Has television redefined culture?

The influence of television cannot be underestimated on modern culture. Living without a television for a longer duration of time really can make this notion clear on a personal level. You notice that many people spend a large amount of time thinking and talking about television besides the time they spend watching it.

I propose that television has redefined culture and I hope that in this thread we may reach some conclusions regarding this notion.

Before the television there was the radio. The radio soon became a center for entertainment for the entire family. It wasn't until the transitor radio came on the market and was mass produced that the individual radio experience was born. A movement that mainly started with the young generation that started listening to their own music. And the cohesive force of the radio bonding the family unit disappeared.

Fortunately the television entered the scene and once again the family gathered around this electronic devise in a ceremony of electronic bonding. Programs were watched together. Decisions were made on what to watch.

Economic progress trashed this culture when it became affordable to have a second television set. Teenagers had the possibility to watch television in private. More stations appeared. Possibilities for specialized programs targeting distinct groups appeared. Cable television made its entrance. Music channels for the young. Programs for the young.

And once again the family unit was eliminated from the act of interacting with this electronic devise.

I gave you now a very rough example of cultural changes brought upon us by electronic devises. Going through a phase of tightening family cohesion to a phase of individualism regarding the act of watching television.

However, this is merely a limited example. Television took time away from other activities: family activies, and individual activities. Activities that could have defined modern culture. Culture could have been defined by more interactive modes of entertainment. In the old days a family might have spend the sunday together going to church in the morning, having a walk together, spend a quiet afternoon together, reading, knitting, playing music, singing, talking. Nowadays this same day could consist of the male members of the family getting up late, wathing formula 1 on television, father in the living room on the big screen plasma Tv, the son in his room. Mother on the phone with her friends complaining about men, or even shopping on a modern sunday, daughter watching whatever is hip for young women in her room.

Very individual. Very passive. A mode of action that determines culture and temperament.

Is it surprising that individualism killed all ideals?

Can we blame television for that? partly or as a whole?

simple answer...yes!

Radio > TV > Internet.

yes

Radio > TV > Internet.
Yes, I was going to say something like this but it involves too much typing. Basically, spuriousmonkey is a little late with his analysis, and the internet will bring about worldwide revolution.

Ha ha. Isn't it fascinating the way capitalism absorbs everything you throw at it, then sells it back to you?

Sure it has changed our patterns of behavior, but consider this; if people wanted to be together, they still can. It seems to me they never valued hanging around with their parents in the first place, as is natural for teens trying to find their own identity.

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People used to talk about movies, plays or radio shows, no big difference. You don't have to be occupied all the time, people also need to relax. There used to be far more movie houses.

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Um, Shakespeare?

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Yes, I was going to say something like this but it involves too much typing.

Me too - then I found that someone had already typed it. The Future Does Not Compute (http://www.praxagora.com/stevet/fdnc/toc.html).

Mmm ... why think when the Internet has already done the thinking for you? *drools*

When I was a kid in the 1950s it was normal for the whole family to watch TV together. But that began to change in the 1960s, before it was common for kids to have TVs in their rooms: the "generation gap" was building. Kids had more disposable income, more mobility and more freedom in general, so they started not to be at home while their parents were watching TV. If they were, they were often in their rooms listening to the very youth-oriented music of the era that seemed deliberately crafted to repulse adults.

So I disagree with your premise that TV has anything to do with the disintegration of the nuclear family, since that process began before kids had separate TVs. Today, even if the husbands go off into the den to watch football while the wives watch a movie about relationships, on other nights they're very likely sitting in the same room watching TV together. If not, the primary causes are divorce and overwork, not incompatible viewing tastes. I have not watched TV with my wife for four years because my job took me away from home, but we still watch almost exactly the same set of programs and we talk about them.

My apologies. I assume people thought I was done with this thread. I merely started with an example.

I was more or less trying to postulate that TV facilitated the cultural idea of passive individualism.

Moreover, we cannot really compare Europe and the US in the 50s and 60s. WW2 had quite an effect on Europe. Europe had to recover from the depths of wartime losses. Economically and social. The 50s were mostly characterized by rebuilding Europe and scarcity of consumer goods. And finding a new social structure that would prevent another war in Europe.

Distribution of second TVs in Europe started much later than in the US. Distribution fo the first TV started later. I think we should keep this in mind when we discuss these matters.

Cultural Passiveness or is it passivity went hand in hand with the rise of the TV. A cultural value that nowadays pervades society. Watch and not act. Expecting your employees to be perfect actors. Having a set of diminished social activities. Avoiding the act of visiting other people (my favourite show is on). Prefering soap to real life.

TV has raised and lowered our cultural values to new levels and values.

An analysis of the changes in cultural values brought upon us by television would be rather interesting to see.

Imagine the influence of newsmedia alone?

Imagine the new standards of self-analysis brought to us by Dr Phil.

TV has real effects on society. Some are rather evident. Some are not.

If moma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.