During the 20th century the first major form of mass media was the radio. The radio was cheaper than telephones and allowed everyone that had one to listen to the same program simultaneously. Radio also made it possible for advertisers to reach a wide audience to sell their products, this undistributed to the Great Depression.
The consumers overwhelming purchases resulted in the production of surplus products and when the depression stated the demand for products did also. The 20th century also produced the television, which became the top form of mass media. There were three major networks that controlled most of the news programs, live events, and sitcoms that were aired. Some people argued that television was influencing American culture about what normal life really looked like.
However, television made it possible or people to watch important issues all over the world at a certain time, unlike newspaper and magazines that could be bought and read anytime. In the asses and asses cable television came along, which offered viewers more channels and different programs to choose from such as, people that were interested in sports, cooking, and movies each had a channel to watch only that. In the late asses the invention of the digital recorder made it possible and more convenient for people to record their favorite television shows and watch them at a later time.
The two major developments of mass media changed the way people think and the way they live their lives today and made it possible for new technology. How did each development influence American culture? The radio changed American culture by being able to broadcast news, live events, music and advertisements to every household that owned a radio, instead of just one individual reading a newspaper. Advertising became more wide spread and led people to make purchases this partly caused the economy to boom in the late asses and to the Great Depression.
Radio is more convenient and still used today for listening to music, news, and talk shows in vehicles. Television has changed American culture by changing the way people think and communicate with each other because of the wider audience. Live events can now be broadcasted all over the world. People can also see what is happening in the news in other countries. Television has brought a big change to family life as well, watching television programs has become an activity to do together. Television is a part of just about everyone’s lives in one form or another.
Some people believe that it is the cause that our younger generation has become more obese and violent because of the lack of exercise and because of certain inappropriate programs can influence their behavior. I believe television has had both a positive and negative effect on American culture. The ability to view the news and watch countless programs whenever we want to is a great thing. Television has changed the way each individual thinks and lives in the world today. Personally, I believe television has contributed in making our lives better in so many positive ways.
