With the vast economic development through the years, more and more people have been able to afford a television in their homes, and by 1985 in Britian 98 per cent of households had a television and nearly half of them having two or more sets. One of the major advantages to the majority of the population for having access to television is that people can recieve current and up to date news from around the world within the comfort of their house. The way many companies take advantage of television is through advertising, as they can reach a large audience and keep the customer aware of existing products on the market. Not just consumer companies can use the television for advertsing, it has also revolutionised the way polictical parties advertise and promote themselves. It allows polictical parties to portray their views and opinions to a majority of the voting public, which has enventually led to changes in the way the country is organised and run, therefore television is a very important political tool in today mass media world.
The global advances of television techonlogy has brought about a multinational industry, this globalisation of televison can be seen as 'a process in which complex interconnections are rapidly developing between societies, institutions, cultures and individuals world wide' (Barr, 2000, p. 31). This statement explains how people are exposed to different cultures and styles of living, and people are now more educated about others, and it can be argued less ignorant.
Unlike the past, television can now put people around the world in touch with one another. Companies can conduct meetings and conferences by video-conferencing, therefore saving time and promoting productivity. It enables information to be disseminated at a faster pace to a large population. As a result, global communications and relationships are enhanced, with it creating an informed democracy.
With the television industry expanding, the role and status of women and minority groups in a contemporary society have changed with educational opportunities. Prosperity and education brought more jobs and financial independence for these groups from 1970s onwards. Women in particular are seen as a profitable group within the television world, as they can attract large viewing figures, and this means that television production companies have over time come to rely on women as a fundamental group for programming. With the invention and development of television, it brought about economic development and it was because of this that made job and educational opportunities possible for the people of today. In the present days, television also serves as platforms for debates in the aspect of education.
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Television is seen by many has having an overall negative effect on society but as the Band Aid concert showed in the 1980s it can be used for good. The speed that the African famine was transmiited to the world and the number of people who saw the subsequent pop concert helped raise funds unheard of before.dfw ordf dfk indf fodf df.
'If the Judaic God had created a world as an advanced industrial civilization from scratch (s)he would probably have spent the seventh day in front of the television set'cofb fbr sefbfbw orfb fbk infb fofb fb;
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This is an interesting quote and can be taken and understood in many different ways, depending on the person interpreting the quote, if it is meant to be a derogatory statement against television and the mass media today, I think you have to look at the positive outcomes of the invention of television. For example in Britain today Television plays a distinctive role in the social and cultural life of contemporary Britain. It is a forum where the nation speaks for itself, where the different cultures and groups that make up our society can see themselves represented and from which majority obtain information that they require as citizens of this country.
“Television brings together cultural groups and raises a level of group consciousness through a distinctive use of language and cultural symbolism” (Ball-Roreach & Cantor, 1986, p. 38). All these things would not have been possible without the invention of television. It is through television medium where a wide range of cultural activities can reach people in their homes. If television was not invented then some social and cultural events might not have occurred, therefore television can be seen as a medium in demonstrating social and cultural significance in today’s society.
Overall I believe that television is seen by a majority of the viewing public as a good source of education, entertainment and conversation, which has helped the world become more tolerant, respectful and knowledgeable.
