Television

By Author: Henry Ford
Total Articles: 189
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Television is one of the widely used medium of communication. It is used in transmitting and receiving images either in monochromatic or black and white, or in colour. Television has been used since the 1930s and a television set became a common feature in communication in most homes and businesses (Abramson, 2003). It became an important source of entertainment and news. Although there are many forms of television like CTV, the most commonly used forms is broadcast television. Television has become an important tool of socialization by mainly giving people a chance to access information with ease. Critics of television argue that it has had many negative effects, especially on children. However, there are major dispute on the seriousness of ramification of these effects and whether these are really revolutionary or not in lens of human communication. Although television has been criticized, it is one of the most important inventions that have played a critical role in revolutionizing communication in the world.
Critics argue that TV comes with a number of negative effects in life. Although it was created to serve ...
... public interest, TV is seen as a mindless occupation and time filler. TV is accused of capturing peoples’ mind and making them believe that what is shown on TV is true. For example a research shows that due to TV influence, most jurors in the US will wan to be presented with hard evidence even when the evidence that has been produced is enough to make ruling and in most cases they are likely to acquit criminals. Now referred to as CSI Syndrome, it has been argued that TV is affecting jurors in negative ways (Savage, 2008). Apart from jurors, it has been established that TV also affects the general population as most people believes that what is shown on TV is true. Although TV shows reality, it may also show some images that have been distorted through camera tricks. For example recent research shows that showing of models in TV with slim bodies influence most women to use different dieting pills and develop eating disorders in a bid to achieve such body size. In addition, TV has been identified as one of the factors contributing to obesity (Klesges, Shelton and Lisa, 1993). People spend most of their time watching TV and in the process develop sedentary lifestyle. It has also been alleged that TV contribute to development of violence (Savage, 2008).
Television plays an important role in informing people. Television covers news of public interest including political happening, city news, national news, international news, business news, sports news, and other which ensure that the public is informed. With the advent of the new technologies, it has become possible to relay news event as they are unfolding. This means that people are in position to know what is happening in any part of the world. Within a fraction of a second, it has become easier to understand what is happening in all corners of the world (Abramson, 2003). This not only keeps people aware of what is happening in the surrounding but it also makes them participants in world affairs. For example during the recent Haiti earthquake tragedy, cable television news enabled the world to understand what was unravelling in the quake revenged country. People sent messages of condolences to the bereaved families. Not only did people send condolences but they also sent their donations which kept the survivors going. CNN and other news network ran advertisements directing people where they could send their donations to assist the survivors.
Television is also an important medium of entertainment. Since time immemorial, entertainment forms an important part of our social life. In a world full of ups and downs, entertainment gives people a chance to relax and enjoy life. In line with entertainment, television has been instrumental in fostering growth in the music industry. It has provided a platform where musicians can bring out their hidden talents (Abramson, 2003). Today, entertainment industry is worth billions of shillings, thanks to media efforts. Television becomes a platform through which musicians can reach to the rest of the world. For example some television stations like MTV are aired all over the world. MTV has become a leading television program station through which musicians can meet with their audience. Just like the way the internet has created a virtual community, television creates its own community where people can communicate without physically meeting with the other. Cartoon channels have been used to educate and entertain children. This means that apart from being a medium of communication and entertainment, TV is also used as a medium of education. It is used to education children on virtue through edutainment programs.
Media has also been used as tool of governance (Abramson, 2003). This means that it is playing a critical role in governance as a medium of communication between government and people. Television ensures that citizens receive news about governance in the country as they unfold. This means that they are always informed of the steps the government is taking and the way policies are being implemented. As the concept of e-government takes root, television has been identified as one of the tools that can be used to advance government policies. Before formulation polices, government may commence polls on TV through which people can express their view on the policy and this shapes the outcome of the policy since it becomes easy to assess how people feels and think of it.
Recent media research in social surrogacy hypothesis shows that people tend to employ television as a method of reliving their stress. They create parasocial relationship with some characters featuring in their favourite TV programs as a method of deflecting loneliness and social deprivation (Butler and Pickett, 2009). The relationship between TV characters and individuals is like the real relations where two friends spend time and share things together. TV personalities are being used by individuals in the society to satiate human desires and form a relationship that establishes them in society though they may never see face to face with TV personality. In addition, research has established that when individual are faced with a stressful condition where they are likely to vent their anger, watching their favourite TV program cushion them from experiencing low self-esteem of inadequacy feeling. Analysts point out that by the mere act of helping individual create substitute for social acceptance and belonging through relationship created in the TV, individuals are able to relieve feelings of depression and loneliness (Butler and Pickett, 2009). This is considered a beneficial act as it mitigates psychological damage which is caused by isolation from the mainstream society.
It is therefore evident that television has a positive effect on people. Despite many negative effects that have bee pointed out, television should be taken as a positive tool in social relations. It plays a critical role in peoples’ social, political and economic life. This implies that regardless of the perceived negative effect of television, its usefulness outlives its negative effects. It has been accepted that people cannot do without TV as it has played important role in creating informed citizens who can fully participate in world affairs and domestic governance. This means that rather than being viewed as a destructive tool, TV should be taken as a constructive tools that has a lot of positive impacts on the society.

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