusion
Wake up America and return to reading books, art, and other positive cultural activities. Also a word of caution is be careful what you read, make sure that it has some positive value and adds to your intellectual growth.
Prior to T.V. the main source of getting outside communication of world events was through the radio. I can remember our family members gathering around the radio on a rainy Sunday evening listening to the radio dramas in silence and with intense concentration. One good thing about this form of entertainment was that each person had to use their own imagination to form mental pictures to go along with the dialogue that they were listening to. This is something that the younger generations of our society have no concept of today. It seems that many of our citizens do not exercise the option of innovative thinking and would rather have someone else make their decisions for them. This can be a dangerous practice especially when those who are making the decisions do not have the person's best interest in mind.
The concept of Television
After evaluating the role that television has played in American society for the past half century it is clear to me what has happened.
During the later part of the 1800s and the first part of the 1900s, the industrial revolution was instrumental in changing our nation into a nation of consumers. One way to accomplish this was to convince the masses that they needed what was being produced to make their lives easier and more comfortable. This could be accomplished by advertisement and getting the messages out via the mass media (radio, print and eventually television.) The first thing that needed to be done in the first half of the twentieth century was to make sure that there was a television in every home or in a location that would reach the most people.
Advertisements
In the early 1950s I can remember hearing the term "Madison Avenue" was used a lot, but I had no idea what it meant until much later in life. This term referred to the vast advertising media that was located on the east coast. During the early years of television in America, it appears that the programmers devised certain test to see what the viewing public was interested in seeing and concentrated on refining those television programs that would garner the most attention from the viewers. At this time the shows used most of the allotted time to tell their stories and the commercials (advertisements were slowly slipped in), and took up a minimum amount of time. Now that the majority of the viewing audience has had time to become adequately hooked on T.V., the programmers have become bolder and the advertisements may take up as much as 60 to 75 percent of a program's viewing time to sell products. This fact has not escaped my keen eye and I refuse to cooperate with the deception.
Conclusion
Wake up America and return to reading books, art, and other positive cultural activities. Also a word of caution is be careful what you read, make sure that it has some positive value and adds to your intellectual growth.
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