Chazz Ascoli

TV Pass. Proj
5/6/2016

Television
Its Influence on American Society
There have been plenty of inventions that shaped America as well as the world. Some of
these practical inventions are being utilized so many times that we dont stop to think of how it
came to be, such as refrigerators, AC units or even your toilets. However, there is one we will be
focussing on, Television. It came a long way, starting off as primitive technology that used radio
waves to transmit moving images, it is now something way more modern and in every way,
futuristic. Its very existence proves how advanced our technology has become while also
showing how our technology has influenced our lives. I believe Television influences American
Society. Television has made life for the average person way more luxurious and information is
constantly being shown on its screens. Sports, entertainment, politics and news are all things
granted to us by televisions, and we are constantly feeding into it by watching the news or the
Super Bowl
Despite being such a revolutionary invention that makes life easier for the average
American, TV has been a big factor in how we view the world around us. What we watch is
paralleled to our ways of thinking. When we spend our time watching the Evening News, we are
more fearful of what is to come because it's the one channel that points to all of the negatives of
society: floods, aides, war, poverty crime, etc And having that be explained to us by liberal
biased reporters and anchors make the situation worse for viewers at home. They are only
hearing one side of the story, and because the liberal narrative is what we hear on the news This
shows up in the tone of daily coverage (for instance, property rights gets put in scare quotes,
while abortion rights doesnt). The problem has flared up this election year (NY Times.com).
The news isn't supposed to support one side over the other. It is supposed to tell the story by how
it happened, not by what certain people (especially those on the left) say. That is how this
country is being persuaded to be more liberal, day by day more and more people support gay
marriage than ever before. Some 63 percent of Americans now say gay or lesbian relations are
"morally acceptable." That's a 23-point jump since 2001(csmonitor.com). The Internet hasn't
helped at all either, it presents more liberal bias to the American public but television is still the
primary source of news for America. Americans on average reported that, during the past
week, they followed the news using four different devices or technologies. The most frequently
utilized devices include television (87 percent), laptops/computers (69 percent), radio (65
percent), and print newspapers or magazines (61 percent) (americanpressinstitute.org)

The News isnt all we have to worry about. When it comes to TV, there are plenty of TV
shows that change us as well. For instance, certain reality TV shows we watch such as The
Kardashians change our behavior. Research has shown that reality TV has an impact on the
values of young girls and how they view real-life situations (mghclaycenter.org). The biggest
problem with reality TV isnt how much of an influence it has on young teens, it's the message it
is displaying. According to mghclaycenter.org. themes of reality shows include materialism,
hard partying, bullying and interpersonal drama as well as physical beauty and sex appeal
(mghclaycenter.org). Had the themes been something more uplifting and positive, such as
camaraderie among your peers, treating others with respect or even treating yourself with respect
for that matter, TV would be a great medium for kids and teenagers since it would be teaching
them about respect and morality instead of partying and materialism. This isnt the only problem
among young teens either, unfortunately, there are plenty of TV shows and films that influence
behavior. On a personal level, I find it quite odd how many teens nowadays view Marijuana as a
harmless social drug to smoke for fun, but after realizing what shows and films they all watch
and seem to like, the oddness explains itself. Some of the coolest celebrities on television smoke
weed. People like Seth Rogen who made films like Pineapple Express, This is the End, and The
Interview, and whose audience consist of teens and young adults, are advocates for Marijuana, as
well as Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey, and the successful pop artist Justin Timberlake.
Drugs have always been a problem with teens, for a long time, however I don't believe you had
famous celebrities advocating it, putting it in their movies and lyrics that influence young people.
I have my own personal views on Marijuana, however, I don't believe it's a drug that should be
taken so liberally.
What about the good TV, not trash TV, the TV shows that actually make somewhat of a
difference, or TV channels like Nat Geo Wild, History Channel or others of the like that explain
history and teach something to broaden the horizons of young minds everywhere. Yes, TV can be
a great tool that can serve an educational purpose, but are they appealing to a younger audience
like the Kardashians and Seth Rogen are? Yes, sort of, according to nyinterconnect.com the 1849 year-old demographic for Nat Geo Wild is of about 48%. So yes, teens and young adults are
learning about some interesting topics and are not getting constantly bombarded with Legalize
It propaganda. But it still isn't fueling the fire. When teens watch the History channel and learn
about the Civil War, they are doing just that, but they are not acting on it. They aren't opening up
a textbook and continuing the learning process. Eventually, they change the channel, but when
watching reality TV stars get drunk and fight each other, they can sit there for hours and be
entertained. Then take their influenced minds and start treating others the same way the men and
women on Real Housewives do, by finger pointing, spreading rumors about one another and
partying.
In closing, I'll say this. It is important that we know how much of an influence TV plays on
our daily lives. Yes, there is some good TV but there is also trash TV and we need to know how
much we should get off both. Sometimes, it's best if we don't watch TV at all for one evening, or

at least cut our TV time in half. My Dad always said that his Grandmother had a name for TV.
He said she called it the Idiot Box, because it does just that, makes everyone dumb, makes
them perceive the world in a different way that is not at all true. The news tells you the world is
ending while Seth Rogen smokes a joint in another one of his simplistic comedy movies. Point
is, you can not take it literally.
Works Cited
Carney, Timothy P. "Liberal News Media Bias Has a Serious Effect." NYTimes. N.p., 21 Dec.
2015. Web.
Haq, Husna. "On Social Issues, Americans Are More Liberal than Ever Before. What's behind
the Sudden." Christian Science Monitor. N.p., n.d. Web.
Website
"How Americans Get Their News." American Press Institute. N.p., 17 Mar. 2014. Web.
Website
Peek, Holly. "The Impact Of Reality TV On Our Teens: What Can Parents Do?" The Clay Center
for Young Healthy Minds. N.p., 11 Aug. 2014. Web.
"NAT GEO WILD New York Interconnect." N.p., n.d. Web.