Television And Its Effect On American Culture - 1171 Words

Trevor Alexander SOC 102 Dr. Adamo 2/17/15 Television and its effect on American culture When cable TV was introduced in the 1940’s, it opened up a whole new spectrum for channels and broadcasting. From that point on TV channels were expanding on ideas that people wanted to see, while also expressing themselves by making shows that people can relate to. TV both does, and does not have an effect on our American culture, due to the massive spectrum of channels and shows that we have in the present day. TV is so varied that you cannot make generalization or answer this question in Yes or No. There are television programs, which do reflect American society, but in itself are variable. Through programs like AE’s â€Å"48 Hours†, and†¦show more content†¦But if we’re watching a show like â€Å"Friends†, a show relating to realistic life in America, we all watch to connect to the characters who are experiencing the feelings we all face, whether it’s failure, rejection, love, or vict ory. In a show like â€Å"Friends† it portrays a close group of friends in the city and their everyday lives. We all enjoy shows like this because we find ourselves in the same groups. In MTV’s â€Å"Awkward† is about a young girl going through High School, encountering all of the very awkward situations that most high school teens, both boy’s and girls face on a daily basis. This type of reflection connects to students and their own experiences too. Ethnicity wise, look at Tyler Perry and George Lopez and their shows, and even the new sit-com with an Asian family. All of these shows reflect America, and the families that make up this country. Many television shows back in the day used to be made up of just white cast members, but that’s not the case anymore. Chapter 5 in our reading discusses the immigration boom in the US, and explains that our country today is becoming more diverse by the day, with â€Å"Black, Hispanic, and Asian ethnicities i ncreasing by over 22% combined from 1960-2010† and even expects to increase to 31% of the entire US population in just fifteen years. Our culture has changed because these are the new norms of modern