Technology has profoundly affected the lives of humans today. Everything from the automobile to the micro-chip has altered our behavior and daily activities. However, while science has impacted society in many ways, one of the most powerful technological influences on humans has been television. Since its introduction in the late nineteen twenties, TV has influenced the clothes we wear, the products we buy, and the foods we eat. Television has helped elect presidents and create huge corporations out of simple mom and pop stores in small town America. Clearly, television has impacted our lives in both positive and negative ways. While television educates and entertains, it also promotes laziness, violence and poor social skills.
Television has tremendous power, an unlimited potential to educate and inform. The bright colors, quick movements, and sudden flashes capture the public's attention in a way like no other medium. TV programming has helped many viewers confront major social issues, such as domestic violence, homosexuality, and drug abuse.
Electronics recycling (including computers and tel...
Family watching television, c. 1958
English: Neil Armstrong descending the ladder on t...Since the 1950's, the American public has embraced the visual aspect of TV and shown an interest in world events like never before. Television has given the common man the power to see and learn about other cultures thousands of miles away. Through the power of TV broadcasting, images and ideas can be viewed from around the world. In the fifties and sixties America was gripped with fear over the spread of communism. This fear stemmed from an overall ignorance of the Soviet Union and their allies. It was through television news stories that the majority of the American population began to understand and accept the differences between the two nations. Because of its strong visual impact and ability to disseminate information almost instantaneously, television has brought global events closer to home and informed the public in...