Television, The Third Parent?

    “Ah T.V. respects me, it laughs with me not at me” Homer Simpson, The Simpsons.

I am an 18 year old guy living in the 21st century, the age of technology, and I respect and love everything television has done for society. Your probably saying to yourself, “Kevin your crazy, how can you respect something that has ultimately brainwashed and slowed down society for the worse.” Well to those people I saw, “Damn, That's Whack.”
    Instead of covering all the boring facts of the creation of the television, I am going to jump right into its cultural impact. The television is a cool medium, as it takes much participation from the viewer to make sense of the information that is disseminated through it. To watch TV you must view with your eyes the images presented on the screen as well as listen carefully to the audio component. It is not the television itself that is impacting a society, in my opinion, it is what is being displayed on it which ultimately has the upper hand.
    There are several advantages of television, like having a clear idea of what is happening in the world. We can get live feeds of several events like the Olympics or something tragic like the Tsunami's in the Philippines. We can get a weather forecast several days in advances and we make plan according this. Television has shrunk the distances of the world, you can watch what is happening several thousands kilometres away from you. “All of us perceive the world as a whole through the experience of our senses can only reveal a world that is fragmented and incomplete... our perception of 'reality' is an act of faith, based on mere fragments” [1] All of us seek closure so that we may not just rely on this so called 'faith'. Television brings forth this closure. I can gain knowledge of something happening in the other side of the world from the comfort of my home.
    A lot of programs really engage the viewer's mind, and this can make TV a great learning tool. Growing up I would watch shows like Seasame Street, Barney and Magic School Bus. In which messages of purity and good morals seeped into my subconscious. May this be the reason by which I make my choices. Quite possibly.

       How television has portrayed the family is important because television is a source for learning about family: what families look like, what an ideal family is, how spouses are supposed to behave, how parents are expected to treat their children, and how families resolve problems. The television brought about shows of the “typical North American family”. The nuclear family, beautiful home, man with a successful job, stay at home wife, two and a half kids. The 'American Dream' displayed at its finest. Leave it Beaver, being a prime example of this. Slowly television shows began showing a depiction of reality through television programs like, Roseanne, The Simpons and others. They tackled realistic issues and conflicts that go about in the average family. The dysfunctional family at its finest.  So as a culture are people simply modelling themselves after what we see? Or do these programs serve a greater purpose? We just have understand that the representations made by the media are not always accurate . That's the answer
    “Today, television is the most significant of the electric media because it permeates nearly home in the country.”[2] People should reflect on the impact that this cool (pun intended) medium has had on our culture. However I love the way T.V is now and honestly I want to stop reflecting because that will ruin the experience of watching. Now if you excuse me Three's Company is on... Come and knock on our door.  We’ve been waiting for you.

Work Cited

[1]McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics. New York: Harper Collins, 1994.
[2]“The Playboy Interview: Marshall McLuhan.” Heim.ifi.uio.no. Playboy, Mar. 1969. Web. 07 Oct. 2009. .