The Effects Of Television
The Effects of Television
The television has been commercially available in America since the 1930’s. According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day. In a sixty-five year lifespan, that person will have spent nine years glued to the tube. This constant attention to programming can cause positive and negative effects. The negative effects on an average American family can be explained psychologically, emotionally, and physically.
Television affects the psyche of children and adults differently. A child has a limited view of the world and is dependent on his/her parents for instruction, explanation, and knowledge. If the child does not have instruction, explanation, and knowledge from the parent on what to watch, then he/she is forced to process what is seen on television as either good or bad. This can lead to a skewed world view and an unnecessary exposure to social aspects beyond the child’s comprehension. Generally, adults have a more comprehensive understanding of the world and can discern, based on the morals they hold to be true, what is good or bad. Millions of dollars are spent yearly on American television advertising and the psychology of marketing consumes the purpose of most programming. The marketing psychology affects what Americans think, how they spend their time, and how they spend their money.
Drama has been a style of expression since the ancient Dionysian festivals in Athens, Greece. These festivals evolved into medieval plays, where players would perform before audiences in cathedrals. When television became readily available in America in the 1930’s the viewers found them selves experiencing drama artificially, in the privacy of their own homes. This detachment from community and corporate entertainment changed the emotional impact of dramatic expression. The drama seen on the screen became personal, because people identified the characters as...
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