Introducing Television
Given how pervasive it is in our culture, one would assume that television has existed for centuries. However, now that televisions are so commonplace, many people can’t imagine life before Oprah and Monday Night Football on their screens 24 hours a day. Look into the Best info about Anupama Written Update.
However, it wasn’t until the 1939 World’s Fair that television was shown to the general public for the first time. Many individuals back then doubted that households could spare the time to gather around a flickering screen for extended periods. One commentator remarked that the typical American family has no time for it.
Growth in TV ownership
World War II slowed the progress of television. Sales of televisions, on the other hand, skyrocketed after WWII. In 1950, just around 9 percent of U.S. households had a television. However, there were televisions in 50% of American homes by 1953. Ninety percent of American homes had televisions by 1962. These days, nearly every American home has at least one television, with 76% of those homes having two or more.
At first, only two networks aired daily television for about three and a half hours. Today, people can choose from hundreds of stations that broadcast programming around the clock. People now spend an average of 4.5 hours a day staring at devices. This accounts for far over half of people’s free time! Many people cannot fathom a world without television. Within just three generations, this significant change took place.
Continued growth in TV viewership
There has been an explosion of television technology in other areas as well. Televisions are now ubiquitous in every aspect of society, from institutions like schools and banks to retail establishments, vehicles, and mobile phones. Now, you can convert your computer into a TV and watch shows online or download them to watch later.
New technologies are helping to drive an upward trend in TV consumption. For instance, those who own digital video recorders (DVRs) like TiVo watch 12% more TV than those who do not. In addition, the proliferation of “on-demand” shows is also likely to increase the average family’s time spent in front of the TV.
Having a TV in the house is considered essential by many. When I told my mom I was getting rid of the TV in the house, she asked, “What am I going to do when I come to visit?” Like the rest of us, she still finds life without TV inconceivable.
“Leave No Slob Behind”
There was a heated discussion in the United States in November 2005 on whether or not to reduce food stamp benefits. During this time, Congress debated a bill to facilitate the poor’s upgrade to HDTV. After the networks transitioned from analog to digital TV, there was widespread concern in Congress that millions of low-income people would no longer have access to television. This benefit, unlike food handouts, has general political support.
George Will, a columnist, appropriately labeled it the “No Couch Potato Left Behind” guarantee. President Bush signed the “No Couch Potato Left Behind” Act into law in February 2006. In the final form, $1.5 billion was put aside to cover the digital TV converter boxes cost. As a culture, we’ve come a long way from when “the average American family hasn’t time for it.”
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