the value of television essay

Essay on Television for Students [100, 150, 200, 350 Words]

Essay on Television: Television is one of the most influential innovations of modern times. In this article, you are going to learn to write a paragraph or essay on Television (100, 150, 200 and 350 Words). You’ll learn what are the uses and abuses of television or what are the advantages and disadvantages of television. So, let’s get started.

Table of Contents

Short Essay on Television: 100 Words

Television is based on a highly sophisticated science of vision and sound. A man can see as far the horizon. He hears as far as the sound is audible to him. But television takes his vision to a place far beyond his horizon. He sees a thing or person long beyond his actual physical reach. It brings to him also sound from a very remote place.

In fact, television brings vision and sound together from a distance which is beyond the range of human sight and hearing. It is a powerful and very useful invention of modern science. It has conquered space for human eye-sight. It has brought about a great development in the science of communication. It can well be used for entertainment and knowledge.

Television Essay: 150 Words

One of the latest wonders of science is Television. It is an effective medium of communication and entertainment. We can watch live important political, sports and other events happening at distant places. This enables us to have a direct knowledge of the things, places and events far away. TV has thus brought the whole world into the drawing room.

Television is also a powerful medium of mass education. Educational programmes on healthcare and family planning, general knowledge can be sent to millions of viewers through audio-visual presentation in the TV. It also keeps off loneliness.

But TV has its bad effects too. Watching TV sometimes becomes an addiction, People remain glued to the TV and it makes them idle- particularly the students and young people. They neglect sports and games and their studies. Too much of viewing affects our vision. Programmes, if not properly selected, cast bad effects on young minds. Social visits become very rare and people become unsocial.

Essay on the Television: 200 Words

No other thing is as familiar as Television in our present times. It was invented by John Baird in 1925. It first appeared in India in 1959. It is really a wonder of science today. It is a two-in-one. It is the radio on one side and the cinema on the other. Television is a very useful instrument in many ways. It is a powerful medium for education and recreation. It gives lessons on the subjects like science and mathematics and also on geography and history.

It shows us cinema and live telecast on games and sports. On its screen we have a delightful scenery of nature and thrilling sights of animals roaming in the jungles and in the deep waters of the seas. We can amuse the shows of serials. It is also a mighty medium of advertisement.

Sometimes it has bad effects on children. In most cases, they sit tight with it to witness their favorite items which captivate them greatly. Sometimes they neglect their bounden duties as students. They try to copy the most interesting show-style. In some cases they even face their death. Many things are very good with television but its price is very high and the poor cannot benefit by it.

Television Essay in English: 350 Words

Television is a modern invention. When television was first invented, people of the world were very happy because they had the scope to know the world around them and to entertain themselves in the best possible ways. Television is no doubt something which ushered progress of civilization. Some electronic media like BBC took over the most important role to make the people of the world aware of the society to which they were belonging and the environment by which they were being nourished. It is quite well known that, BBC produced all of the plays of Shakespeare as films. Even this world famous electronic media focused on the two World Wars so much so that people of the world came to know how horrible was war and warfare. Thus social consciousness was an important factor that was first aroused by the aid of television.

But this television is now being abused constantly by some commercially debased people. In West Bengal, television is so abused that the young generation is now misguided. The young people follow the bad culture and become oblivious of the hoary tradition of our country. Mere entertainment has been presented on the different television channels. Meaningless serials and reality shows are heart-throbbing without any moral impact. Crimes and social disorder are presented so crudely that the minds of the young people are overwhelmed with frustration, dilapidation, and despair. It seems that there is no escape from despair. The ultimate result is social alienation which brings about moral dilemma.

Yet, the concerned authority is really callous to the problems. Advertisement, sponsors, etc. are the sources of the economic structure of the different channels. Thus, the producers intend to draw the attention of the businessman by claiming the popularity of the channels. The inevitable result of this kind of commercial debasement is of Course disintegration that causes serious disbelief in the sphere of culture and education. Therefore, we must be conscious of the fact that television is not merely a media for entertainment; rather it is a source of important social and cultural messages.

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Apj abdul kalam essay in english | 100, 200, 300, 500 words, blood donation essay in english | 150, 200, 300 words, my mother essay in english 10 lines [5 sets], essay on mother teresa in english for students [300 words], 3 thoughts on “essay on television for students [100, 150, 200, 350 words]”.

I really enjoyed reading your essay on television. It was very informative and I learned a lot. I especially liked the part about how television can be used to teach different subjects.

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Essay On Television: In 100 Words, 150 Words, 200 Words

Updated on
Sep 22, 2023

Television, often referred to as the “idiot box” in its early days, has undergone a remarkable transformation since its invention . It has evolved into a powerful medium of entertainment, information dissemination , and education . This essay delves into the multifaceted role of television in our lives, exploring its history, impact, and the advantages and disadvantages it brings.

Table of Contents

1 Essay on Television in 100 words
2 Essay on Television in 150 words
3 Essay on Television in 200 words

Essay on Television in 100 words

Television, a ubiquitous electronic device, has become an integral part of modern life. Its journey from being merely a source of entertainment to a medium of knowledge and connectivity has been extraordinary. With the advent of technology, television has evolved into high-definition screens and smart TVs, offering a plethora of channels and content. It serves as a window to the world, providing news, educational programmes, and entertainment for people of all ages. While television enriches our lives, it also presents challenges, such as the risk of addiction and exposure to inappropriate content. Nevertheless, when used judiciously, television remains a powerful tool for learning and relaxation.

Must Read: The Beginner’s Guide to Writing an Essay

Essay on Television in 150 words

Television, originally known as the “idiot box,” has come a long way since its inception. Invented by John Logie Baird, it was initially designed solely for entertainment. Over the decades, technology has transformed it into a multifaceted medium. The word “television” itself reflects its essence, with “tele” meaning far-off and “vision” pertaining to seeing. It has become a device with a screen that receives signals, offering a wide array of channels and programmes.

Television is no longer confined to being a source of amusement; it’s a vital tool for education and information dissemination. News channels keep us informed about global events, and educational programmes expand our knowledge horizons. It’s also a source of inspiration, with motivational speakers and skill-building programmes motivating viewers.

However, television isn’t without its drawbacks. Inappropriate content, addiction, and the spread of misinformation are concerns. Yet, its advantages, including affordability and accessibility, outweigh the disadvantages when used responsibly.

Essay on Television in 200 words

Television, an electronic marvel, has evolved dramatically from its early days. Initially dubbed the “idiot box,” it was primarily a source of entertainment. However, with technological advancements, it has transformed into a versatile medium. The word “television” combines “tele,” meaning far-off, and “vision,” the act of seeing, reflecting its purpose as a device for receiving distant signals.

Television is now an indispensable part of modern life. It offers a multitude of channels and programs catering to diverse interests. News channels keep us updated on current events, while educational programs expand our knowledge in various fields. It’s also a source of motivation, with programs featuring inspirational speakers and skill development.

The affordability of televisions makes them accessible to a wide range of people. They provide a cost-effective means of entertainment and education, making them a valuable asset in many households.

Despite these advantages, television is not without its drawbacks. Inappropriate content can be easily accessed, posing risks to younger viewers. Excessive television watching can lead to addiction, resulting in reduced physical activity and social interactions. Furthermore, some programs spread misinformation, which can have lasting negative effects.

In conclusion, television, with its evolution and widespread use, offers a blend of entertainment, education, and information. Its benefits are immense, but users must exercise responsibility to maximize its potential while minimizing its drawbacks.

To improve your essay writing skills, practice regularly, read extensively, and pay attention to grammar and vocabulary. Additionally, seek feedback from peers or educators to identify areas for improvement.

A well-structured essay should have a clear introduction, a body with well-organized paragraphs, and a concise conclusion. Each paragraph should focus on a single idea, and there should be smooth transitions between them.

To make your essay more engaging, start with a captivating hook in the introduction, use descriptive language and examples, and maintain a clear and logical flow of ideas throughout the essay. Additionally, consider the reader’s perspective and aim to address their interests and questions.

We hope that this essay blog on Television helps. For more amazing daily reads related to essay writing , stay tuned with Leverage Edu .

Manasvi Kotwal

Manasvi's flair in writing abilities is derived from her past experience of working with bootstrap start-ups, Advertisement and PR agencies as well as freelancing. She's currently working as a Content Marketing Associate at Leverage Edu to be a part of its thriving ecosystem.

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Essay on Television

500+ words essay on television.

Television has become a crucial part of our lives now. It not only impacts our social life but also our educational life. Just as newspapers and computers are significant modes of communication, Television also counts as one. With a television, you can connect to the world outside. Moreover, it is also important in influencing our personal and public lives. However, with the benefits, there are also some disadvantages. Thus, it must be consumed within a limit. This television essay will elaborate on the same points.

Importance of Television

Television is definitely one of the most important electronic devices with a screen. It helps us in receiving information. Further, we also get entertained by it and get rid of boredom.

Most importantly, it plays a significant role in distributing news and information. News channels are a great source of information about the current happenings in the world. Similarly, television programs also teach us a lot of things.

For instance, we learn about the rich civilizations and historical sketches via historical channels. Similarly, when we are alone, it acts as a great source of entertainment. In addition, we also get to learn about many cooking recipes.

Television helps us raise the capacity of our minds. You can learn a trick or two from it to solve your daily problems. It also instils creativity in people. Further, watching information channels equip us with facts and concepts.

There are also motivation programs on television. They serve as inspiration for many to achieve success in a number of fields. Apart from that, we also get laughter therapy from television.

Watching comedy shows and movies allow us to laugh freely. On the other hand, people who are religious and spiritual also benefit from it. They get access to spiritual and religious messages to nourish their souls.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Television Essay- Why You Must Limit the Time

As the younger generations are growing up with electronics, it has become important to limit their time with these gadgets. You see all the time they are glued to phone screens or television.

It is no less than a nightmare for parents as it harms their brains. When you get used to watching the glowing screens constantly, nothing will interest you. Moreover, parents also allow their children to stare at the screens blankly to get entertainment.

This takes away their time of playing outside or spending time with their loved ones. When the children will play outside or mingle with others, they will be able to develop their social skills, gross motor skills and language.

Watching television only will not help them do that. Therefore, it is important to limit the time of television watching especially for children. This can help them greatly in the long run and give them a better life.

To conclude the television essay, while television has numerous benefits, it also comes with its fair share of disadvantages. Thus, we must ensure that our children create the perfect balance between watching TV and doing other things. This way, they can get the best of both worlds.

FAQ of Essay on Television

Question 1: Why is television important?

Answer 1: Television is a great source of entertainment. Moreover, it also provides us with valuable information about the world. It also helps us stay in touch with the outside world.

Question 2: Why should we limit the time of television?

Answer 2: It is essential to do that especially for children so they can develop their social skills and gross motor skills better. Watching too much television will also hamper their eyesight. Thus, it must be consumed within a limit.

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9.2 The Relationship Between Television and Culture

Learning objectives.

Identify ways in which American culture is reflected on television.
Identify ways in which television affects the development of American culture.

Since its inception as an integral part of American life in the 1950s, television has both reflected and nurtured cultural mores and values. From the escapist dramas of the 1960s, which consciously avoided controversial issues and glossed over life’s harsher realities in favor of an idealized portrayal, to the copious reality TV shows in recent years, on which participants discuss even the most personal and taboo issues, television has held up a mirror to society. But the relationship between social attitudes and television is reciprocal; broadcasters have often demonstrated their power to influence viewers, either consciously through slanted political commentary, or subtly, by portraying controversial relationships (such as single parenthood, same-sex marriages, or interracial couplings) as socially acceptable. The symbiotic nature of television and culture is exemplified in every broadcast, from family sitcoms to serious news reports.

Cultural Influences on Television

In the 1950s, most television entertainment programs ignored current events and political issues. Instead, the three major networks (ABC, NBC, and CBS) developed prime-time shows that would appeal to a general family audience. Chief among these types of shows was the domestic comedy —a generic family comedy that was identified by its character-based humor and usually set within the home. Seminal examples included popular 1950s shows such as Leave It to Beaver, The Donna Reed Show , and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet . Presenting a standardized version of the White middle-class suburban family, domestic comedies portrayed the conservative values of an idealized American life. Studiously avoiding prevalent social issues such as racial discrimination and civil rights, the shows focused on mostly White middle-class families with traditional nuclear roles (mother in the home, father in the office) and implied that most domestic problems could be solved within a 30-minute time slot, always ending with a strong moral lesson.

Although these shows depicted an idealized version of American family life, many families in the 1950s were traditional nuclear families. Following the widespread poverty, political uncertainty, and physical separation of the war years, many Americans wanted to settle down, have children, and enjoy the peace and security that family life appeared to offer. During the booming postwar era, a period of optimism and prosperity, the traditional nuclear family flourished. However, the families and lifestyles presented in domestic comedies did not encompass the overall American experience by any stretch of the imagination. As historian Stephanie Coontz points out, “the June Cleaver or Donna Stone homemaker role was not available to the more than 40 percent of black women with small children who worked outside the home (Coontz, 1992).” Although nearly 60 percent of the U.S. population was labeled middle class by the mid-1950s, 25 percent of all families and more than 50 percent of two-parent Black families were poor. Migrant workers suffered horrific deprivations, and racial tensions were rife. None of this was reflected in the world of domestic comedies, where even the Hispanic gardener in Father Knows Best was named Frank Smith (Coontz, 1992).

Most domestic comedies in the 1950s portrayed an idealized version of family life and ignored social and political events.

Dennis S. Hurd – The Cleavers – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Not all programs in the 1950s were afraid to tackle controversial social or political issues. In March 1954, journalist Edward R. Murrow broadcast an unflattering portrait of U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy on his show See It Now . McCarthy, a member of the Senate Investigation Committee, had launched inquiries regarding potential Communist infiltration in U.S. institutions. Murrow thought that McCarthy’s aggressive tactics were a potential threat to civil liberties. His portrait cast the senator from Wisconsin in an unflattering light by pointing out contradictions in his speeches. This led to such an uproar that McCarthy was formally reprimanded by the U.S. Senate (Friedman, 2008).

Entertainment programs also tackled controversial issues. The long-running television western Gunsmoke , which aired on CBS from 1955 to 1975, flourished in a Cold War society, where U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) stood up to lawlessness in defense of civilization. The characters and community in Gunsmoke faced relevant social issues, including the treatment of minority groups, the meaning of family, the legitimacy of violence, and the strength of religious belief. During the 1960s, the show adapted to the desires of its viewing audience, becoming increasingly aware of and sympathetic to ethnic minorities, in tune with the national mood during the civil rights era. This adaptability helped the show to become the longest-running western in TV history.

Violence and Escapism in the 1960s

During the 1960s, television news broadcasts brought the realities of real-world events into people’s living rooms in vivid detail. The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite , which debuted in 1962, quickly became the country’s most popular newscast, and by the end of the decade, journalist Walter Cronkite was known as the most trusted man in America. Following John F. Kennedy’s election to the presidency at the beginning of the decade, the 1960s took an ominous turn. Shocked viewers tuned into Cronkite’s broadcast on November 22, 1963, to learn about the assassination of their president. During the next few days, viewers followed every aspect of the tragedy on television, from the tremor in Cronkite’s voice as he removed his glasses and announced the news of Kennedy’s death, to the frantic scenes from Dallas police headquarters where the assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was gunned down by nightclub owner Jack Ruby, to the thousands of mourners lining up next to the president’s flag-draped coffin.

Television began to play a major role in U.S. politics during the presidency of John. F. Kennedy.

Wikimedia Commons – public domain.

Around the same time as Kennedy’s assassination, horrific images from Vietnam were streaming into people’s living rooms during the nation’s first televised war. With five camera crews on duty in the Saigon bureau, news crews captured vivid details of the war in progress. Although graphic images were rarely shown on network TV, several instances of violence reached the screen, including a CBS report in 1965 that showed Marines lighting the thatched roofs of the village of Cam Ne with Zippo lighters and an NBC news report in 1968 that aired a shot of South Vietnamese General Nguyen Ngoc Loan executing a captive on a Saigon street. Further images, of children being burned and scarred by napalm and prisoners being tortured, fueled the antiwar sentiments of many Americans. In addition to the devastation caused by the president’s death and the Vietnam War, Americans were also feeling the pressure of the Cold War—the clash between the United States and the Soviet Union in the years following World War II. This pressure was especially great during periods of tension throughout the 1950s and 1960s, such as the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, a confrontation that caused many people to fear nuclear war.

As a result of the intense stress faced by many Americans during the 1960s, broadcasters and viewers turned to escapist programs such as I Dream of Jeannie , a fantasy show about a 2,000-year-old genie who marries an astronaut, and Bewitched , a supernatural-themed show about a witch who tries to live as a suburban housewife. Both shows typified the situation comedy , or sitcom, a comedy genre featuring a recurring cast of characters who resolve zany situations based on their everyday lives. Other popular sitcoms in the 1960s included The Beverly Hillbillies , a show about a poor backwoods family who move to Beverly Hills, California, after finding oil on their land, and Gilligan’s Island , the ultimate escapist comedy about seven characters shipwrecked on an uncharted island. None of the 1960s sitcoms mentioned any of the political unease that was taking place in the outside world, providing audiences with a welcome diversion from real life. Other than an occasional documentary, TV programming in the 1960s consisted of a sharp dichotomy between prime-time escapist comedy and hard news.

Figure 9.10

Escapist sitcoms like I Dream of Jeannie provided Americans with a much-needed diversion from the stressful events of the 1960s.

Diversity and Politics in the 1970s

During the 1970s, broadcasters began to diversify families on their shows to reflect changing social attitudes toward formerly controversial issues such as single parenthood and divorce. Feminist groups including the National Organization for Women (NOW), the National Women’s Political Caucus, and the Coalition of Labor Union Women pushed for equality on issues such as pay and encouraged women to enter the workforce. In 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court sanctioned women’s right to abortion, giving them control over their reproductive rights. Divorce rates skyrocketed during the 1970s, as states adopted no-fault divorce laws, and the change in family dynamics was reflected on television. Between 1972 and 1978, CBS aired the socially controversial sitcom Maude . Featuring a middle-aged feminist living with her fourth husband and divorced daughter, the show exploded the dominant values of the White middle-class domestic sitcom and its traditional gender roles. Throughout its 7-year run, Maude tackled social and political issues such as abortion, menopause, birth control, alcoholism, and depression. During its first four seasons, the show was in the top 10 in Nielsen ratings, illustrating the changing tastes of the viewing audience, who had come of age during the era of civil rights and Vietnam protests and developed a taste for socially conscious television. Other 1970s sitcoms took the same approach, including Maude ’s CBS predecessor, All in the Family , which covered issues ranging from racism and homophobia to rape and miscarriage, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show , which reflected changing attitudes toward women’s rights by featuring television’s first never-married independent career woman as the central character. Even wholesome family favorite The Brady Bunch , which ran from 1969 to 1974, featured a non-nuclear family, reflecting the rising rates of blended families in American society.

Figure 9.11

The popularity of controversial shows like Maude reflected the changing cultural and social values of the 1970s.

In addition to changing family dynamics on sitcoms and other prime-time shows, variety and comedy sketch shows developed a political awareness in the 1970s that reflected audiences’ growing appetite for social and political commentary. Sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live ( SNL ) premiered on NBC in 1975 and has remained on air ever since. Featuring a different celebrity guest host every week and relatively unknown comedy regulars, the show parodies contemporary popular culture and politics, lambasting presidential candidates and pop stars alike. Earlier NBC sketch comedy show Laugh-In , which ran from 1968 to 1973, also featured politically charged material, though it lacked the satirical bite of later series such as SNL . By the end of the decade, television broadcasting reflected a far more politically conscious and socially aware viewing audience.

The Influence of Cable Television in the 1980s

Until the mid-1980s, the top three networks (ABC, NBC, and CBS) dominated television broadcasting in the United States. However, as cable services gained popularity following the deregulation of the industry in 1984, viewers found themselves with a multitude of options. Services such as Cable News Network (CNN), Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN), and Music Television (MTV) profoundly altered the television landscape in the world of news, sports, and music. New markets opened up for these innovative program types, as well as for older genres such as the sitcom. During the 1980s, a revival of family sitcoms took place with two enormous hits: The Cosby Show and Family Ties . Both featured a new take on modern family life, with the mothers working outside of the home and the fathers pitching in with housework and parental duties. Despite their success on network television, sitcoms faced stiff competition from cable’s variety of choices. Between 1983 and 1994, weekly broadcast audience shares (a measure of the number of televisions in use that are tuned to a particular show) for network television dropped from 69 to 52, while cable networks’ shares rose from 9 to 26 (Newcomb, 2004).

With a growing number of households subscribing to cable TV, concern began to grow about the levels of violence to which children were becoming exposed. In addition to regularly broadcast network programs, cable offered viewers the chance to watch films and adult-themed shows during all hours, many of which had far more violent content than normal network programming. One study found that by the time an average child leaves elementary school, he or she has witnessed 8,000 murders and more than 100,000 other acts of violence on television (Blakey, 2002). Although no conclusive links have been drawn between witnessing violence on television and carrying out violence in real life, the loosening boundaries regarding sexual and violent content on television is a persistent cause for concern for many parents. For more information on the social effects of violence in the media, please refer to Chapter 2 “Media Effects” .

Specialization in the 1990s and 2000s

Although TV viewership is growing, the vast number of cable channels and other, newer content delivery platforms means that audiences are thinly stretched. In recent years, broadcasters have been narrowing the focus of their programming to meet the needs and interests of an increasingly fragmented audience. Entire cable channels devoted to cooking, music, news, African American interests (see sidebar below), weather, and courtroom drama enable viewers to choose exactly what type of show they want to watch, and many news channels are further specialized according to viewers’ political opinions. This trend toward specialization reflects a more general shift within society, as companies cater increasingly to smaller, more targeted consumer bases. Business magazine editor Chris Anderson explains, “We’re leaving the watercooler era, when most of us listened, watched and read from the same relatively small pool of mostly hit content. And we’re entering the microculture era, when we are all into different things (Gunther, 2006).” Just as cable broadcasters are catering to niche markets, Internet-based companies such as Amazon.com and Netflix are taking advantage of this concept by selling large numbers of books, DVDs, and music albums with narrow appeal. Section 9.3 “Issues and Trends in the Television Industry” and Section 9.4 “Influence of New Technologies” of this chapter will cover the recent trends and issues of this era in television.

Black Entertainment Television (BET)

Launched in 1980, Black Entertainment Television (BET) was the first television network in the United States dedicated to the interests of African American viewers. The basic-cable franchise was created in Washington, DC, by media entrepreneur Robert Johnson, who initially invested $15,000 in the venture. Within a decade, he had turned the company into a multimillion-dollar enterprise, and in 1991 it became the first Black-controlled company on the New York Stock Exchange. The company was sold to Viacom in 2003 for $3 billion.

Pre-dating MTV by a year, BET initially focused on Black-oriented music videos but soon diversified into original urban-oriented programs and public affairs shows. Although BET compensated somewhat for the underrepresentation of Blacks on television (African Americans made up 8 percent of the prime-time characters on television in 1980 but made up 12 percent of the population), viewers complained about the portrayal of stereotypical images and inappropriate violent or sexual behavior in many of the rap videos shown by the network. In a 2004 interview with BET vice president of communications Michael Lewellen, former BET talk show host Bev Smith said, “We had videos on BET in those days that were graphic but didn’t proliferate as they seem to be doing now. That’s all you do seem to see are scantily dressed women who a lot of African American women are upset about in those videos (Fox News, 2004).” Despite the criticisms, BET remained the No. 1 cable network among Blacks 18 to 34 in 2010 and retained an average audience of 524,000 total viewers during the first quarter of the year (Forbes, 2010).

Television’s Influence on Culture

Despite entering a microculture era with a variety of niche markets, television remains the most important unifying cultural presence in the United States. During times of national crises, television news broadcasts have galvanized the country by providing real-time coverage of major events. When terrorists crashed planes into the World Trade Center towers in 2001, 24-hour TV news crews provided stunned viewers around the world with continuous updates about the attack and its aftermath. Meanwhile, network blockbusters such as Lost and 24 have united viewers in shared anticipation, launching numerous blogs, fan sites, and speculative workplace discussions about characters’ fates.

Televised coverage of the news has had several cultural effects since the 1950s. Providing viewers with footage of the most intense human experiences, televised news has been able to reach people in a way that radio and newspapers cannot. The images themselves have played an important role in influencing viewer opinion. During the coverage of the civil rights movement, for example, footage of a 1963 attack on civil rights protesters in Birmingham, Alabama, showed police blasting African American demonstrators—many of them children—with fire hoses. Coupled with images of angry White segregationist mobs squaring off against Black students, the news footage did much to sway public opinion in favor of liberal legislation such as the 1964 Voting Rights Act. Conversely, when volatile pictures of the race riots in Detroit and other cities in the late 1960s hit the airwaves, horrified viewers saw the need for a return to law and order. The footage helped create an anti-civil-rights backlash that encouraged many viewers to vote for conservative Republican Richard Nixon during the 1968 presidential election.

During the past few decades, mass-media news coverage has gone beyond swaying public opinion through mere imagery. Trusted centrist voices such as that of Walter Cronkite, who was known for his impartial reporting of some of the biggest news stories in the 1960s, have been replaced by highly politicized news coverage on cable channels such as conservative Fox News and liberal MSNBC. As broadcasters narrow their focus to cater to more specialized audiences, viewers choose to watch the networks that suit their political bias. Middle-of-the-road network CNN, which aims for nonpartisanship, frequently loses out in the ratings wars against Fox and MSNBC, both of which have fierce groups of supporters. As one reporter put it, “A small partisan base is enough for big ratings; the mildly interested middle might rather watch Grey’s Anatomy (Poniewozik, 2010).” Critics argue that partisan news networks cause viewers to have less understanding of opposing political opinions, making them more polarized.

Table 9.1 Partisan Profile of TV News Audiences in 2008

Social Controversy

The issue of whether television producers have a responsibility to promote particular social values continues to generate heated discussion. When the unmarried title character in the CBS series Murphy Brown —a comedy show about a divorced anchorwoman—got pregnant and chose to have the baby without any involvement from the father, then–Vice President Dan Quayle referenced the show as an example of degenerating family values. Linking the 1992 Los Angeles riots to a breakdown of family structure and social order, Quayle lambasted producers’ poor judgment, saying, “It doesn’t help matters when prime-time TV has Murphy Brown, a character who supposedly epitomizes today’s intelligent, highly paid professional woman, mocking the importance of fathers by bearing a child alone, and calling it just another ‘lifestyle choice (Time, 1992).’” Quayle’s outburst sparked lively debate between supporters and opponents of his viewpoint, with some praising his outspoken social commentary and others dismissing him as out of touch with America and its growing number of single mothers.

Similar controversy arose with the portrayal of openly gay characters on prime-time television shows. When the lead character on the ABC sitcom Ellen came out in 1997 (2 weeks after Ellen DeGeneres, the actress who played the role, announced that she was gay), she became the first leading gay character on both broadcast and cable networks. The show proved to be a test case for the nation’s tolerance of openly gay characters on prime-time TV and became the subject of much debate. Embraced by liberal supporters and lambasted by conservative objectors (evangelical Baptist minister Jerry Falwell infamously dubbed her “Ellen DeGenerate”), both the actress and the show furthered the quest to make homosexuality acceptable to mainstream audiences. Although Ellen was canceled the following year (amid disagreements with producers about whether it should contain a parental advisory warning), DeGeneres successfully returned to television in 2003 with her own talk show. Subsequent shows with prominent gay characters were quick to follow in Ellen ’s footsteps. According to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), 18 lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender characters accounted for 3 percent of scripted series regulars in the 2009–2010 broadcast television schedule, up from 1.3 percent in 2006 (Mitchell, 2009).

Creating Stars via Reality Television

Emerging out of the 1948 TV series Candid Camera , in which people were secretly filmed responding to elaborate practical jokes, reality television aimed to capture real, unscripted life on camera. The genre developed in several different directions, from home-video clip shows ( America’s Funniest Home Videos , America’s Funniest People ) to true-crime reenactment shows ( America’s Most Wanted , Unsolved Mysteries ) to thematic shows based on professions of interest ( Project Runway , Police Women of Broward County , Top Chef ). Near the turn of the millennium, the genre began to lean toward more voyeuristic shows, such as MTV’s The Real World , an unscripted “documentary” that followed the lives of seven strangers selected to live together in a large house or apartment in a major city. The show drew criticisms for glamorizing bad behavior and encouraging excessive drinking and casual sex, although its ratings soared with each successive controversy (a trend that critics claim encouraged producers to actively stage rating-grabbing scenarios). During the late 1990s and 2000s, a wave of copycat reality TV shows emerged, including the voyeuristic series Big Brother , which filmed a group of strangers living together in an isolated house full of cameras in an attempt to win large amounts of cash, and Survivor , a game show in which participants competed against each other by performing endurance challenges on an uninhabited island. Survivor ’s success as the most popular show on television in the summer of 2000 ensured the continued growth of the reality television genre, and producers turned their attention to reality dating shows such as The Bachelor , Temptation Island , and Dating in the Dark . Cheap to produce, with a seemingly never-ending supply of willing contestants and eager advertising sponsors, reality TV shows continue to bring in big ratings. As of 2010, singing talent competition American Idol is television’s biggest revenue generator, pulling in $8.1 million in advertising sales every 30 minutes it is on the air (Bond, 2010).

Figure 9.12

The stress of appearing on reality television shows has proved detrimental to some contestants’ health. Britain’s Got Talent star Susan Boyle suffered a nervous breakdown in 2009.

Banalities – SuBo Dreamed a Dream – CC BY 2.0.

Reality TV has created the cultural phenomenon of the instant celebrity. Famous for simply being on the air, reality show contestants are extending their 15 minutes in the spotlight. Kate Gosselin, star of Jon & Kate Plus 8 , a cable TV show about a couple who have eight children, has since appeared in numerous magazine articles, and in 2010 she starred on celebrity reality dance show Dancing with the Stars . Survivor contestant Elisabeth Hasselbeck became a co-host on TV talk show The View , and several American Idol contestants (including Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood) have become household names. The genre has drawn criticism for creating a generation that expects to achieve instant wealth without having to try very hard and also for preying on vulnerable people whom critics call “disposable.” When Britain’s Got Talent star Susan Boyle suffered a public meltdown in 2009 after the stress of transitioning from obscurity to stardom in an extremely short time period, the media began to point out the dangers of reality television. In 2009, TheWrap.com investigated the current lives of former stars of reality shows such as The Contender , Paradise Hotel , Wife Swap , and Extreme Makeover , and found that at least 11 participants had committed suicide as an apparent result of their appearances on screen (Adams, 2009; Feldlinger).

Key Takeaways

Television has been reflecting changing cultural values since it first gained popularity after World War II. During the 1950s, most programs ignored current events and political issues in favor of family-friendly domestic comedies, which featured White suburban middle-class families. Extreme stress during the 1960s, caused by political events such as the Vietnam War and the Cuban Missile Crisis, led people to turn to escapist television offered by fantasy sitcoms. These provided a sharp dichotomy with the hard-news shows of the era. Social consciousness during the 1970s prompted television producers to reflect changing social attitudes regarding single parenthood, women’s roles, and divorce, and sitcom families began to reflect the increasing number of non-nuclear families in society. The increasing popularity of cable TV in the 1980s led to an explosion of news and entertainment channels, some of which raised concerns about the levels of violence on television. During the 1990s and 2000s, TV networks became more specialized, catering to niche markets in order to meet the needs of an increasingly fragmented audience.
Television reflects cultural values, and it also influences culture. One example of this is the polarization of cable TV news, which is no longer centrist but caters to individual political tastes. Critics argue that this influences cable news viewers’ opinions and makes them less open to opposing political viewpoints. Entertainment programs also play an influential role within society. By portraying controversial relationships such as single parents or gay couples as acceptable, TV shows have the power to shape viewers’ attitudes. In recent years, broadcasters have created the concept of the instant celebrity through the genre of reality television. Contestants on reality TV shows now permeate every aspect of culture and the media, from the music charts to popular magazines and newspapers.

Please respond to the following short-answer writing prompts. Each response should be a minimum of one paragraph.

Choose a popular sitcom from the past 50 years you are familiar with (you can view episodes on Hulu.com to refamiliarize yourself if necessary). Using the ideas in this section as a starting point, identify three ways in which your chosen sitcom reflects or reflected American culture.
Spend a few days reviewing news coverage on Fox News and MSNBC. How is coverage of similar news stories different? Do you think partisan news networks can affect public opinion? Why or why not?

Adams, Guy. “Lessons From America on the Dangers of Reality Television,” Independent (London), June 6, 2009, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/lessons-from-america-on-the-dangers-of-reality-television-1698165.html .

Blakey, Rea. “Study Links TV Viewing Among Kids to Later Violence,” CNN Health , March 28, 2002, http://archives.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/parenting/03/28/kids.tv.violence/index.html .

Bond, Paul. “‘Idol’ Listed as TV’s Biggest Revenue Generator,” Hollywood Reporter , May 5, 2010, http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i8f1f42046a622bda2d602430b16d3ed9 .

Coontz, Stephanie. “‘Leave It to Beaver’ and ‘Ozzie and Harriet’: American Families in the 1950s,” in The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trip (New York: BasicBooks, 1992), 28.

Forbes, “BET Networks Unveils New African American Consumer Market Research and New Programming at 2010 Upfront Presentation,” April 14, 2010, http://www.forbes.com/feeds/prnewswire/2010/04/14/prnewswire201004141601PR_NEWS_USPR_____NE86679.html .

Fox News, The O’Reilly Factor, “Is Black Entertainment Television Taking a Disturbing Turn?” Fox News , May 26, 2004, http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,120993,00.html .

Frank Feldlinger, “TheWrap Investigates: 11 Players Have Committed Suicide,” TheWrap, http://www.thewrap.com/television/article/thewrap-investigates-11-players-have-committed-suicide-3409 .

Friedman, Michael J. “‘See It Now’: Murrow vs. McCarthy,” in Edward R. Murrow: Journalism at Its Best , publication of U.S. Department of State, June 1, 2008, http://www.america.gov/st/democracyhr-english/2008/June/20080601110244eaifas8.602542e-02.html .

Gunther, Marc. “The Extinction of Mass Culture, CNN Money , July 12, 2006, http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/11/news/economy/pluggedin_gunther.fortune/index.htm .

Mitchell, Wendy. “GLAAD Report: Gay Characters on Network TV Still on the Rise,” Entertainment Weekly , September 30, 2009, http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/09/30/glaad-report-gay-characters-on-rise/ .

Newcomb, Horace. ed., Encyclopedia of Television (New York: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2004), 389.

Poniewozik, James. “CNN: Can a Mainstream News Outlet Survive?” Time , May 3, 2010, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1983901,00.html .

Time, “Dan Quayle vs. Murphy Brown,” June 1, 1992, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,975627,00.html .

Understanding Media and Culture Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Television Essay

Television is very useful. There are many advantages to the development of television. It was useful in giving the average person access to a low-cost kind of entertainment. Now that televisions are so inexpensive, everybody can buy one and have access to entertainment. Additionally, it keeps us informed on the most recent world events. Here are a few sample essays on ‘television’.

100 Words Essay on Television

Television is one of the most recent scientific wonders which connects people to the world. Television works well as a communication and entertainment medium. We may watch live broadcasts of significant sporting events, political news and other events taking place throughout the world. This gives us a direct understanding of things, places, and events that are far away. Thus, television has brought the entire globe into the living room. Through watching television we also become knowledgeable.

Television is also another effective tool for widespread teaching. Millions of people can receive educational programmes on health care, family planning, and general knowledge via audio-visual presentation on TV.

200 Words Essay on Television

Television connects the world. In the modern world, nothing is more familiar than television. In 1925, John Baird invented it. It was introduced in India in 1959. It is truly a wonder to behold in science. Television has two functions. On one side is the radio, and on the other is a movie theatre. Radio was listened to in the past but nowadays people go to movie theatres to see movies on the big screen. In many ways, television is a very beneficial tool. It is an effective tool for both instruction and entertainment. Through television people can study and gain knowledge.

Television shows us cinema and live telecast on games and sports. On its screen we have delightful scenery of nature and thrilling sights of animals roaming in the jungles and in the deep waters of the seas. We can enjoy many shows and serials and movies. It is also a mighty medium of advertisement.

People should watch television a minimum of half an hour a day. Sometimes television has a bad effect on children because they sit the whole day in front of television and see their favourite show which is very bad for them. Television is good for professional people and bad for unprofessional people.

500 Words Essay on Television

Television is the best thing to have in house. One of the most widely used technologies for entertainment in the world today is the television. Nowadays, practically every home has a television, and it has become fairly widespread. In the beginning people didn't want to use it but now everyone wants it in their house. This was primarily due to the focus on entertainment during that time. There weren't as many educational channels as there are now. Nowadays what you see on television is because of technology.

After the invention of television, the craze attracted many people to spend all their time watching TV. Parents started considering it harmful as it attracted the kids the most. Because kids spend most of their time watching television and not studying. However, as times passed, the channels of television changed. More and more channels were broadcasted with different specialties. Thus, it gave us knowledge along with entertainment.

Benefits of Watching Television

There are many advantages to the development of television. Television gives the average person access to a low-cost kind of entertainment and knowledge about the world. Now that televisions are not so expensive, everybody can buy one and have access to entertainment.

Television keeps us informed on the most recent world events. News from various parts of the world can now be obtained from television. Similarly, television also provides instructional shows that advance our understanding of science, animals, and other topics.

People are inspired to learn new skills by television as well. Additionally, television has a number of shows that feature presentations from motivational speakers. This show encourages people to improve their skill and lifestyle. You may also argue that television increases our exposure. Television broadens our understanding of many sports, world events, and other topics.

While television comes with a lot of benefits, television also has a negative side.

Disadvantage of Watching Television

We see that television broadcasts unsuitable material that encourages various social evil acts, like violence, eve-teasing, and more. Additionally, watching television for long periods is bad for our health. Our eyesight will deteriorate if we watch television for long periods of time. Our neck and back will also be painful as a result of our bad posture while watching TV.

Television also turns people into addicts. People avoid social connection because of their TV addiction. As a result, kids spend more time alone in their rooms, which has an impact on their social life. They become vulnerable due to their addiction and take their programmes way too seriously.

My Life Experience

When I was kid I used to watch television very much which affected my studies and physical health. After that my mother gave me some valuable tips about health and told me the disadvantages of television. I reduced the hours I spent watching TV and went to play games on the ground. After some time I noticed my health getting better and my mind becoming clearer. Television is good when people watch in their limits. But when people exceed their number of hours, then it will affect their mental health and body health. Television is beneficial because it gives knowledge about all the world and shows low cost entertainment.

Explore Career Options (By Industry)

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Data Administrator

Database professionals use software to store and organise data such as financial information, and customer shipping records. Individuals who opt for a career as data administrators ensure that data is available for users and secured from unauthorised sales. DB administrators may work in various types of industries. It may involve computer systems design, service firms, insurance companies, banks and hospitals.

Bio Medical Engineer

The field of biomedical engineering opens up a universe of expert chances. An Individual in the biomedical engineering career path work in the field of engineering as well as medicine, in order to find out solutions to common problems of the two fields. The biomedical engineering job opportunities are to collaborate with doctors and researchers to develop medical systems, equipment, or devices that can solve clinical problems. Here we will be discussing jobs after biomedical engineering, how to get a job in biomedical engineering, biomedical engineering scope, and salary.

Ethical Hacker

A career as ethical hacker involves various challenges and provides lucrative opportunities in the digital era where every giant business and startup owns its cyberspace on the world wide web. Individuals in the ethical hacker career path try to find the vulnerabilities in the cyber system to get its authority. If he or she succeeds in it then he or she gets its illegal authority. Individuals in the ethical hacker career path then steal information or delete the file that could affect the business, functioning, or services of the organization.

GIS officer work on various GIS software to conduct a study and gather spatial and non-spatial information. GIS experts update the GIS data and maintain it. The databases include aerial or satellite imagery, latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates, and manually digitized images of maps. In a career as GIS expert, one is responsible for creating online and mobile maps.

Data Analyst

The invention of the database has given fresh breath to the people involved in the data analytics career path. Analysis refers to splitting up a whole into its individual components for individual analysis. Data analysis is a method through which raw data are processed and transformed into information that would be beneficial for user strategic thinking.

Data are collected and examined to respond to questions, evaluate hypotheses or contradict theories. It is a tool for analyzing, transforming, modeling, and arranging data with useful knowledge, to assist in decision-making and methods, encompassing various strategies, and is used in different fields of business, research, and social science.

Geothermal Engineer

Individuals who opt for a career as geothermal engineers are the professionals involved in the processing of geothermal energy. The responsibilities of geothermal engineers may vary depending on the workplace location. Those who work in fields design facilities to process and distribute geothermal energy. They oversee the functioning of machinery used in the field.

Database Architect

If you are intrigued by the programming world and are interested in developing communications networks then a career as database architect may be a good option for you. Data architect roles and responsibilities include building design models for data communication networks. Wide Area Networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), and intranets are included in the database networks. It is expected that database architects will have in-depth knowledge of a company's business to develop a network to fulfil the requirements of the organisation. Stay tuned as we look at the larger picture and give you more information on what is db architecture, why you should pursue database architecture, what to expect from such a degree and what your job opportunities will be after graduation. Here, we will be discussing how to become a data architect. Students can visit NIT Trichy , IIT Kharagpur , JMI New Delhi .

Remote Sensing Technician

Individuals who opt for a career as a remote sensing technician possess unique personalities. Remote sensing analysts seem to be rational human beings, they are strong, independent, persistent, sincere, realistic and resourceful. Some of them are analytical as well, which means they are intelligent, introspective and inquisitive.

Remote sensing scientists use remote sensing technology to support scientists in fields such as community planning, flight planning or the management of natural resources. Analysing data collected from aircraft, satellites or ground-based platforms using statistical analysis software, image analysis software or Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a significant part of their work. Do you want to learn how to become remote sensing technician? There's no need to be concerned; we've devised a simple remote sensing technician career path for you. Scroll through the pages and read.

Budget Analyst

Budget analysis, in a nutshell, entails thoroughly analyzing the details of a financial budget. The budget analysis aims to better understand and manage revenue. Budget analysts assist in the achievement of financial targets, the preservation of profitability, and the pursuit of long-term growth for a business. Budget analysts generally have a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, economics, or a closely related field. Knowledge of Financial Management is of prime importance in this career.

Underwriter

An underwriter is a person who assesses and evaluates the risk of insurance in his or her field like mortgage, loan, health policy, investment, and so on and so forth. The underwriter career path does involve risks as analysing the risks means finding out if there is a way for the insurance underwriter jobs to recover the money from its clients. If the risk turns out to be too much for the company then in the future it is an underwriter who will be held accountable for it. Therefore, one must carry out his or her job with a lot of attention and diligence.

Finance Executive

Product manager.

A Product Manager is a professional responsible for product planning and marketing. He or she manages the product throughout the Product Life Cycle, gathering and prioritising the product. A product manager job description includes defining the product vision and working closely with team members of other departments to deliver winning products.

Operations Manager

Individuals in the operations manager jobs are responsible for ensuring the efficiency of each department to acquire its optimal goal. They plan the use of resources and distribution of materials. The operations manager's job description includes managing budgets, negotiating contracts, and performing administrative tasks.

Stock Analyst

Individuals who opt for a career as a stock analyst examine the company's investments makes decisions and keep track of financial securities. The nature of such investments will differ from one business to the next. Individuals in the stock analyst career use data mining to forecast a company's profits and revenues, advise clients on whether to buy or sell, participate in seminars, and discussing financial matters with executives and evaluate annual reports.

A Researcher is a professional who is responsible for collecting data and information by reviewing the literature and conducting experiments and surveys. He or she uses various methodological processes to provide accurate data and information that is utilised by academicians and other industry professionals. Here, we will discuss what is a researcher, the researcher's salary, types of researchers.

Welding Engineer

Welding Engineer Job Description: A Welding Engineer work involves managing welding projects and supervising welding teams. He or she is responsible for reviewing welding procedures, processes and documentation. A career as Welding Engineer involves conducting failure analyses and causes on welding issues.

Transportation Planner

A career as Transportation Planner requires technical application of science and technology in engineering, particularly the concepts, equipment and technologies involved in the production of products and services. In fields like land use, infrastructure review, ecological standards and street design, he or she considers issues of health, environment and performance. A Transportation Planner assigns resources for implementing and designing programmes. He or she is responsible for assessing needs, preparing plans and forecasts and compliance with regulations.

Environmental Engineer

Individuals who opt for a career as an environmental engineer are construction professionals who utilise the skills and knowledge of biology, soil science, chemistry and the concept of engineering to design and develop projects that serve as solutions to various environmental problems.

Safety Manager

A Safety Manager is a professional responsible for employee’s safety at work. He or she plans, implements and oversees the company’s employee safety. A Safety Manager ensures compliance and adherence to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) guidelines.

Conservation Architect

A Conservation Architect is a professional responsible for conserving and restoring buildings or monuments having a historic value. He or she applies techniques to document and stabilise the object’s state without any further damage. A Conservation Architect restores the monuments and heritage buildings to bring them back to their original state.

Structural Engineer

A Structural Engineer designs buildings, bridges, and other related structures. He or she analyzes the structures and makes sure the structures are strong enough to be used by the people. A career as a Structural Engineer requires working in the construction process. It comes under the civil engineering discipline. A Structure Engineer creates structural models with the help of computer-aided design software.

Highway Engineer

Highway Engineer Job Description: A Highway Engineer is a civil engineer who specialises in planning and building thousands of miles of roads that support connectivity and allow transportation across the country. He or she ensures that traffic management schemes are effectively planned concerning economic sustainability and successful implementation.

Field Surveyor

Are you searching for a Field Surveyor Job Description? A Field Surveyor is a professional responsible for conducting field surveys for various places or geographical conditions. He or she collects the required data and information as per the instructions given by senior officials.

Orthotist and Prosthetist

Orthotists and Prosthetists are professionals who provide aid to patients with disabilities. They fix them to artificial limbs (prosthetics) and help them to regain stability. There are times when people lose their limbs in an accident. In some other occasions, they are born without a limb or orthopaedic impairment. Orthotists and prosthetists play a crucial role in their lives with fixing them to assistive devices and provide mobility.

Pathologist

A career in pathology in India is filled with several responsibilities as it is a medical branch and affects human lives. The demand for pathologists has been increasing over the past few years as people are getting more aware of different diseases. Not only that, but an increase in population and lifestyle changes have also contributed to the increase in a pathologist’s demand. The pathology careers provide an extremely huge number of opportunities and if you want to be a part of the medical field you can consider being a pathologist. If you want to know more about a career in pathology in India then continue reading this article.

Veterinary Doctor

Speech therapist, gynaecologist.

Gynaecology can be defined as the study of the female body. The job outlook for gynaecology is excellent since there is evergreen demand for one because of their responsibility of dealing with not only women’s health but also fertility and pregnancy issues. Although most women prefer to have a women obstetrician gynaecologist as their doctor, men also explore a career as a gynaecologist and there are ample amounts of male doctors in the field who are gynaecologists and aid women during delivery and childbirth.

Audiologist

The audiologist career involves audiology professionals who are responsible to treat hearing loss and proactively preventing the relevant damage. Individuals who opt for a career as an audiologist use various testing strategies with the aim to determine if someone has a normal sensitivity to sounds or not. After the identification of hearing loss, a hearing doctor is required to determine which sections of the hearing are affected, to what extent they are affected, and where the wound causing the hearing loss is found. As soon as the hearing loss is identified, the patients are provided with recommendations for interventions and rehabilitation such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, and appropriate medical referrals. While audiology is a branch of science that studies and researches hearing, balance, and related disorders.

An oncologist is a specialised doctor responsible for providing medical care to patients diagnosed with cancer. He or she uses several therapies to control the cancer and its effect on the human body such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy and biopsy. An oncologist designs a treatment plan based on a pathology report after diagnosing the type of cancer and where it is spreading inside the body.

Are you searching for an ‘Anatomist job description’? An Anatomist is a research professional who applies the laws of biological science to determine the ability of bodies of various living organisms including animals and humans to regenerate the damaged or destroyed organs. If you want to know what does an anatomist do, then read the entire article, where we will answer all your questions.

For an individual who opts for a career as an actor, the primary responsibility is to completely speak to the character he or she is playing and to persuade the crowd that the character is genuine by connecting with them and bringing them into the story. This applies to significant roles and littler parts, as all roles join to make an effective creation. Here in this article, we will discuss how to become an actor in India, actor exams, actor salary in India, and actor jobs.

Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats create and direct original routines for themselves, in addition to developing interpretations of existing routines. The work of circus acrobats can be seen in a variety of performance settings, including circus, reality shows, sports events like the Olympics, movies and commercials. Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats must be prepared to face rejections and intermittent periods of work. The creativity of acrobats may extend to other aspects of the performance. For example, acrobats in the circus may work with gym trainers, celebrities or collaborate with other professionals to enhance such performance elements as costume and or maybe at the teaching end of the career.

Video Game Designer

Career as a video game designer is filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. A video game designer is someone who is involved in the process of creating a game from day one. He or she is responsible for fulfilling duties like designing the character of the game, the several levels involved, plot, art and similar other elements. Individuals who opt for a career as a video game designer may also write the codes for the game using different programming languages.

Depending on the video game designer job description and experience they may also have to lead a team and do the early testing of the game in order to suggest changes and find loopholes.

Radio Jockey

Radio Jockey is an exciting, promising career and a great challenge for music lovers. If you are really interested in a career as radio jockey, then it is very important for an RJ to have an automatic, fun, and friendly personality. If you want to get a job done in this field, a strong command of the language and a good voice are always good things. Apart from this, in order to be a good radio jockey, you will also listen to good radio jockeys so that you can understand their style and later make your own by practicing.

A career as radio jockey has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. If you want to know more about a career as radio jockey, and how to become a radio jockey then continue reading the article.

Choreographer

The word “choreography" actually comes from Greek words that mean “dance writing." Individuals who opt for a career as a choreographer create and direct original dances, in addition to developing interpretations of existing dances. A Choreographer dances and utilises his or her creativity in other aspects of dance performance. For example, he or she may work with the music director to select music or collaborate with other famous choreographers to enhance such performance elements as lighting, costume and set design.

Social Media Manager

A career as social media manager involves implementing the company’s or brand’s marketing plan across all social media channels. Social media managers help in building or improving a brand’s or a company’s website traffic, build brand awareness, create and implement marketing and brand strategy. Social media managers are key to important social communication as well.

Photographer

Photography is considered both a science and an art, an artistic means of expression in which the camera replaces the pen. In a career as a photographer, an individual is hired to capture the moments of public and private events, such as press conferences or weddings, or may also work inside a studio, where people go to get their picture clicked. Photography is divided into many streams each generating numerous career opportunities in photography. With the boom in advertising, media, and the fashion industry, photography has emerged as a lucrative and thrilling career option for many Indian youths.

An individual who is pursuing a career as a producer is responsible for managing the business aspects of production. They are involved in each aspect of production from its inception to deception. Famous movie producers review the script, recommend changes and visualise the story.

They are responsible for overseeing the finance involved in the project and distributing the film for broadcasting on various platforms. A career as a producer is quite fulfilling as well as exhaustive in terms of playing different roles in order for a production to be successful. Famous movie producers are responsible for hiring creative and technical personnel on contract basis.

Copy Writer

In a career as a copywriter, one has to consult with the client and understand the brief well. A career as a copywriter has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. Several new mediums of advertising are opening therefore making it a lucrative career choice. Students can pursue various copywriter courses such as Journalism , Advertising , Marketing Management . Here, we have discussed how to become a freelance copywriter, copywriter career path, how to become a copywriter in India, and copywriting career outlook.

In a career as a vlogger, one generally works for himself or herself. However, once an individual has gained viewership there are several brands and companies that approach them for paid collaboration. It is one of those fields where an individual can earn well while following his or her passion.

Ever since internet costs got reduced the viewership for these types of content has increased on a large scale. Therefore, a career as a vlogger has a lot to offer. If you want to know more about the Vlogger eligibility, roles and responsibilities then continue reading the article.

For publishing books, newspapers, magazines and digital material, editorial and commercial strategies are set by publishers. Individuals in publishing career paths make choices about the markets their businesses will reach and the type of content that their audience will be served. Individuals in book publisher careers collaborate with editorial staff, designers, authors, and freelance contributors who develop and manage the creation of content.

Careers in journalism are filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. One cannot afford to miss out on the details. As it is the small details that provide insights into a story. Depending on those insights a journalist goes about writing a news article. A journalism career can be stressful at times but if you are someone who is passionate about it then it is the right choice for you. If you want to know more about the media field and journalist career then continue reading this article.

Individuals in the editor career path is an unsung hero of the news industry who polishes the language of the news stories provided by stringers, reporters, copywriters and content writers and also news agencies. Individuals who opt for a career as an editor make it more persuasive, concise and clear for readers. In this article, we will discuss the details of the editor's career path such as how to become an editor in India, editor salary in India and editor skills and qualities.

Individuals who opt for a career as a reporter may often be at work on national holidays and festivities. He or she pitches various story ideas and covers news stories in risky situations. Students can pursue a BMC (Bachelor of Mass Communication) , B.M.M. (Bachelor of Mass Media) , or MAJMC (MA in Journalism and Mass Communication) to become a reporter. While we sit at home reporters travel to locations to collect information that carries a news value.

Corporate Executive

Are you searching for a Corporate Executive job description? A Corporate Executive role comes with administrative duties. He or she provides support to the leadership of the organisation. A Corporate Executive fulfils the business purpose and ensures its financial stability. In this article, we are going to discuss how to become corporate executive.

Multimedia Specialist

A multimedia specialist is a media professional who creates, audio, videos, graphic image files, computer animations for multimedia applications. He or she is responsible for planning, producing, and maintaining websites and applications.

Quality Controller

A quality controller plays a crucial role in an organisation. He or she is responsible for performing quality checks on manufactured products. He or she identifies the defects in a product and rejects the product.

A quality controller records detailed information about products with defects and sends it to the supervisor or plant manager to take necessary actions to improve the production process.

Production Manager

A QA Lead is in charge of the QA Team. The role of QA Lead comes with the responsibility of assessing services and products in order to determine that he or she meets the quality standards. He or she develops, implements and manages test plans.

Process Development Engineer

The Process Development Engineers design, implement, manufacture, mine, and other production systems using technical knowledge and expertise in the industry. They use computer modeling software to test technologies and machinery. An individual who is opting career as Process Development Engineer is responsible for developing cost-effective and efficient processes. They also monitor the production process and ensure it functions smoothly and efficiently.

AWS Solution Architect

An AWS Solution Architect is someone who specializes in developing and implementing cloud computing systems. He or she has a good understanding of the various aspects of cloud computing and can confidently deploy and manage their systems. He or she troubleshoots the issues and evaluates the risk from the third party.

Azure Administrator

An Azure Administrator is a professional responsible for implementing, monitoring, and maintaining Azure Solutions. He or she manages cloud infrastructure service instances and various cloud servers as well as sets up public and private cloud systems.

Computer Programmer

Careers in computer programming primarily refer to the systematic act of writing code and moreover include wider computer science areas. The word 'programmer' or 'coder' has entered into practice with the growing number of newly self-taught tech enthusiasts. Computer programming careers involve the use of designs created by software developers and engineers and transforming them into commands that can be implemented by computers. These commands result in regular usage of social media sites, word-processing applications and browsers.

Information Security Manager

Individuals in the information security manager career path involves in overseeing and controlling all aspects of computer security. The IT security manager job description includes planning and carrying out security measures to protect the business data and information from corruption, theft, unauthorised access, and deliberate attack

ITSM Manager

Automation test engineer.

An Automation Test Engineer job involves executing automated test scripts. He or she identifies the project’s problems and troubleshoots them. The role involves documenting the defect using management tools. He or she works with the application team in order to resolve any issues arising during the testing process.

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When and How Is TV Good for Us?

A new book explores the value of television..

Posted August 24, 2022 | Reviewed by Vanessa Lancaster

Kathleen Collins's From Rabbit Ears to the Rabbit Hole: A Life with Television is an adamantly subjective account of the writer's belief in TV's psychological, social, and cultural value.

While debates in psychological and sociological research on the effects of television–from Sesame Street to Dexter –continue, Collins offers a personal account of television's meaning in her life.

In our era of streaming, binge-watching, and pandemic viewing, her account offers a lively, consoling take on the pleasures and lessons of television.

Much research on TV offers statistical data for its effects, ranging from social ills, cultural benefits, psychological damage, and personal growth. The literature is voluminous, including research suggesting that, in the right circumstances, the TV may invite viewers to "undertake serious dialogue about personal intimacy ," particularly among black South African families (Ndlovu); that children who seek "prosocial" content on TV improve their social relations (Mares and Woodard); that violent TV increases stress and tension (Jahangir and Nawaz); and that Sesame Street may reduce gender stereotypes in children (Weisgram). The sheer amount of literature on Sesame Street 's impact on children–from understanding race to learning the basics of reading and math–is so vast it would require a dissertation to survey it. In fact, much of the research on television's effects focuses on children.

But Collins offers a personal take on Sesame Street in her development that also happens to mirror the data pretty accurately. She "learned to count to twenty in Spanish through Sesame Street and was introduced to diversity and creativity and the hippest entertainers." She credits Mr. Rogers with "sparking my imagination " and "instilling a base of self-esteem that really can, in part, be traced back to him." She even finds the seeds of her television career : "The genre of workplace comedies was where I likely began to imagine how might adult life might look." (Spoiler: She became a librarian.)

In a study about the benefits and limits of children's television viewing, Anderson et al. (2012) offered some conclusions that resonate with Collins's narrative. For TV to be valuable for children's education , they must "pay attention " with repeated viewing of particular shows–to watch, in a sense, metacognitively; they must comprehend what they watch, and they must "transfer" what they learn from the screen to life.

Collins documents her "consistent desire to talk smartly with smart people about TV." Her book fulfills the desires, showing, as it does, that "regardless of era or content, for anyone who watched TV throughout a lifetime, it has to be given some credit for shaping that life."

In other words, Collins paid attention; she watched a lot of TV! She comprehended what she watched and transferred it to her own life. For example, she credits shows like That Girl, The Mary Tyler Show , and, later, Murphy Brown with shaping her feminist perspective (and that of many of her generation). These same shows, along with Ally McBeal and others, helped her dream about the urban lifestyle she now lives). Absolutely Fabulous enlarged her sensibility–and fine-tuned her sense of humor .

Collins finds more difficult lessons in the saga of the O.J. Simpson trial (originally televised and more recently the subject of a high-profile documentary and serial narrative):

When you heard the Simpson verdict had the power to tell you far more about yourself and your cultural biases and assumptions than you ever wanted to know. I don't think I need to elaborate much more than to confess that I learned in the span of ten seconds that I'd been living under a rock until age thirty and that outrage and shame can exist simultaneously in the same dyspeptic gut.

Relatively recent TV shows like Crazy Ex-Girlfriend or Nurse Jackie

... boldly address formerly taboo subjects, especially daring for sitcoms, and they are entertaining, well-written, destigmatizing, and empathy boosting. And the pleasure I experience while watching them flood my bloodstream with serotonin, which makes me happier and therefore likely kinder and potentially adding more goodness to the world.

In her quest to "talk smartly to smart people" about TV, Collins documents TV's capacity to create social bonds in families and communities. She tells the story of a family that has "established an enforced TV-watching period. They watch together "as a corrective to antisocial bingeing and phone watching." (Recall the research on TV and interpersonal intimacy among Black South African families?)

She offers a highly entertaining account of a newsletter devoted to Beverly Hills 90210 that she and a group of colleagues published during the 1990s. She tells the simple story of bonding with a stranger in a cafe over his forgetting the name of a minor character on The Brady Bunch : "I found it galvanizing and profound that a TV show brought us together for a brief, cheerful moment of shared experience."

For Collins, "TV is fundamentally pleasurable." In her words, "I have relatively only lately recognized the physical and psychological value of pleasure and appreciate that TV has provided that for me all these years."

But reading her memoir is to be in the presence of a playful narrator with a sense of humor about her so-called "obsession" with television–an obsession that happens to mirror much of the research on the subject. In fact, what she's documenting is a lifetime metacognitive, prosocial affair with TV.

Anderson, Daniel R, Heather Lavigne, and Katherine Hanson. "The educational impact of television: Understanding Television's Potential And Limitations." The International Companion to Media Studies. New York: Blackwell (December 2012).

Ndlovu, Thabisani. "Fixing Families Through Television?" Cultural Studies, (Vol. 27, No. 3): 379 403.

Weisgram, Erica S. "Reducing Gender Stereotypes in Toys and Play for Smarter, Stronger, and Kinder Kids." American Journal of Play, (Vol. 12, No. 1): 74-88.

Farhana, Syeda and Jahangir and Nazia Nawaz. "Effects of Media (Television) on Mental Health." FWU Journal of Social Sciences , (Summer 2014, Vol.8, No.1): 97-107.

Mares, Marie Louise and Emory Woodard. "Positive Effects of Television on Children’s Social Interactions: A Meta-Analysis." Media Psychology (Vol. 7): 301–322.

Jason Tougaw is the author of The Elusive Brain: Literary Experiments in the Age of Neuroscience (Yale UP) and The One You Get: Portrait of a Family Organism (Dzanc Books).

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Essay on Television Impact

Students are often asked to write an essay on Television Impact in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Television Impact

Effects of television.

Television has become an integral part of modern life. It has the power to inform, entertain, and even educate. While television can be a positive force in our lives, it can also have negative consequences.

Positive Impacts

One of the positive impacts of television is that it can keep us informed about current events. News programs, documentaries, and talk shows can provide us with information about what is happening in the world around us. Television can also be a source of entertainment. Comedies, dramas, and reality shows can provide us with a way to relax and escape from the stresses of everyday life.

Negative Impacts

However, television can also have negative consequences. One of the biggest concerns is that television can lead to obesity and other health problems. Studies have shown that people who watch a lot of television are more likely to be overweight or obese. Television can also be addictive. People who spend a lot of time watching television may find it difficult to tear themselves away from the screen, even when they know they should be doing something else.

In conclusion, television can have both positive and negative impacts on our lives. It is important to be aware of both the benefits and the risks of television so that we can make informed choices about how we use it.

250 Words Essay on Television Impact

Television impact on entertainment.

Television has become a major source of entertainment for people of all ages. It offers a wide variety of programs, from news and sports to dramas and comedies. From the comfort of their own homes, people enjoy watching TV whenever they want. Television can be a great way to relax and unwind after a long day.

Television Impact on Education

Television can also be used as a tool for education. There are many educational channels that offer programs on various subjects, such as science, history, and math. These programs can be a great way for children to learn new things and supplement their schoolwork.

Television Impact on Health and Fitness

Television can promote health-related information and encourage people to live healthy lives. Television programs can provide tips on healthy eating, exercising, and managing stress. Some channels are dedicated to fitness and health, offering a variety of workout programs and healthy recipes.

Television Impact on Social and Political Views

Television can influence people’s social and political views. The way in which news and current events are presented can shape public opinion. Documentaries and talk shows can also influence how people think about different social and political issues.

Television is a powerful medium that has a significant impact on society. It can educate, entertain, and inform. It can also influence people’s social and political views. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the positive and negative effects of television and to use it wisely.

500 Words Essay on Television Impact

Television: its impact on society.

Television is a powerful medium of communication that has permeated almost every household. However, the effects of television on society are still a subject of debate. While it offers educational and entertainment benefits, the potential negative impacts are undeniable.

Positive Effects of Television

Educational Value: Educational programs can provide valuable knowledge and lessons. Nature documentaries and historical dramas can expose viewers to topics they might not encounter otherwise. Even entertainment shows can convey underlying messages and raise awareness about important issues.

Entertainment and Relaxation: Television provides a source of entertainment and relaxation after a long day or during leisure time. It offers a wide variety of shows, including comedies, dramas, reality shows, and sports, that cater to diverse tastes. Watching television can help alleviate stress and provide a sense of escapism.

News and Information: Television keeps people informed about current events and allows them to stay connected with the world. News programs and documentaries provide information on political, economic, and social issues, enabling viewers to form opinions and engage in discussions.

Negative Effects of Television

Excessive Screen Time: Excessive television viewing can lead to sedentary behavior and lack of physical activity, increasing the risk of health problems such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. It can also interfere with sleep and academic performance in children and adolescents.

Unrealistic Portrayals: The media can often portray unrealistic standards of beauty, body image, and lifestyle, which can lead to body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, and eating disorders. Exposure to violence and negative content can also desensitize viewers and contribute to aggressive behavior.

Advertising: Television commercials bombard viewers with messages that promote consumerism and materialism. While advertising can provide information about products and services, it can also manipulate consumers into making impulsive purchases and create a sense of dissatisfaction with what they have.

In conclusion, television has both positive and negative effects on society. As responsible viewers, we should strive to maximize the benefits and minimize the potential harms by being mindful of our viewing habits, encouraging critical thinking, and supporting responsible content creation.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Essay on Television Boon Or Bane
Essay on Telecommunication
Essay on Teenage Suicide

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

You Are What You Watch? The Social Effects of TV

There’s new evidence that viewing habits can affect your thinking, political preferences, even cognitive ability.

By Jonathan Rothwell

Other than sleeping and working, Americans are more likely to watch television than engage in any other activity .

A wave of new social science research shows that the quality of shows can influence us in important ways, shaping our thinking and political preferences, even affecting our cognitive ability.

In this so-called golden age of television , some critics have pointed out that the best of the form is equivalent to the most enriching novels. And high-quality programming for children can be educational. But the latest evidence also suggests there can be negative consequences to our abundant watching, particularly when the shows are mostly entertainment.

The harm seems to come not so much from the content itself but from the fact that it replaces more enlightening ways of spending time.

‘Sesame Street’ as a social experiment

Cognitive ability is a complex characteristic that emerges from interactions between biological dispositions, nutrition and health, parenting behaviors, formal and informal educational opportunities, and culture.

Studying the connection between intelligence and television consumption is far from straightforward, but researchers have developed compelling ways to isolate the effects of television.

Some of the best research has been done on the television program “Sesame Street.” The show, which began in 1969, was meant to develop early literacy, numeracy and emotional skills for children of preschool age. A detailed analysis of the show’s content in its first and second years reveals that 80 percent of the program was dedicated to those goals, with the rest meant to entertain.

Researchers randomly assigned groups of low-income children age 3 to 5 into an experimental group and a control group. In the experimental group, parents were given access to the show if they lacked it and encouraged in person once a month to have their children watch the show.

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Almost all (93 percent) parents of children in the experimental group reported that their children subsequently watched the show, compared with roughly one-third of children in the control group (35 percent). Among watchers, those in the experimental group also watched more frequently.

Over six months, from November 1970 to May 1971, the experimental group gained 5.4 I.Q. points — a large effect — relative to the control group and showed stronger evidence of learning along several other dimensions. Gains in cognitive performance were especially large for those who viewed the show frequently relative to those who did so rarely or never. A more recent meta-analysis of published research in 15 countries shows that “Sesame Street” has similar effects around the world.

In newly published research , the economists Melissa Kearney and Phillip Levine examined longer-term effects of “Sesame Street” by comparing the educational outcomes of children and young adults in counties more or less likely to have access to the program during its early years. They found that children living in counties with better “Sesame Street” coverage were less likely to be held behind a grade level.

Other experimental research is consistent with the original “Sesame Street” findings. Low-income prekindergarten children scored higher on a social competence index six months after being randomly assigned to an experimental group, in which their parents were encouraged to replace age-inappropriate television with educational television.

Less reading and more watching

In Norway, and a handful of other developed countries, average I.Q. scores have declined slightly in recent years, after rising for many decades. This is known as the negative Flynn effect, a variation of the more famous Flynn effect , which is named after the psychologist who first published comprehensive evidence of I.Q. gains over time. Among native Norwegian men taking an exam at age 18 for military conscription, those born in 1974 scored two I.Q. points higher than those born in 1987.

In an academic article published this year, the Norwegian economist Oystein Hernaes and his co-authors attributed some of this decline in I.Q. scores to access to cable television, which also coincided with a sharp decline in reading. After the introduction of cable in 1981, Norwegian teenagers and young adults drastically cut back on daily time spent reading from 1980 to 2000, and increased their time watching TV. Moreover, relative to public television, cable television had far less educational content and was focused on entertainment and advertisements.

To estimate the effect of cable television on I.Q. scores, the Norwegian scholars analyzed data on the introduction of cable network infrastructure by municipality. They calculated years of exposure to cable by considering the age of eventual test takers when cable became available in their municipality. They controlled for any potential geographic bias by comparing siblings with greater or less exposure to cable television based on their age when cable infrastructure was put in.

They estimate that 10 years of exposure to cable television lowered I.Q. scores by 1.8 points. In related research , Mr. Hernaes finds that exposure to cable television reduced voter turnout in local elections.

Berlusconi television

A similar study was conducted by the Italian economist Ruben Durante and his co-authors and released in this month’s issue of the American Economic Review. They examined the introduction of Silvio Berlusconi’s television network, Mediaset, which specialized in light entertainment such as game shows featuring scantily clad women.

The economists document that Mediaset devoted almost no programming to educational content and did not offer news in early years, whereas its main competitor — the state-owned channel — devoted the majority of its airtime to news or educational material.

To study the effects of Mediaset, Mr. Durante and his co-authors obtained data on the location of Mediaset transmitters in 1985 and calculated the strength of the broadcasting signal in every Italian municipality based on the position of the transmitters and other technical features of the municipality.

They found that children raised in areas with greater access to Mediaset (a standard deviation in signal strength) had lower cognitive scores as adults by the equivalent of 3 to 4 I.Q. points.

People more exposed to Mediaset as children were also less likely to be civically engaged adults and more likely to vote for parties with populist tendencies like Forza Italia and the Five Star Movement.

A handful of American studies along these lines have focused on the political consequences that news media coverage can have, showing that exposure to Fox News could increase Republican Party vote shares significantly, and that exposure to MSNBC increased Democratic Party voting share (but with a much weaker effect).

Art and public health

We know that education increases cognitive ability, so it stands to reason that educational television would also have a positive effect.

Concerns about culture are hardly novel: Plato made a case for regulating the quality of artistic productions to avoid the corruption of youth and weakening of their character. Twenty-three centuries later, it is easier than ever to placate children as well as lose yourself in entertainment options — in the ocean of online videos, podcasts, cable, and streaming shows and movies.

These options are most likely harmless. Some provide relaxation, and others may modestly reshape cultural attitudes for the better; one study found that the introduction of cable TV empowered women in India. High-quality shows and films can be inspiring, even edifying.

Still, media providers and advertisers compete aggressively for our attention. Most lack the altruistic motivations that guided the producers of the original “Sesame Street.” The evidence from social science suggests that biased or sensationalist news programs may misinform citizens or discourage civic engagement, and that we should also be cautious about what we give up for the sake of entertainment.

Jonathan Rothwell is the Principal Economist at Gallup, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a visiting scholar at the George Washington University Institute of Public Policy. He is the author of a book, “ A Republic of Equals : A Manifesto for a Just Society,” to be published by Princeton University Press in the fall, on the causes of income inequality. You can follow him on Twitter at @jtrothwell , and listen to his podcast, “ Out of the Echo Chamber .”

Essay On Advantages And Disadvantages Of Television

Essay on Advantages and Disadvantages of Television

500+ words essay on advantages and disadvantages of television.

In today’s world, communication is a crucial aspect of life. Technological advancements made communication more accessible and cheaper. Among all the communication devices such as smartphones, radios, and emails, television is the prominent and common medium for communication. We get to see television in every household. It is an integral part of our society that significantly impacts our social, educational, and cultural life. It reaches a mass audience and provides information about the daily happenings in the world. Furthermore, it is a common source of entertainment among family members.

John Logie Baird invented the television in the 1920s. The word “tele” means distance, and “vision” means to see, which means to watch it from a distance. When television was invented, it showed only pictures of low resolution. But, later on, televisions were modified with the latest technologies. Televisions that we purchase today come with multiple features. We can connect our phone, laptop, tab, and internet access various online apps, HD/UHD quality pictures, 4k-8k resolutions, etc.

We can also watch various educational channels on television. It also keeps us updated by providing news about the world through different news channels. Along with information, it also entertains us with movies, serials, dramas, reality shows, music channels, yoga channels, etc.

So, having a television at home seems to be a great advantage, but the disadvantages are also threatening. The time it consumes from our day-to-day life is more. You can see people going out of routine or postponing schedules if they become addicted to watching television.

Here, in the essay, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of watching television.

Advantages of Television

Television comes with enormous advantages. The most important is it gives us information about current affairs and events across the globe. This information is broadcasted through various news channels, which helps us to keep ourselves updated about recent happenings. It also shares information about multiple programmes or facilities launched by the government. The government also take the help of news channels to communicate with the mass.

We can watch daily soaps, reality shows, music channels, movies, etc. We can also watch food channels and try out recipes at home. During the morning time, if you switch on the television, you will get to watch telemarketing ads. Specific channels broadcast only ads for multiple products, and people can also buy them.

Children can watch various cartoons on the television. Some cartoons teach children about moral values and lessons. It also keeps us informed about the economic condition and the stock market. We also get to watch various fashion shows and keep updated about the latest trends on television.

Earlier, television was costly, but now it comes at an affordable price with multiple features. Now, we get the option to subscribe to our favourite channels and only need to pay for those channels. Educational programmes are also available on television. We can also watch live cricket shows and cheer for our country. Television also telecasts interviews of various political leaders, celebrities, influencers, famous personalities, etc. We can also gain knowledge by watching various quiz programmes.

Television provides opportunities to spend time with our family and friends. We can enjoy watching a movie together. Various channels telecast comedy shows that help us keep positivity in our lives. We also watch movies in different regional languages like Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, etc. It helps us connect with people from diverse backgrounds.

Nowadays, we can also play games on the television and watch agricultural programmes specially designed for the farmers. It promotes national integration.

Disadvantages of Television

There are advantages of watching television, but it also comes with disadvantages. Watching too much TV affects our mental and physical health. When we watch television continuously, it affects our eyes and makes us lazy. Even there are some programmes which are not suitable for kids. We even compromise our sleep to watch TV. Children lose their concentration on their studies by watching too much television. Children prefer to watch TV over reading books to spend their leisure time.

Conclusion of Essay on Advantages and Disadvantages of Television

There are advantages and disadvantages of television. If television is helpful, it is harmful too. One should not watch television excessively.

We hope you found this essay on the advantages and disadvantages of television helpful. Check BYJU’S for more such CBSE Essays on different topics. You can also find CBSE study materials and resources for Classes 1 to 12.

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Influence of Television on the American Society Research Paper

Introduction, influences of tv on american society, discussion and conclusion, works cited.

The television was one of the most novel inventions of the 20 th century. This device replaced the radio as the mass communication media medium of choice and its impact on society was phenomenal. Huston and Fairchild reveal that the television revolutionalized American society in the post World War II years and it grew to become an integral part of many homes (23).

This is because television played a versatile role in the society with the range of programs aired serving many purposes. Programs that were offered could be classified as: entertaining, informational, and educational. While newer technologies such as the computer and the internet have reduced the influence of the television, its role in modern society still remains major.

The television is today an integral part of the lives of most Americans and its influence continues to be great. With these considerations, this paper will set out to discuss how the television has influenced American society. The paper will consider the various negative and positive influences this invention has had so as to demonstrate the major impact that the television has had on our society.

Positive Influences

The television plays a great role in ensuring that Americans stay informed. From the reports of events aired on the television, people are made aware of events that are taking place locally, nationally and even internationally. Indiscriminate reporting results in people being given information on matters that affect them or other people throughout the world.

With this information, Americans are able to make sound decisions or react in an appropriate manner to situations. Huston and Fairchild reveals that most major stations dedicate significant resources to producing informative programs which result in a better informed nation (23).

Television has been critical in changing the manner in which Americans view other people. Specifically, television has influenced the perceptions that American’s have on minorities in the US as well as people from other regions in the world (Gentz and Kramer 31).

Television has significantly helped to correct some of the stereotypes and misconceptions about minority groups. Through TV programs, people have been able to obtain new information which has helped dispel the stereotypical views that were previously held. Gentz and Kramer assert that television provides a lens through which we make sense of new conditions and information that we receive in our every day lives (32).

This has been true for the American population where television has resulted in a better understanding of various issues from around the world. In this age of globalization, the television has ensured that people are aware of other cultures, which may be significantly different from their own. This knowledge has led to appreciation and tolerance for people whose traditions and cultures are different.

The television has been used to guide the consumption habits of Americans. This is because the opinions offered by the television reinforce attitudes and behaviors of people, hence influencing a person’s opinion on some things (Gentz and Kramer 156). Advertisement is specifically aimed at influencing consumers to adopt or maintain a pre conceived form of ideology.

The rampant advertisement that characterizes television has contributed to the culture of consumerism for which American’s are universally known for. Even so, advertisements have a positive impact since they inform the population about new products that have been introduced to the market. They also help the television to operate since advertisers are the prime revenue source for many television stations (Croteau and Hoynes 143).

Croteau and Hoynes suggests that television has played a major role in socialization which is the process through which people learn and internalize the values, beliefs, and norms of the cultures they are exposed to (132). Through forums and talk shows, people are exposed to different ideas and arguments are presented.

The television has been able to bring together people of different cultures, social classes, and races and allow this people to appreciate each others diversity. Croteau and Hoynes assert that television shows give people common topics to talk about with their friends and family (3). As such, television to some extent dictates the topics which people are talking about.

Negative Influences

One of the major negative influences that television has had on the population is that it has over exposed people to violence. Violence as entertainment has been a defining characteristic of the television industry and programs which contain high levels of violence are highly rated by viewers. This overexposure has resulted in desensitization to violence as people have become accustomed to violent scenes being played on the television.

Funk et al. reveals that constant exposure to violence through the TV leads to desensitization in subtle quantities which makes it hard to the individual to realize what is happening (25). This phenomenon eliminates the cognitive or even behavioral response that a person naturally has to violence. Television has therefore made American’s less empathetic when responding to violence and in extreme cases; it has brought about strong pro-violence attitudes in individuals.

Television has since its early years been used by governments as a tool of advancing propaganda and generally manipulating public opinion on various issues. While rampant propaganda through television has not happened in America, television is guilty of practicing favoritism in its news reporting which goes against the ideals of the media being fair, unbiased, and without prejudices.

Barker and Lawrence admonish television for telling the masses what to think through the use of forums where journalists give their opinions on political events with the sole objective of swaying public opinion (4). Television is therefore used to sway public opinion in favor of politicians whom the particular station is sympathetic to. In elections, television shows have been known to significantly influence the outcomes by praising some candidates at the expense of their opponents.

Television also dictates the topics which people should pay attention to. As it is, television stations are at liberty to choose the news which will be aired to their viewers. The stations concentrate on incidents which have the greatest commercial incentive.

This has resulted in a questions being raised concerning news reporting on television and how to determine what is newsworthy. Gentz and Kramer document that following the 9/11 terror attacks, television has over reported on terrorism activities (124). The US population is therefore inclined to view the world as a dangerous place with terrorist attacks being imminent.

Television acts as the principal mode by which our culture views itself. As such, Americans rely on the television to understand public issues. This is especially the case with regard to the political climate of country as well as economic and social issues. Huston and Fairchild protest that television has led to the trivialization of the content in public discourse (143).

This is because television places the highest value on entertainment and as such, the items presented are supposed to be entertaining in order to qualify for television time. Television therefore presents people with material that is sometimes inconsequential at the expense of dealing with serious matters that affect the society.

Decades after its invention, the television continues to play a critical role in society. It continues to fulfill its three primary aims which are: informing, educating and entertaining the people.

However, technological advances and in particular the invention of the computer and the internet have had some impacts on television. The internet has removed the previous monopoly as the information provider of choice that the television had. People today make use of the internet for information, entertainment as well as educational purposes.

This paper set out to discuss the influence that television has had on American society. To this end, this paper has demonstrated that television has since its invention influenced the society in profound ways. The paper has discussed the many positive influences of the television including its educational and informational value.

However, this paper has made it clear that not all the influences of the television are positive. Television has promoted violence and it has been used as a tool for manipulating public opinion. Nonetheless, television viewing has continued to be a major recreational activity for many Americans. It can therefore be projected that television will remain to be a major influence in the American society for years to come.

Barker, David, and Adam Lawrence. Media favoritism in presidential primaries: reviving the direct effects model . 11 Mar, 2004. Web.

Croteau, David, and William Hoynes. Media Society: Industries, Images, and audiences . NY: Pine Forge Press, 2003. Print.

Funk, Jeanne, et al. “Violence Exposure in Real-life, Video Games, Television, Movies, and the Internet: is there Desensitization?” Journal of Adolescence 27.2 (2004): 23–39

Gentz, Natasha, and Stefan Kramer. Globalization, Cultural Identities, and Media Representations . California: SUNY Press, 2006. Print.

Huston, Alexa, and Ford Fairchild. Big world, small screen: the role of television in American society . Nebraska: University of Nebraska press, 2002. Print.

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IvyPanda. (2023, December 3). Influence of Television on the American Society. https://ivypanda.com/essays/influence-of-television-on-the-american-society/

"Influence of Television on the American Society." IvyPanda , 3 Dec. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/influence-of-television-on-the-american-society/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Influence of Television on the American Society'. 3 December.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Influence of Television on the American Society." December 3, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/influence-of-television-on-the-american-society/.

1. IvyPanda . "Influence of Television on the American Society." December 3, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/influence-of-television-on-the-american-society/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Influence of Television on the American Society." December 3, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/influence-of-television-on-the-american-society/.

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A group of theater-goers watch I Saw The TV Glow in an illustration

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Welcome to a new era of trans-authored cinema

3 breakthrough movies are ushering in a new age of trans film

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Queer cinema has always been in a state of continual evolution, but the evolution of trans depiction has come slower, even during agreed-upon golden eras of queer cinema. But in 2024, we are in the midst of a potentially new movement in which three trans-authored films are reshaping the possibilities of what a trans film looks like, and how transness can be expressed in cinema.

In the 21st century, Hollywood saw the potential money in telling more “authentic” mainstream queer stories due to the advent of the New Queer Cinema of the 1990s. This movement saw radical directors like Todd Haynes, Marlon Riggs, Gus Van Sant, Cheryl Dunye, and Gregg Araki reshape the concept of how queer cinema could function, and they made a name for themselves alongside the booming popularity of the Sundance Film Festival.

At the conclusion of the decade, Hilary Swank took home an Oscar for playing Brandon Teena in Boys Don’t Cry in a moment of misguided cross-gender casting. Boys Don’t Cry was considered an instant classic at the time, and its prominence as an image of the New Queer Cinema meant its Academy Award victory was a pivotal moment for queer cinema and trans depiction alike. While this film was not perceived to be conformist at the time of its release, it has since become a model of upholding the transgressive, negative concepts of trans film images of the past, obfuscating the reality of the trans masculine body, and consigning stories of transness to familiar modes of biological underpinning: mirrors, outings, reveals, and tragedy.

For queer cinema to be viable and artistically revolutionary, it must upend the status quo of form and depiction. In the case of transness, this means a reinvention of how trans films are conceived at a visual level. Many of the trans-authored films of 2024 are promising an exciting new way forward for the concept of trans cinema, which refutes those trends of the past or renegotiates their status in a modern context. This burgeoning period feels like the trans equivalent of the reshaping of queer cinema that took place in the ’90s.

Purple smoke rises out of an ice cream truck in I Saw the TV Glow

The modern trans mise-en-scène is directly inspired by the circumstances of the past, but the major difference between these films and something like The Matrix is these filmmakers are not forced to smuggle their ideas into the film through secretive metaphor. Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow is an ambient nightmare of hissing, flashing, crackling liminal analog spaces reminiscent of David Lynch, conveying trans experiences through visual language rather than direct representation.

Where to watch the movies mentioned in this piece

I Saw the TV Glow : In theaters May 3
The People’s Joker : Now playing in theaters
T-Blockers : Digital rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, and Vudu

The directness of Schoenbrun’s usage of thematic and personal metaphors through the guise of horror is a classic storytelling device, but the way these ideas are communicated is startling, singular, and new territory for a mainstream horror picture. Their mise-en-scène embodies the specific experience of gender dysphoria and bodily disassociation through the character of Owen (Justice Smith) over a period of decades. Schoenbrun keys into beautiful liminal images and uses the in-between spaces of static on television sets, or a close-up of saliva fizzing through a bushel of cotton candy, to evince the indecipherable physical state of knowing something is amiss but being unable to find the words to describe what’s wrong. Through this idea, they illuminate a nature of transness as a true visualized bodily experience.

Justice Smith and Bridgette Lundy-Paine sit in a neon-light drenched room looking toward a bright screen in I Saw the TV Glow

I Saw the TV Glow chronicles the relationship between Owen and Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) as they bond over a horror-tinged television series called The Pink Opaque in the mid-to-late ’90s. Things become strange when they are no longer sure if the characters they are watching are fictional, or versions of themselves. The Pink Opaque is deliberately crafted to look like ’90s TV shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Are You Afraid of the Dark? and follows heroines Isabel (Helena Howard) and Tara (Lindsey Jordan) as they try to defeat the “big bad” Mr. Melancholy.

Schoenbrun taps into the complex nature of trans viewership and nostalgia, which is typically built upon images of fantasy as placeholders until the trans person in question can fully embody their own identity. The film wonders if this type of idealized pursuit can ever truly be a healthy relationship, which acts as an enticing metaphor that questions the value of the queer gaze and the desire to have our stories reflected on screen — and whether or not that want is just another form of prolonged closeting. TV Glow subtly interrogates how trans viewers watch things — how fantasy can be formed, and how it can curdle under the tragic weight of time. When you’ve grown up without images of yourself, you’re liable to find yourself in unexpected places. Schoenbrun, importantly, never opts for classic signifiers of transness on screen (such as cracked mirrors), but indulges in what they find beautiful and where they found their voice, such as analog horror, void spaces, and modern gothic interpretations.

Two trans people dressed as versions of the Joker ride on a love boat in The People’s Joker

In The People’s Joker, director, star, and co-writer Vera Drew found her voice through a trans coming-of-age tale encased in the phenomenon of the superhero picture. Her film is a trans memoir that also functions as a satire. It directly addresses images of fantasy in relation to the trans viewing experience , and begins with protagonist Vera watching Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever and becoming intoxicated with the image of Nicole Kidman as Dr. Chase Meridian.

Vera wishes she could look like her someday, which makes her ’90s pre-adolescent mind wonder if there’s something wrong with her. She asks her mom if she was born in the wrong body, and is then whisked away into a montage of psychiatrists unable to fix her problems. She is prescribed “Smylex” — a drug that stretches the user’s face into an artificial grin, like Joker’s laughing gas. Years later, in this fascist, dystopian Gotham City, Vera, now an adult, performs at an illegal comedy club as “Joker the Harlequin.’’ In her avant-garde act, she intentionally bombs with material about her mother and being a trans woman before using Smylex as a crescendo, sending her into a laughing fit.

Vera Drew, dressed as “Joker the Harlequin,” a mashup of Joker and Harley Quinn, superimposed over the famous “Joker Stairs” from Todd Phillips’ Joker, in The People’s Joker

Vera initially conceived of The People’s Joker as a found footage exercise, which would have used existing footage from other sources to create a new Joker film. That impulse of remixing is still felt in what The People’s Joker eventually became, but now those images have been repurposed to illuminate Vera’s own lived experience as a trans comedian through the absurdist imagery of superhero IP.

With its bursting, tacky green screens and vibrant, animated sequences built on brash, contrasting color elements, its primary visual influence is the queer-coded Schumacher Batman films. The People’s Joker tells viewers exactly what it will be with the desire to evoke the glamour of Kidman in Batman Forever, but the experience of being trans never results in the fantasy ending of what a body will become through hormone therapy and socialized transition.

There is beauty in seeing those fragments of fantasy filter through regardless, and how the trans body is its own impossibly restless, ever-changing monument to desire and fulfillment. The fantasy is only the start, and it’s later you discover who you’ll eventually become. The People’s Joker is a monument to that very idea, because it is at once all the elements of Joker (2019), Kidman’s Chase Meridian, Harley Quinn, and Selina Kyle’s transformative moment in Batman Returns all rolled into one being. Vera’s Joker falls into a vat of estradiol at one point, and the concept of the Batman film falls with her, forcing a transition upon its frame, giving it a new trans feminine body.

An image looking up at a young person holding a pipe, with a gas mask on top of their head, in T-Blockers

Film history undergoes a similar trans-feminization in Alice Maio Mackay’s self-aware T-Blockers . The movie begins with an Elvira-like drag midnight movie hostess talking about the virtues of shot-on-video horror films made by trans people in the 1990s that didn’t actually exist, but were fabricated for the sake of this narrative. One of the defining factors of these three trans-authored films is the impulse to fill in the blanks of what was missing from trans film history. It is resulting in works that are self-reflexive, and prone to basking in camp alongside topics and scenes that are deadly serious. Fellow trans critic Juan Barquin astutely described the Australian trans wunderkind director Mackay as “the self aware gen z ed wood we deserve.”

Ed Wood has a broader reputation as a notoriously awful filmmaker, but in truth, he was groundbreaking, and one of the first architects of how trans cinema would operate going forward, and his films also lived in that space of camp and serious personal issues. His riotous Glen or Glenda (1953) is a multifaceted combination of medical drama, documentary, and horror film, and whose structural influences are felt across the generations of trans film image-making, ranging from Doris Wishman’s Let Me Die a Woman (1977) up through the recent Orlando, My Political Biography (2023) . Mackay lives with the spirit of Ed Wood, because she is making pictures with her friends about whatever she wants with meager budgets, and with the ingenuity to argue for broader political acceptance of a minority class while also indulging in the direct pleasures of genre cinema.

A young person smokes a cigarette in a blue-filtered image from T-Blockers

Mackay’s T-Blockers begins, like all of her films, with a title card that reads “A Transgender Film By,” an ode to Gregg Araki’s tendency to announce the latent queerness of his projects with a title card championing their queerness. T-Blockers is a film about art imitating life imitating art in the vein of Cheryl Dunye’s New Queer Cinema classic The Watermelon Woman (1996), and follows a young trans filmmaker named Sophie (Lauren Last) as she tries to make it in the film industry and learn more about a trans film from the past that doesn’t actually exist.

One evening, she watches a late-night internet streaming picture show that showcases an unknown, rediscovered short film from a trans filmmaker from the ’90s. The film-within-the-film was shot on video and chronicles a trans lead in the process of killing a transphobic man who was leaking parasites out of his mouth. Sophie is shocked by the short film due to its mere existence, but also because she and her friends encountered a man infested with those same parasites outside of their local gay bar not too long ago. The parasite takes the image of bodily disintegration and dysphoria prevalent in body horror films from David Cronenberg , reinterpreting it through the lens of transphobia as an infection that spreads among a population.

It’s a film communicating directly to the moment at hand, where transphobia has spread like wildfire among legislative bodies as various conservative governments across the globe have latched onto it as an agreeable fear-mongering tactic. Diegetic radio broadcasts are heard throughout the film discussing this very topic, and the climax hinges on Sophie and her friends contending with a flock of protesters looking for a return to the values of the past. This is where the parasite breeds.

Three young people look on in shock in T-Blockers

T-Blockers is also a salient picture that prioritizes the importance of available images to trans viewers, so that we may learn from our history and see ourselves in film. Sophie learns how to fight the parasites through her discovery of this short film from the ’90s, and through this link to the past, she also finally believes in the possibility of making films as a trans person.

The trans film archive is one that is largely closed to trans viewers, because there is not a mainstream precedent for our inclusion in motion pictures, and the independent and forgotten films of disreputable genres have long been neglected in cinephile spaces. Due to the nature of the hidden archive, trans filmmakers are taking an oblong route in telling their own stories by finding beauty in other images, such as horror shows from the ’90s, or comic book movies, or Gregg Araki films, and introducing their own spin on preexisting modes of expression. It is a dynamic way of moving transness on screen forward and transcending limiting concepts of good or bad representation in favor of an expressionistic take on gender identity.

With I Saw the TV Glow , The People’s Joker , and T-Blockers , we are potentially witnessing the beginning of a new era of trans image-making where transness is more clearly defining itself without the imposition of cisgender assumptions about what it means to be a trans person. With these three films, and other recent pictures made by trans filmmakers such as Angelo Madsen Minax, Isabel Sandoval, Tourmaline, Jessica Rovinelli, and Louise Weard, we are seeing the formulation of a new trans cinema movement in North America that has hopefully only just begun.

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Many Americans find value in getting news on social media, but concerns about inaccuracy have risen

Social media plays a crucial role in Americans’ news consumption . Half of all U.S. adults say they at least sometimes get news there, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey .

Those who get news on social media name a variety of things that they like about it, including convenience, speed and the element of social interaction. But some social media news consumers also express concerns about news there being inaccurate, low quality and politically biased. The share who say inaccuracy is the aspect they dislike most has increased from 31% to 40% in the past five years.

These findings come from a broader Center survey of U.S. adults’ news habits . The survey asked Americans who get news on social media to describe – in their own words – the things they like and dislike most about getting news there. Their responses were then sorted into categories.

Pew Research Center asked two open-ended questions about what people like and dislike most about getting news on social media as part of a survey on U.S. adults’ news habits. The survey of 8,842 U.S. adults was conducted from Sept. 25 to Oct. 1, 2023.

Everyone who completed the survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology .

We asked all respondents who say they get news on social media to answer the open-ended questions. Responses were manually coded into categories. In total, we coded 4,507 open-end responses on what respondents like the most and 4,453 responses on what respondents dislike the most.

Here are the questions used for the fall 2023 survey , along with responses, and its methodology .

We asked whether Americans prefer social media or news outlets for various types of information on a separate ATP survey conducted March 20-26, 2023, among 3,576 U.S. adults. Here are the questions used for the spring 2023 survey , along with responses, and its methodology .

Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder. This is the latest report in Pew Research Center’s ongoing investigation of the state of news, information and journalism in the digital age, a research program funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, with generous support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

What Americans like about getting news on social media

A bar chart showing that social media news consumers like the convenience and speed of getting news there most.

The aspects of getting news on social media that Americans value have not changed much since 2018 , the last time we asked these questions. Convenience remains the top thing people like most about getting news on social media. One-in-five social media news consumers say this, with responses such as “It’s at my fingertips,” “I can easily get it” and “It’s available all the time and anywhere.”

Another 9% say they like the speed with which they can get news there, describing news on social media as “fast and to the point” and “quick and easy to digest.”

Smaller shares say they like interaction with others , the up-to-date nature of the news, the content or format , and the variety of sources and stories .

Meanwhile, 7% of Americans who get news on social media say they don’t like anything about the experience, and an additional 32% did not offer a response.

What Americans dislike about getting news on social media

A dot plot showing the increased share of Americans who get news from social media say inaccuracy is what they dislike most.

Many social media news consumers also see downsides to getting news this way. Four-in-ten Americans who get news from social media say inaccuracy is the thing they dislike most about it – an increase of 9 percentage points since 2018. This category of responses includes concerns about unverified facts, misinformation, “fake news” and unreliable sources.

A much smaller share of social media news consumers (8%) say they dislike the low quality of news there, with some giving clickbait or a lack of in-depth coverage as examples. Others say the news on social media is too biased or political (6%) or they don’t like the way people behave there (5%).

Another 1% of social media news consumers say censorship is what they dislike most. This category – which we used for the first time in the 2023 survey – includes responses such as “Too much censorship by the sites” and “I really dislike when some of my view points are removed.” There are no significant differences in the shares of Democratic and Republican social media news consumers who say they’re concerned about news censorship on social media. In fact, there are no partisan differences within any of these complaint categories.

Just 4% of respondents say they don’t dislike anything about getting news on social media. Another 31% did not answer the question.

Social media posts versus news outlets: Which do Americans prefer for certain types of information?

The perceived downsides of getting news on social media may help explain why many Americans prefer to go directly to news outlets instead. In a separate Center survey, U.S. adults who say they at least sometimes get news on social media were asked whether they prefer reading social media posts or going directly to news outlets for five different types of information. Those types of information include the basic facts about an issue or event as well as in-depth information and opinions on it.

A bar chart showing that Americans prefer news outlets to social media for several types of news information.

Americans prefer to get four of the five types of information from news outlets over social media. However, a substantial share say they like getting each type of information from news outlets and social media about the same.

For example, 45% of respondents say they prefer news outlets for getting the most in-depth information about an issue or event, while only 11% prefer social media posts for this. An additional 34% say they value both sources equally, while 8% say they prefer neither option.

Social media news consumers also tend to prefer news outlets over social media to get:

The basic facts about an issue or event (39% vs. 14%)
Up-to-date information about an event as it is happening (34% vs. 21%)
Information about how an issue or event impacts them (31% vs. 15%)

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Previous Center research has shown that younger Americans are more likely than older Americans to prefer getting news from social media , and that pattern also appears in the findings of this survey. Adults under 30 express a clear preference for using social media over news outlets to get opinions on an issue (36% vs. 13%) and up-to-date information as an event is happening (35% vs. 21%). Americans ages 65 and older are much more likely to prefer news outlets over social media for every type of information we asked about.

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Russia-Ukraine war: EU ministers fail to pledge Patriot systems to Ukraine at key meeting – as it happened

Foreign and defence heads stopped short of concrete offers over system that Kyiv values most. This live blog is closed

1d ago Closing summary
1d ago Signal disrupted after Russian air attack hits TV broadcast infrastructure in Kharkiv
1d ago EU ministers fail to pledge Patriot systems to Ukraine at key meeting
1d ago Summary of the day so far...
1d ago Russia says it has taken control of village in Ukraine's Donetsk region
1d ago Russia says new US aid to Ukraine will not change situation on battlefield
1d ago Europe must continue to support Kyiv, EU ministers say after US House approves Ukraine aid package
1d ago Poland ready to host nuclear arms - president
1d ago Russia says west is 'teetering dangerously' on brink of conflict between nuclear powers
1d ago Opening summary

A Ukrainian serviceman stands near an artillery position on the outskirts of Chasiv Yar.

EU ministers fail to pledge Patriot systems to Ukraine at key meeting

European ministers said on Monday they were looking urgently at how to provide more air defence to Ukraine but they stopped short of concrete pledges of the Patriot systems that Kyiv values most, Retuers reports.

Meeting in Luxembourg, foreign and defence ministers from the EU said the US House of Representatives vote to approve a $60bn Ukraine package at the weekend should not lead to any complacency on their part.

“We can be joyous for a day but we have to be prepared for the battle that is coming tomorrow. Therefore there can be no calming down,” Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told reporters as he arrived at the meeting.

With Russia having stepped up air attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and cities, EU governments are under pressure to supply more protective systems to Kyiv.

But countries that have US-made Patriots – which Ukraine already uses and values highly for their ability to shoot down fast-moving ballistic missiles – were non-committal on Monday.

Since Kyiv began a push for more Patriots in recent weeks, Germany has been the only EU country to pledge an extra battery.

Berlin is also leading a drive to get more air defence from other countries for Ukraine, through donations of equipment and financial contributions.

Other European countries including Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain and Sweden also have Patriot systems.

Officials say it is hard for countries to part with Patriots as they are an integral part of national defences.

Ukrainian officials have countered that the risk of EU countries coming under air attack is extremely low, while Ukraine faces such attacks frequently.

Swedish defence minister Pal Jonson said Stockholm had already agreed to give air defence weapons to Ukraine, including the RBS 70 portable system.

Asked if Sweden would also provide Patriots, he said: “I don’t exclude that possibility but right now we’re focused on a financial contribution but also possibly (more) RBS 70 because that could alleviate some of the pressure on the Patriots.”

Spanish foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares said: “We are well aware of Ukraine’s need for air defence, and especially Patriots and Spain has always done whatever it could.”

He added: “Since it is a real war, I’m not really a friend of the idea of disclosing too much about what we give, when and from where.”

Closing summary

Russia said its forces had taken control of the village of Novomykhailivka , 40 km (25 miles) southwest of the Ukrainian city of Donetsk , the second advance it has announced in two days. The guardian has not yet verified the claim, reported by the defence ministry. Ukraine’s General Staff said in its regular morning report that Kyiv’s forces continued to hold back Russian attempts to advance near the village. Russia said yesterday its forces had gained territory near the key battleground of Chasiv Yar in east Ukraine, taking control of Bogdanivka , a small village less than three kilometres (two miles) northeast of the town.

A Russian air attack on Ukraine’s second biggest city, Kharkiv , hit TV broadcast infrastructure, prompting disruptions with the signal, a local official said. “At the moment, there are interruptions in the digital TV signal,” regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said .

The Kremlin has played down the significance of the $60.7bn US aid package for Ukraine, saying it will not change the situation on the frontlines. “The Russian armed forces are improving their positions at the front … The money allocated and the weapons that will be supplied will not change this dynamic,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters . “They will lead to new victims on the Ukrainian side. More Ukrainians will die, Ukraine will suffer greater losses.”

European ministers said they were looking urgently at how to provide more air defence to Ukraine but they stopped short of concrete pledges of the Patriot systems that Kyiv values most. Meeting in Luxembourg , foreign and defence ministers from the EU said the US House of Representatives vote to approve a Ukraine aid package at the weekend should not lead to any complacency on their part. Since Kyiv began a push for more Patriots in recent weeks, Germany has been the only EU country to pledge an extra battery. But officials have said it is hard for countries to part with Patriots as they are an integral part of national defences.

Poland is ready to host nuclear arms if Nato decides to deploy the weapons in the face of Russia reinforcing its armaments in Belarus and Kaliningrad , the country’s president, Andrzej Duda , said in an interview published on Monday. “If our allies decide to deploy nuclear arms on our territory as part of nuclear sharing, to reinforce Nato’s eastern flank, we are ready to do so,” Duda said in an interview published by the Fakt daily .

Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov , warned that the support of the US, Britain and France for Ukraine was stoking serious strategic risks that had raised the risk of a direct confrontation between the world’s biggest nuclear powers. Lavrov was quoted as saying the US and Nato were obsessed with the idea of inflicting “strategic defeat” on Russia and there were risks in such confrontation that could lead to an increased level of nuclear danger.

Thank you for following today’s latest news. This blog is closing now but you can read all our Ukraine coverage here .

Signal disrupted after Russian air attack hits TV broadcast infrastructure in Kharkiv

A Russian air attack on Ukraine’s second biggest city, Kharkiv, hit TV broadcast infrastructure, prompting disruptions with the signal, a local official said.

“At the moment, there are interruptions in the digital TV signal,” regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said, adding there were no casualties.

Russia’s weekly oil refining hit a near 11-month low due to flooding and a slowdown in repairs to plants that were hit by Ukrainian drone attacks, Bloomberg News reported .

“Russia processed 5.22m barrels of crude a day April 11-17,” the report said, citing a person with knowledge of industry data. It added that was about 10,000 barrels a day, or 0.2%, below the average of the prior seven days.

Russian refineries have suffered from Ukrainian drone attacks and technical outages while Moscow has pounded Ukraine’s energy system and cities in an airstrike campaign in recent weeks .

Ukraine attacked eight Russian regions with dozens of long-range strike drones, setting ablaze a fuel depot and hitting three power substations in a major attack early on Saturday, an intelligence source in Kyiv told Reuters.

Global military expenditure has reached a record high of $2440bn (£1970bn) after the largest annual rise in government spending on arms in over a decade, according to a report.

The 6.8% increase between 2022 and 2023 was the steepest since 2009, pushing spending to the highest recorded by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) in its 60-year history.

For the first time, analysts at the thinktank recorded a rise in military outlay in all five geographical regions: Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Oceania and the Americas .

You can read the full story by the Guardian’s chief reporter, Daniel Boffey , here:

The Associated Press has analysed the significance of the US’s $60bn aid package to Ukraine and reported on how the much-needed American assistance could affect the situation on the battlefield as Russia continues gaining new territory.

The Pentagon has said it could get weapons moving to Ukraine within days if the Senate and President Joe Biden give final approval to the aid package. But experts and Ukrainian lawmakers said it could take weeks for the assistance to reach troops, giving Russia more time to degrade Ukrainian defences. The seven-month effort to pass the package effectively held Ukraine hostage to the internal politics of its biggest ally. It also raised concerns about how the shifting sands of American politics will influence future military support. European partners cannot match the volume and scope of American assistance, which remains Kyiv’s main hope to win the war. But that support has come with red lines, including rules that forbid using western-supplied weapons for strikes inside the Russian Federation. Some Ukrainian officials argue that such limits handicap their ability to cripple the enemy’s more robust capabilities. Assuming the assistance arrives in the next two months, plans are afoot for a potential late-summer offensive. Analysts have argued that future support should not count on one big decisive battle, but a sustained strategy over many years. But first, Ukraine must hold off Russia’s attempts to break defensive lines and entrenched positions.

Norway will provide Ukraine with new contributions, including funding, to improve the country’s air defence, Norway’s prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre , told the TV2 media outlet.

Støre said there are “significant sums” to be directed to Ukraine’s air defence but did not specify the exact amount or what portion of Oslo’s contribution would be financial or in the form of military equipment.

“We will return to that when we present the revised budget,” Støre was quoted as saying.

“It is expensive, but preserving peace and freedom costs money. Those who pay the highest price are Ukraine and Ukrainians.”

“It takes time to produce air defences. This means that you have to send air defences from your own warehouses.”

We reported earlier that Poland’s president said his country would be ready to host the nuclear weapons of Nato’s other members in response to Russia’s moving its nuclear weapons to neighbouring Belarus.

Under Nato nuclear weapons sharing, the US has provided nuclear weapons for Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey to deploy and store.

In Moscow, a Kremlin spokesperson has said any deployment of US nuclear weapons in Poland would be met with steps necessary for Russia’s security. “The military will, of course, analyse the situation if such plans are implemented, and in any case will do everything necessary, (will take) all the necessary retaliatory steps to guarantee our safety,” Dmitry Peskov said during a daily news conference.

Earlier we reported on a meeting between EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg. We have some more comments from the EU’s chief diplomat, Josep Borrell , about support for Ukraine:

When asked about the length of time it is taking for EU member states to “step up and do something more for Ukraine”, he said: “Look, we are working for Ukraine every day, not only the day there is a council. We prepare decisions, we inform the member states, we analyse the situation, we present requests, we see what they can do. It is not just because there is a council – and I understand that it is the day of the press – but to support Ukraine, we work every day.

“And today is the day for the member states to see what they can do, which are the needs and if, definitely, they are able to present proposals. But I cannot tell you before, I will tell you after [the meeting].”

He also commented on EU member states’s “capacity to increase support for Ukraine”.

“You know that we have been giving a lot of warnings, letters, asking them to see what we can do. We need more ammunition. We need more launchers, [but] launchers without the interceptors is like a cannon [or] like a gun without ammunition. We need both.

“We need to supply interceptors to the batteries that they already have, and increase the number of batteries. And let’s see what the member states are able to supply, because in Brussels we do not have [it], it is the member states who have it.”

The increase of EU’s military support to Ukraine is on top of the agenda at the jumbo EU Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministers’ Council. "Today is the day for the Member States to see if they are able to present proposals", said HR/VP @JosepBorrellF ahead of the meeting. pic.twitter.com/NVcm6yohqV — European External Action Service - EEAS 🇪🇺 (@eu_eeas) April 22, 2024

Summary of the day so far...

Russia said on Monday its forces had taken control of the village of Novomykhailivka , 40 km (25 miles) southwest of the Ukrainian city of Donetsk , the second advance it has announced in two days. The guardian has not yet verified the claim, reported by the defence ministry. Ukraine’s General Staff said in its regular morning report that Kyiv’s forces continued to hold back Russian attempts to advance near the village. Russia said yesterday its forces had gained territory near the key battleground of Chasiv Yar in east Ukraine, taking control of Bogdanivka , a small village less than three kilometres (two miles) northeast of the town.

EU ministers said Europe “cannot relax” its support for Kyiv after the US House of Representatives passed the long-delayed military aid package for Ukraine. Baiba Braže , Latvia’s new foreign minister, warned against slackening the EU’s efforts to aid Ukraine in its defence against the continuing Russian attack. “We dodged a historic bullet, but unfortunately many more bullets are on the way. Therefore we can be joyous today but we have to be prepared for the battle that is coming tomorrow,” Braže’s Lithuanian counterpart, Gabrielius Landsbergis , said. “We have to continue to speak about how we are going to assist Ukraine further.” EU foreign ministers are meeting today to discuss the war in Ukraine and crisis in the Middle East.

Greece and Spain are under mounting pressure from their EU and Nato allies to provide more air defence systems to Ukraine, the Financial Times reported.

We have some more information on Russia’s claim that its forces have taken control of the village of Novomykhailivka (see earlier post at 11.50 for more details).

Russia’s defence ministry said in a statement that its Southern group of forces had fully taken Novomykhailivka “and improved the tactical situation along the frontline”.

The Russian gains, if confirmed, underline the urgency for Ukraine of taking delivery of more than $60bn in new US military aid that the House of Representatives approved over the weekend.

Peter Tschentscher , the mayor of the German city of Hamburg , has arrived in Kyiv to show his support for Ukraine .

“Our support in the crisis must continue. Hamburg continues to stand firmly by the side of the people of Ukraine,” the city’s senate wrote in a post on X.

„Unsere Unterstützung in der Krise muss fortgeführt werden. Hamburg steht weiterhin fest an der Seite der Menschen in der Ukraine.“ Mit dieser Botschaft im Gepäck ist Bürgermeister @TschenPe heute mit dem Nachtzug in Kyiv angekommen. pic.twitter.com/sCoc1e3lzv — Hamburger Senat (@Senat_Hamburg) April 22, 2024

In a separate post, Tschentscher said he will be speaking with Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, about cooperation between the two cities, among other topics.

Kyiv and Hamburg signed the ‘Pact for Solidarity & Future’ in April 2022, forming a strategic partnership and agreeing to support one another in times of crisis.

A bipartisan delegation of US lawmakers have arrived in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in a show of solidarity with troops continuing to fight against the Russian invasion.

U.S. Embassy Kyiv is pleased to welcome a bipartisan congressional delegation today — @CongressmanKean , @USRepKeating , @RepDean , and @RepNateMoran . Your visit is another reminder that our commitment to Ukraine is unwavering. pic.twitter.com/yTgYEe006Y — U.S. Embassy Kyiv (@USEmbassyKyiv) April 22, 2024

The visit comes after US House speaker, Mike Johnson, ended months of stalling on the aid package for Ukraine’s desperate defence against Russia – as well as billions for allies including Israel and Taiwan – and finally forced a vote on it in the House of Representatives on Saturday.

In a bipartisan vote, 210 Democrats and 101 Republicans joined to support Ukraine, with 112 Republicans – a majority of the GOP members – voting against.

Russia says it has taken control of village in Ukraine's Donetsk region

Russian forces have taken control of the village of Novomykhailivka 40 kilometres southwest of the Ukrainian city of Donetsk , Russia’s defence ministry has said.

Ukraine’ General Staff said in its regular morning report on Monday that Kyiv forces continued to hold back Russian attempts to advance near the village.

Neither of the claims have yet been independently verified by the Guardian.

Russia said on Sunday its forces had gained territory near the key battleground of Chasiv Yar in east Ukraine, taking control of Bogdanivka , a small frontline village less than three kilometres (two miles) northeast of the town.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has urged the US Senate to rapidly ratify the long-delayed military aid package passed by Congress over the weekend, warning that his country was preparing its defences amid fears there could be a large Russian offensive before the fresh supplies reach the frontline.

Moscow’s forces have been able to outshell Kyiv by a ratio of at least five to one, rising to 10 to 1, meaning that Ukrainian artillery have been increasingly unable to prevent Russian forces from massing in advance of ground attacks.

Ukraine’s national railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia , has lifted its temporary ban on all cargo transportation in the direction of the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk , the company has said.

Ukrzaliznytsia said earlier this month it had suspended all deliveries to Chornomorsk for April 11-17 and then extended it to 22 April. It gave no reason for the decisions.

Ukrainian media reported that Russian attacks may have damaged railway tracks to the port’s cargo terminals.

Chornomorsk, near the southern city of Odesa, is one of Ukraine’s biggest seaports. The Odesa region, key to Ukrainian exports, is under almost daily attack from Russian drones and missiles targeting energy and transport infrastructure.

Ukraine war live
Volodymyr Zelenskiy
Vladimir Putin

More on this story

Ukraine war briefing: Long-range Atacms missiles on the way, says Zelenskiy

Rishi Sunak promises UK’s largest ever military support package for Ukraine

The Guardian view on arming Ukraine: US Congress votes against appeasement

EU ministers warned not to relax support for Ukraine amid requests for air defence aid

Did Boris Johnson really sabotage peace talks between Russia and Ukraine? The reality is more complicated

The west defends Israel’s skies. Not doing the same for Ukraine is a deadly mistake

The Observer view: as the world dithers, Ukraine’s plight grows ever more precarious

How might new US aid change the war in Ukraine?

Marjorie Taylor Greene renews attacks on speaker as House passes Ukraine aid

Approval of $61bn aid from US shows Ukraine will not be abandoned, says Zelenskiy

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