Do communities need that sound in the background to survive becomes the question. In fact does TV serve a purpose in society and can communities exist without the intrusion of TV in their living rooms. Since the 1950's when television first hit the scene, it was a successful medium. Folks could hardly wait to afford to buy a set to replace the radios they had been listening to. People wanted to share in the magic of that little screen with its picture reproduction ability. Television changed the way people participated in entertainment.
In The Beginning
At first the availability of television had much to do with price. Until it became affordable it had a limited impact on society. Yet, as it's price was lowered and people acquired these magic boxes, an entire industry was born that revolved around television. Families joined together to watch television shows on a regular basis, often choosing to eat dinner in front of magic box. Yet there was still some limited ability to watch. With only a few networks and limited hours, it was impossible to sit in front of the TV all day going from program to program and rendering normal communication mute. Television was limited by its very nature.
What Happened
As the industry grew and TV became more affordable and programming times extended, suddenly the TV was the best entertainment money could buy. A person could sit daily and watch soap operas, game shows and a host of other variety type programs from early morning until reasonably late at night. By the advent of cable in the late 1970's with the development of Home Box Office suddenly for a few dollars a month one could pay and extend the life and content of their TV to a greater extent.
As cable became larger and more common we went from three or four channels to hundreds. Kids and adults had huge amounts of shows from which to choose at a variety of time and place. Add to this a VCR or a DVD and suddenly it was no longer necessary to move from that couch for anything. Entertainment became spectator sport, there were no more story telling family nights or card games that extended late on the weekend. The new hearth was the TV and the family readily gathered around it.
The Evolution of The Family
Family life was greatly changed by TV. There was less talking required among family members and as
the medium became cheaper, TV's in every bedroom became the rule. Now, family members could watch exactly what they wanted all by themselves whenever they wanted. Family time dropped off. Who needed to be together when one could simply sit back and watch?
Yet, the question remains is the damage irreparable? Can families limit their TV viewing so that they can communicate with one another and spend time together? How many parents and children are really willing to turn that set off and commit the valuable asset of time to one another.
A Shocking Thought
What would it be like to come home and not turn that set on even as background sound. What would it be like to spend time in conversation, board games or reading aloud? Some experts suggest that it would bring families closer together. Others imply that it might improve communication skills, bring generations back together and allow parents a birdseye view into the lives of their children. This could help to protect children from some of the seedier opportunities that are offered to them every day. Turning off that tube could possibly lower the lack of sensitivity of people to violence. Spending time together as a family could bring our society closer together.
Are People Willing
Are people willing to try. Turning off that TV is a radical step that takes us into ourselves, as well as requiring that we go out of ourselves to know another. Has our society become to anti-social to take the risk of knowing another person? It is a distinct possibility. TV is safe. It babysits; it requires no response in return. There is a lot less work to personhood with the TV on than there is when the TV is off. This is not to say that TV should be banned, but maybe limited, so that we can begin to reclaim the sense of community and social skills that humans as social animals need to survive. Who knows, we may eventually find some of that quiet kind of pleasant. We won't know until we try.
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