Introduction: Television is a media of mass communication and learning, and it is one of the most wonderful inventions of modern science. It is one of the most popular devices that are used for entertainment all over the world. It has become quite common nowadays and almost every household has one television set at their place. It is a great improvement over the radio. Radio pleases the only sense of hearing but television pleases our senses of sight and hearing at the same time.
Television is a mass medium for entertainment, education, news, politics, gossip, and advertising. Television is one of the most important inventions of the twentieth century. It pleases both our eyes and ears. It is a source of knowledge also. It has given us many things. It is used in varied interests. But, It has some demerits too.
History of Television: Television became available in crude experimental forms in the late 1920s, but it would still be several years before the new technology was marketed to consumers. After World War II, an improved form of black-and-white TV broadcasting became popular in the United States and Britain, and television sets became commonplace in homes, businesses, and institutions. During the 1950s, television was the primary medium for influencing public opinion. In the mid-1960s, color broadcasting was introduced in the US and most other developed countries.
How it works: two things work behind television (1) transmission of sound and (2) transmission of the picture. The problem of sending and receiving sound has been solved earlier as in the case of radio. Like sound, a picture is scanned to break it up into small elements of light and shade which are transformed into electric current by cathode ‘Ray Tube’. These ‘light waves’ thus formed are received by the receiving sets of television where through the mechanical process they are recharged and transformed into the image of the original picture.
Variety: like photography, television can be both black and white colored. Television screen can be different sizes, such as 14 inches, 16 inches, 17 inches, 20 inches, 21, 24, 29, 30, 32 even 74 inches. Recently modern scientists have invented tiny and flat-screen television. Television has also various forms and designs. Nowadays televisions are enriched 2/3 windows, games purposes, CD movie player system, etc.
Importance: First of all, there are many different types of programs on television. The viewer can watch a weather report to prepare for the day. Cartoons and sport provide relaxation and fun. School programs, documentaries, and the news teach us about the world. And advertisements inform us about products and new ideas.
Secondly, the content is very appealing because it is realistic and up to date. As TV is a medium that combines moving, color images, and sound, it resembles real life, so the viewers can identify with what they see. Furthermore, modern technology means that the content is up to date, for example, news reports can be broadcast live and from all over the world. This means that information is available almost anywhere at any time.
Finally, TV can be used to enhance many important aspects of everyday life. People seek entertainment and distraction, and TV can give us that in the form of films or cartoons. People want education, information, and instruction because they are inquisitive and like to learn. TV gives us this in documentaries or educational programs, and in reports or cultural programs. People enjoy creativity, and TV gives us that in the work of all the people involved in creating clever film scripts, effective scenery, witty dialogues or magnificent camera shots. TV gives us the world, other cultures, other people, languages, and ideas. It introduces us to knowledge.
Benefits of Watching Television: The invention of television gave us various benefits. It was helpful in providing the common man with a cheap mode of entertainment. As they are very affordable, everyone can now own television and get access to entertainment.
In addition, it keeps us updated on the latest happenings of the world. It is now possible to get news from the other corner of the world. Similarly, television also offers educational programs that enhance our knowledge about science and wildlife and more.
Moreover, television also motivates individuals to develop skills. They also have various programs showing speeches of motivational speakers. This pushes people to do better. You can also say that television widens the exposure we get. It increases our knowledge about several sports, national events, and more. While television comes with a lot of benefits, it also has a negative side. Television is corrupting the mind of the youth and we will further discuss how.
Disadvantages: Television has also some bad sides. Firstly, we see how television is airing inappropriate content which promotes all types of social evils like violence, eve-teasing, and more. Secondly, it is also harmful to our health.
Additionally, it also makes people addict. People get addicted to their TV’s and avoid social interaction. This impacts their social life as they spend their time in their rooms all alone. This addiction also makes them vulnerable and they take their programs too seriously.
The most dangerous of all is the fake information that circulates on news channels and more. Many media channels are now only promoting the propaganda of the governments and misinforming citizens. This makes causes a lot of division within the otherwise peaceful community of our country.
Conclusion: Television not only provides many types of programs with interesting and broad content, but it also serves to fulfill our needs in terms of entertainment and knowledge. Everything has its merits and demerits. But it is the most up-to-date means of communication. As a medium of mass communication, it has proved its superiority over newspapers, radio, and other means. Television can contribute positively to the education of society and people’s awareness of others, and it will continue to have a strong influence for many years to come. Parents must limit the time of their children watching TV and encouraging them to indulge in outdoor games. As for the parents, we should not believe everything on the TV to be true. We must be the better judge of the situation and act wisely without any influence.
