Television

Children are being influenced by television shows on a daily basis. Some children are watching inappropriate television shows such as SpongeBob, Fish Hooks, Family Guy, South Park, Ed, Edd, Eddy, Scooby-Doo, Boondocks and etc. These shows can affect children as they grow up in many ways such as using profanity, violent and aggressive behavior, poor school performance and watch too much television may cause a slight obesity. There are many educational television shows that are best for child to watch such as Barney, Blue’s Clue, Dora the Explorer and etc.

Parent should also limit the amount of time children spend watching television. Monkey see, Monkey do Has your child ever said something to you and you were thinking, where did they get that from? Have the television shows that he or she watches daily ever come to your mind? Your child could be watching a television show that models inappropriate behaviors. I have experienced my nephew being influenced by SpongeBob and Family Guy. Recently, he was watching an episode and SpongeBob was calling himself and everybody an “idiot boy”, so my nephew began to call his mother and himself an “idiot”.

He also started hitting himself on the forehead and saying he is stupid, which he also got from watching SpongeBob Square Pants. Research shows that children of the age two through ten should be playing sports, interacting with their peers or doing more gross motor activities. There are many ways television can affect children as they grow up such as watching television and video game that may influence kids between the age of two through ten by using profanity, violent and aggressive behavior, poor school performance and watch too much television may cause a slight obesity.

It’s not so much that kids have changed, but the world is changing around them. Every day, children are being influenced by the world around them, and television is taking a big part in it. Television programming is teaching children to do the things the show is displaying. A known saying is “Monkey see monkey do. ” Suppose a child was saying inappropriate things and they were thinking it was fine to say it, because they didn’t know the real meaning of it. They also think they can say it because SpongeBob can.

Now, you are left with no reason to tell them why they should not say it. The television shows that children are watching are influencing them to do the things they do, say the things they are saying, and try to have the same image as them. There are many different sources that can influence and or teach kids inappropriate actions such as video games, music videos, hearing things from adults but mainly television shows. Some television shows that are not appropriate are SpongeBob, Fish Hooks, Family Guy, South Park, Ed, Edd, Eddy, Scooby-Doo, Boondocks and etc.

Parents may think that SpongeBob can be the best television show to watch, but at times SpongeBob can be inappropriate in many ways such as calling everyone an idiot, doing a wrong action by hitting his forehead calling his self “stupid”, and blanking out profanity. Also, Scooby Doo sometimes may scare children by having scary creature and monsters. Some television characters often depict risky behaviors such as drinking, smoking, and reinforce gender roles and racial stereotypes (How TV Affect Your Child).

Most of these shows are mainly for entertainment and not for education so while kids are watching television they are just laughing when they really should be running to tell someone what they have learned while watching the show. There are a lot of educational shows on television that teaches kids valuable skills, such as their alphabet, and also counting. Those shows include Dora the Explorer, The Wiggles, Barney, Blue’s Clues, Sesame Street, Go Diego Go are extremely helpful in many ways. Barney is a very great show to watch.

It is a show that teaches kids to show respect to an adult and it also teaches you to have manners. Blue’s Clues is also a great source because they teach kids to identify patterns and the opposites from two objects. Television shows have a powerful impact on young viewers in our society. When does it all start? More than 98 percent of homes in America have at least one television, and 25 percent of all households purchase a new model each year, according to the Consumer Electronics Association (Television can harm children literally).

Some children were sat in front of the television to get their attention, sometime to fall asleep, to calm down or stop them from crying. Parents usually sit babies in front of the television so they can finish home chores. Parents may start having them watch television at the age of eight to ten months. Normally, there is not an affect or impact on babies. As they start to grow older and also smarter young children of one to three years of age start to love to watch television show. Also, television starts to become a child’s daily routine and they start to have a favorite television show and character.

As they get to be the age of five to seven and are enrolled in some schooling and they start to watch every television show and they start to want every item or merchandise with their favorite television show or characters. From the age of eight to ten, their television shows starts to become a lot more inappropriate and they no longer watch SpongeBob, Family Guy, or South Park. They may start to play video games which may also influence bad images and language. Our youth are also exposed to violent words, music, and images every day and it should be stopped. But how? How is there such a big impact on them just because of watching television?

Television can affect learning and school performance if it interferes with the time kids need for activities crucial to healthy mental and physical development. Some shows (SpongeBob) teaches that it is fine to commit an inappropriate action because there will not be a punishment and kids feel that if they do the same thing as their favorite character from the program who committed the crime they will be a hero. Researchers have identified three potential responses to media violence in children: increase fear, desensitization to real life violence, and increase aggressive behavior.

It may desensitve kids so much they think it is okay and no big deal for somebody to be hit or to hit someone in the head with a hammer. Kids who view violent acts are more likely to show aggressive behavior, but also fear that the world is scary and that everyday something bad will happen. Scary-looking things like grotesque monsters especially frighten children aged two to seven. Telling them that the images aren’t real does not help because kids under age eight can’t always tell the difference between fantasy and reality (Television and Children).

When watching a television shows usually every episode has a bad situation or a lot of drama in it so kids will start to have that mind frame that things will happen to them just like on the show. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that kids under two years old not watch any television and that those older than two watch no more than one to two hours a day of quality (How TV Affect Your Child). Children who watch too much television don’t get as much physical activity and do not explore new activity, according to Family Education Network.

Television viewing has been linked to violent or aggressive behavior, sleep problems, substance abuse, poor school performance, and obesity (How TV Affect Your Child). Most children who watch the inappropriate shows are most likely to hit their playmates and argue. This issue of violent which media have the greatest impact on many people only on television many children today may be more influences by video games and computers games. There are many things parents can do for their child to help them do well in school and also not be addicted to television.

Children that is too young to enroll into preschool yet spend a lot of time out of the day watching television, playing outside, or sleeping. While watching television, they should watch educational shows that may broaden their knowledge to be ready for preschool. Some educational television shows can be very helpful in many ways. Some programs combine entertainment and education to help children learn to identify characters, shapes, colors, sequence numbers, and phonics skills. Active parents should set limits, participate, monitor, analyze, and be good leaders.

Parents can set many of limits in the child’s life but when watching television it is very good to set limits on how long they can watch television and what shows they can watch. Some parents do not always participate with their children. When a child is watching television, the parents should watch the show with them, sing alone, and interact with the show. Parents should always monitor what their child is watching. Before you allow your child to watch a show; the parent should watch a couple episode of the show and give it an approval. Every child looks up to their parents and to do or be just like them.

Parents should always watch what they say or do because your child could be over listening to what you are saying and do or say that same thing that they heard their parents displaying. Parents should ask their children what are they watching and what the show is about. When your child is studying or having family meals and are not paying attention it is best to turn the television off. As much as possible encourage your kids to be involved in hobbies, sports, and peers with proper guidance, your child can learn to use television in a healthy and positive way.

TV viewing is probably replacing activities in your child’s s life that you would rather have them do things such as playing with friends, being physically active, getting fresh air, reading, playing imaginatively, doing homework, doing chores (Television and Children). Television is not always a negative influence to young viewers, there is strong evidence that children’s shows that were developed to teach educational and social skills which can help children learn well.

Educational shows will expand a child knowledge but not only are they getting entertainment but they are learning their numbers, recognizing letters, and valuable skills. Sometime it is good to get some entertainment when watching television. What a child learns during his young years may affect his childhood and their older years. There are many ways such as watching television, video game, hearing what other adults may say that may influence kids bat the age of two through ten by television programming. Young children are easily influenced by the media.

Children will soon find a favorite character then start to look up to them as a hero or a role model. If that character is displaying an inappropriate behavior the child will soon imitate the character action. The goal is to keep young children active, in shape, and to have great school performance. Works Cited Anonymous. “An annotated bibliography: Television can harm children – Literally. ” The Consumer’s Medical Journal Issue 94 (2006): 15. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. <http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. rasmussen. du//? vid=3&hid=25&sid=a73b8289-82b4-4e5d-bcee-a302188b1613%40sessionmgr13&bdata=JnNpdGU9cG92LWxpdmU%3d#db=pwh&AN=22851055>. The article give statics, give advice from Pediatricians on what parents should do when children love to always watch TV. Pediatricians at the at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas reviewed a year’s worth of emergency department cases of children who had been injured by TV sets toppling over, usually because of a climbing toddler or because someone accidentally knocked over the set.

More than 98 percent of homes in America have at least one television, and 25 percent of all households purchase a new model each year, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. Adults need to be better educated about television’s potential harm, not just the content or programming but the physical danger of falling sets. Boyse, Kyla, and Brad Bushman. “Television and Children. ” University of Michigan Health System. Regents of the University of Michigan, Aug. 2010. Web. 19 Jan. 2012. <http://www. med. umich. edu///. htm>.

The article examines the effect of children when watching too much TV. It explains how it affects your child’s brain development, the aggressive and violent behavior. It also show how TV can scare children, affect they school performance, and affect their health. TV viewing is probably replacing activities in your child’s s life that you would rather have them do (things like playing with friends, being physically active, getting fresh air, reading, playing imaginatively, doing homework, doing chores. An average American child will see 200,000 violent acts and 16,000 murders on TV by age 18.

Scary-looking things like grotesque monsters especially frighten children aged two to seven. Telling them that the images aren’t real does not help because kids under age eight can’t always tell the difference between fantasy and reality. Dowshen, Steven. “How TV Affect Your Child. ” KidsHealth. The Nemour Foundation, Oct. 2011. Web. 19 Jan. 2012. <http://kidshealth. org////_affects_child. html>. The article discusses how you child is being influenced by television. This article gives parent advice on how parents should control who they view on TV and how long they should watch TV.

Some TV shows a lot of violence, risky behavior, obesity, and the article also give some ways to practice good TV habits. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that kids under 2 years old not watch any TV and that those older than 2 watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of quality programming. Fields-Meyers, T, et al. “Kids out of Control. ” Points of View Reference Center. EBSCO, 2004. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. This article gives information on what different family how experience well raising a child who loves watching inappropriate television shows.

Television has become progressively more popular through the old ages since it was foremost invented. In fact it is so popular that about every place in America has one or more telecasting sets. Television started when Edwin Belin. an English adult male. held the patent for the transmittal of exposure by wire every bit good as fibre optics and radio detection and ranging. which demonstrated a mechanical scanning device that was an early ascendant to modern telecasting. With Television sets about everyplace in sight. a job with non merely the young person of America but besides affecting teens and grownups has erupted. As the popularity of Television increased so did the hours watched and hence. the rate of force sky rocketed. If the hours of telecasting exceed three hours a twenty-four hours the rate of force both seen and committed additions dramatically.

In 1993. the mean kid was watching 8. 000 slayings and 10. 000 Acts of the Apostless of force before go forthing simple school ( Hepburn 244-249 ) . With all the picks of premium overseas telegram. HBO and many others. it’s non surprising that Television is lifting in monetary value excessively. Television has caused legion Acts of the Apostless of force and the statistics are still lifting. If the hours of telecasting are slimmed to less than an hr a twenty-four hours the violent Acts of the Apostless. will diminish. Many people watch telecasting as a everyday and mundane at about the same clip they will watch their favourite show or shows. Blending telecasting into your day-to-day modus operandi is non merely bad for you but sets aside precedences that are more of import like school work.

Television draws in Families every dark

About every household in the USA tickers premier clip telecasting ( 5-9 o’clock ) on hebdomad darks and with 99 % of families that own at least one telecasting. there are non many households that don’t watch Television on hebdomad yearss ( “Television” ) . In fact. surveies show that 66 % of U. S. places have three or more Television sets ( “Mediascope” ) . It is really dearly-won non to advert if you are in hunt to purchase the newest or biggest telecastings out at that place. Televisions non merely can set a strain on a household financially but with some households that watch up to or more than three hours of Television it can side track a household from its aims. During the 90’s each household averaged approximately 50 hours of telecasting weekly ( “Teen-agers” ) . Now come ining the new decennary the statistics have grown with the new types of telecasting since the 90’s. Once households start watching Television. it becomes a everyday that is non easy to interrupt. Many households are drawn to competition shows. where the whole household can take part and play along.

The Steady Increase of Violence on Television Shows

Television shows have become more violent in clip and it targets the young person and manipulates the kids to believe it is acceptable to perpetrate Acts of the Apostless of force. 59 % of force is shown on basic overseas telegram which is what most kids watch ( “Mediascope” ) . Children are really easy swayed to happening person to look up to. Many childs are into the “bad guys” and the strongest or most evil Television characters out at that place. When kids idolize characters on telecasting they are more likely to move the manner they do. 67 % of plans depict force in a humourous manner ( “Mediascope” ) . Showing the Acts of the Apostless of force in a humourous manner makes it look harmless to the kids. Childs who have premium channels on their telecastings are even more prone to perpetrating a violent act. Shows like HBO’s Oz. averaged 76 violent Acts of the Apostless per episode ( Hepburn 244-249 ) . Cartoons frequently depict at that place secret plans in a violent manner. Cartoons are a perfect illustration that shows how the young person of America is targeted at an early age. The major Television webs like Fox. CBS. and ABC play a large function in the rise of force across the state.

Television webs like these. feel that force brings in the viewing audiences and the more viewing audiences the more money that the web makes. When Television was merely turning in popularity. the shows so were a batch different. Of class. there was still some force but really limited and no swear words or realistic particular effects. For illustration “Leave it to Beaver” and “Dike Van Dyke” which started in the 50’s. was non-violent and still popular plenty to draw in the viewing audiences get downing whole new tendencies. Today on the other manus. realistic effects to do horror scenes seem about existent have corrupted the populace. Shows like “CSI” and “Space Troopers” have legion violent Acts of the Apostless that are really in writing particularly to childs. The alteration through the decennaries has been great and more become more violent than of all time. What is to come in the hereafter? Will the force become even more violent? Or will at that place be a halt to the up rise in violent Acts of the Apostless all together?

Television Effectss

In the long tally. telecasting will impact non merely kids but teens and grownups excessively. With all the violent Acts of the Apostless seen on about every Television show the kids become frightened of the universe around them. “Eventually after watching all these offenses and violent Acts of the Apostless. the kids will be less sensitive to trouble and agony of others” ( Zuckerman ) . As most parents know. kids will make what they see. Many kids. non cognizant of what’s incorrect and right yet. will “mimic what they hear and see on TV” ( Zuckerman ) . It’s a parents occupation to watch over his or hers child and make certain they are non witnessing an inordinate sum of refuse or telecasting. presuming the parents are stable and non already addicted to Television. Statisticss show that teens ticker more telecasting than anything else that includes listening to music and reading ( “Mediascope” ) . Teenss are now in the old ages of rebellion against their parents and want to watch more mature shows that they can associate to.

“Most adolescent prefer grownup scheduling that trades with turning up. drugs. sex and alcohol” ( Zuckerman ) . Teens that are stressed out by mundane things like school. classs and parents are more likely to watch Television every free minute they get. Television gives them a opportunity to loosen up and bury about day-to-day jobs and problems. Adults are besides portion of the rebellion in violent Acts of the Apostless committed due to the effects of telecasting. 76 % of typical violent culprits are grownups ( “Mediascope” ) . As we look around the violent universe we live in. it’s non flooring that all kids turn out as a deranged felon or liquidator particularly when kids look up to grownups for counsel. With the offense rates steadily increasing and telecasting in the hot place for the incrimination possibly a forbiddance of telecastings is in order.

TV’s influence on the population

Television affects everybody including childs. teens and grownups when they watch inordinate sum of Television each twenty-four hours. Parents should restrict there childs while they are immature so it’s non difficult to draw them away when they’re in their adolescent old ages. Today shots and slayings are more common than 20 old ages ago and no happenstance that the mean hours of telecasting a twenty-four hours have been lifting of all time since. Television makes existent slayings seem like nil to childs because they don’t yet understand the world from their Television universe. If the childs watch inordinate sums of Television when they are truly immature. they will respond to what they saw on Television when they are in a crisis or job in there life. when they grow up.

Television is one of the negative effects of engineering and detecting new things. “Our findings suggest that responsible parents should avoid allowing their kids to watch more than an hr of Television a twenty-four hours. ” ( Hepburn 244-249 ) . Hepburn besides stated “I was surprised to see a five fold addition in aggressive behaviour from less than one hr to three or more hours” ( Hepburn 244-249 ) . The universe with telecasting does non travel manus in manus any more. With force quickly increasing. the offense rates rocketing. it’s lone clip before there’s no more Television or people left.

Television. in the terminal

These big doses of telecasting are shown by the offense rate of today. Children who watch more than three hours of Television a twenty-four hours are really likely to perpetrate a violent act with in their life. Television will likely be about for a really long clip and it is the parents that are responsible for how much clip their childs ticker. Parents are non to be blamed wholly but there is a good portion that does rely on them to steer their childs the right manner and restrict the hours of Television they watch mundane. Jennifer Zuckerman claims “parents are responsible on how much Television is allowed and what stairss should be taken” . If you watch your kids and bound there hours of Television a twenty-four hours there is a good opportunity that the child will be less likely to be involved in a violent act.

Television is normally a consequence of ennui. a clip to loosen up and non make any physical work. 73. 5 % of people watch Television when they are non making any thing ( “Television” ) . Television is a major cause of the bulk of violent Acts of the Apostless committed in the last few old ages. The lone manner for a lessening in the nation’s force is to restrict the sum of telecasting we watch and to restrict the kids from big sums of telecasting. If the rise of force still increases at a steady velocity. the lone manner to halt it is to either travel to the manufacturers or convert the people to turn on telecastings and take them from their places.

Plants Cited

Hepburn. Mary A. “TV Violence! A Medium’s Effectss Under Scrutiny. ” Social Education. Sept. 1997: 244-249. SIRS Researcher CD-ROM. CD-ROM. SIRS Mandarin. Fall 2002.

“Mediascope. National Television Violence Study. ” Executive Summary. 1994-1995: N. P. SIRS Researcher CD-ROM. CD-ROM. SIRS Mandarin. Fall 2002.

“Teen-agers Who Watch More Television are Prone to Violence” . The Seattle Times. March 28. 2002: N. P. SIRS Researcher CD-ROM. CD-ROM. SIRS Mandarin. Fall 2002.

“Television Violence: A Review of the Effectss on Children of Different Ages” . Science 1995 ; N. P.

Zuckerman. D. “What is to Blame for Youth Violence? ” 21. March. 2003. World Wide Web. surgeongeneral. gov/library/youthviolence

Introduction

Reality television is defined in many ways.  The closest, if not the clearest definition given to this genre, is that it is a show with no scripts and no real actors but only ordinary people placed in different and sometimes, funny situations.  No one has come close to tracing back its true origin, though some claimed the genre already existed back in the early years of television.  However, the first television show made known as reality tv was Candid Camera (Rowen, 2000).

It first came out in 1948 and the idea of the show sprang from its creator and host Allen Funt’s similar radio show, Candid Microphone, in 1947.  Labeled as the granddaddy of reality tv, the show played pranks on ordinary American people and have quite enjoyed showing their funny reactions on television.  The entertaining and comical format of Candid Camera was a big break from the gore and pain viewers used to watch during the years of war.  Similar radio shows also made it to the television in the 1950s.  Truth or Consequences, like Candid Camera, surprised contestants by putting them in situations where they never knew what would happen to them.  Both shows have been successful in catching people unaware and surprised.

Brief history of Reality TV

Perhaps the first contemporary reality show aired was An American Family.  It was a documentary            of the Loud family, Bill, Pat, and their children (Reality TV, Introduction, 2006).  Week after week viewers have followed the family’s travails and witnessed the dramatic secrets within the family unfold.  The most sensational footage of the family’s drama was the divorce of Bill and Pat and the decision of their son, Lance, to admit in public that he was gay. It was that particular shocking television moment that the show was finally named a reality tv.

During the late 1980s, a new type of reality television emerged.  Cops became a hit because it showed real police officers on duty arresting criminals.  The show, which aired in 1989, followed cops on duty as they track down suspects and chase after drank drivers.  Cops was the first show to use camcorder, its small and light built making it easier to be on the cops trails the entire time.  Despite the presence of violence on some episodes, viewers watched the show because it served as an emotional protection for them, being fully aware those criminals and society’s lawbreakers were being caught.

The early 1990s brought different formats of reality television.  These include game shows, talent competitions, dating contests, home and self-makeover, job competitions, and talk shows.  The idea of placing complete strangers in one house stemmed from The Real World, an MTV production, in 1992.  The participants were monitored through microphones and cameras set up all around the apartment where they lived (The Real World: New York, 2006).  Similar to the experiences of the Loud family in An American Family, The Real World had its shares of twists and turns, with the relationships of participants either gone pleasant or sour as they lived their own lives in each other’s company

The presence of reality tv shows in Europe, Australia, and Canada has also established the genre’s acceptance and success in the world.  Not only were they able to have their own versions of reality tv from America, but they were also able to create original formats of reality programming. Changing Rooms, a British show, which started in 1996, initiated the first home makeover/improvement.

A group of professional and amateur designers re-designed and re-organized a family’s home with help from the homeowner’s friends and neighbors.  Viewers have enjoyed the delight and disappointment of the homeowners as they saw for the first time their newly renovated home.  The show’s success led to the franchise of the format by tv networks worldwide, among the famous ones was the American shows Trading Spaces.   Australia had their own show based on the televised life of the Loud family.  In 1992, Sylvania Waters came out with the Baker-Donaher family’s private lives and personal controversies shown not only in Australia but in the UK as well.

During the turn of the century, new reality tv shows debuted which brought huge unexpected changes in television industry (Reality Television (US), 2004).  The outset of Survivior, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and Big Brother amazed the entire globe with its interesting format and fresh episode concepts.  As the war in terror brought by the September 11 attacks in New York terrified the world, these shows, like Candid Camera, provided a perfect diversion from the everyday scenes of capturing terrorists in television.  People have also grown tired and weary of the endless drama portrayed in daily sitcoms and soap operas.  The funny lines of comedy series no longer amuse them.  Thus, they craved for something much more different, fresh, and original.

There were predictions made that the excitement over this genre would soon fade out but the success of these shows was a painful proof for the drama and comedy producers that reality tv is here to stay (Reality Shows Changing, 2003).  The negative, and even severe impacts of this occurrence was felt most by television writers and actors, whose careers relied more on the scripts written and the fees paid for them.

Television producers have felt these talented people’s strife, but in order for a network viewership   to rise, difficult changes have to be made.  The audience, after all, is the primary life of a television.  They have to be supplied with shows and stories captivating enough to grab their attention for the next six to twelve months. The only possible solution to the decline of soap operas and television series was reality tv.

Survivor originated the theme of competitiveness.  There were no individual dreams to pursue in the show, as The Real World portrayed.  Rather it was a test of physical strength and endurance to win a million dollars (Boarts, 2002.). Participants were willing to overcome and win the challenges, which include eating insects and raw animal meat. The title itself conveyed the whole concept of the show.  Only one winner would survive all the challenges, squabbles, and eliminations created on their stay in an isolated place.

After the arrival of Survivor, television producers created more reality game shows, with each program’s format based on the winning prize.  Dating competitions such as The Bachelor, Joe Millionaire, and The Bachelorette   captured viewers because of its love theme.

Participants determined to find love and money at the same time took their chances on the show to compete against each other.  There were surprising twists too, for not only was it a competition for them but also a test of loyalty, faith, and love.  The most controversial dating show was Temptation Island, a competition of relationship’s commitment.  Viewers have been witness to several couples’ infidelities and breakups during their stay in an island.

Talent shows have also increased.  American Idol, a singing competition, became such a phenomenon that countries from almost every continent in the world have produced their own local Idol shows. Dancing competitions such as So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars have been hits, too.  In the year 2003, not only were singing and dancing shows have attracted producers.  Those who have the skills and talents for modeling, business, and fashion design have been given a chance to shine on the shows like America’s Next Top Model, The Apprentice, and Project Runway, respectively.

The format of Candid Camera was also not completely forgotten.  MTV created their own version with Punk’d, with a goal of making practical jokes on famous actors, athletes, and performers.  Girls Behaving Badly targets ordinary people and is hosted by a group of talented women. One funny show, which the audience found entertaining, was Scare Tactics.  Viewers laughed hard at the reactions and expressions of people as scary pranks were being played on them.

Perhaps one of the most successful reality show was Big Brother.  The European audience had a first taste of the show on television in 1999. A group of people in Holland was confined in one house and their every word and action were heard and seen by the public 24 hours a day.  These were ordinary people trying to compete and make allegiance with each other (Schechter, 2002).

Their greatest challenge for being in the show was their secludedness from the outside world.  No television sets, radio, computers, telephone, and newspapers were placed inside the house.  The only thing they have is each other’s company and a 24-hour stay inside the house for the next 100 days.  There were different contests provided for the participants, or housemates, inside the house. Everyday, viewers watched the funny and interesting things that transpired among the housemates.

Each season of Big Brother entertained the viewers as relationships, romantic and hostile, formed.  The relationships were important for a housemate to stay longer in the house.  This could save them from elimination, which the audience had the right to vote the person they wanted out of the show.  The show’s audience has spread across the world, as different countries eventually bought a format of the show for their own version of Big Brother.

Reality TV today

Today, as we look at our television and notice a majority of reality shows in every network, it comes as no surprise why this genre have been here for so long now. We could include ourselves in the fanatic viewers who never got tired of stalking their favorite reality shows on television.  We might not admit it to ourselves, but there is something entertaining in watching people compete, and even fight against each other to win an ultimate prize.

In addition, we get a free laugh over their innocence and misfortunes. The younger generations would also honestly claim that reality is like the new thing, a trend that must be followed and pursued. Soap operas and comedy series, which were such hits before reality tv, were now considered old, to the point of being boring, lengthy and dragging.

Television networks and producers saw these needs in us.  They studied ways and different concepts in order not to lose viewership (Reality Television Economic Factors, n.d.). They pursued reality tv and were happy with the results.  Not only have they gained back the interest of viewers but they have also discovered the inexpensiveness in spending for these shows and the sudden attention given by the advertisers.  High ratings and high advertising were a perfect combination for a successful long-term television show.

Downside of Reality TV

However, there was always a downside for the emergence of reality tv.  As television critics constantly pointed out, reality tv is first and foremost an invasion of privacy, which every participant on the shows have a right to. As Federmann (2000) wrote, the only important thing that mattered to the creators of these shows is the amount of money they could get out of ordinary people’s unscripted and televised lives.

There is no value in these shows, both for the winners and losers of every competition.

Everybody who joins these game shows get out of it emotionally beaten up and used by the networks. Losers get the shame and winners’ celebrity status would eventually fade out.

No one really gets the blame of the negative consequences of these reality shows. Viewers love to watch it, and as long as there were supporters like these, television networks would never stop creating new game shows for public viewing.  Not only that, the participants of the shows also play a great factor in the life of reality tv.  The undeniable attraction for money, fame, and success drive them to compete and to survive, sometimes for the risk of getting injured, humiliated, and manipulated.

Conclusion

Despite the critics bash on the bad effects of reality tv, there would always be shows that teach good values and human sensitivity (Burgess, 2004). They could be funny at times, but somewhere along the road, human dignity stands out

Should there comes a time when this genre of television starts to decline, people could always go back to traditional television format that they were used to before the emergence of reality tv. There would always be a list of talented writers and actors who are more than willing to be a part once again of documentaries, films, soap operas, and comedy series.

References

Boarts, C. (2002) Taking a look at four popular reality TV shows. [online]. Available [Accessed 16 October 2006].

Burgess, S.  (2004). Forced to Watch: Reality TV. [online] Thetyee.ca. Available from:             <https://thetyee.ca/Entertainment/2004/01/26/Forced_to_Watch_Reality_TV/>.

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Federmann, G. (2000). Darwinism in Reality-Based TV Shows. [online]. Available from:          < http://www.nyu.edu/classes/keefer/nature/feder.html>. [Accessed 16 October 2006].

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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO DESCRIBE TELEVISION AS A DOMESTIC TECHNOLOGY? HOW DOES ITS PRIMARY POSITION IN THE HOME SHAPE ITS FORMS AND USES? The act of television consumption occurs in technological, social and cultural forms, which concurrently effect the impact television has on everyday life as a domestic technology. The relationship between these elements is the basis for understanding television consumption. Television today is among the most commonly undertaken leisure activities, yet it is typically viewed as a mundane activity as a result of it’s domestic introduction to households.

The initiation of television into the domestic home developed over time to become a routine leisure activity. For more than half a century television has been an intimate part of the life of most populations. ‘It can be extraordinarily powerful because it sits right in the middle of all that mundaneness’ (Potter, 1993). Television was first broadcast to the public in London 1929 by the BBC network. In the US, commercial broadcasting began in 1939 as a domestic medium developed to provide programming for entertainment.

Housing was democratized after the Second World War, and television made its domestic appearance as an essential part of that process. Prior to the 1940’s, private housing was not capable of facilitating a television set. Houses lacked proper electricity, gas facilities and hygiene causing incentive to spend as much time out of the home as possible. ‘Domestication became the solution to urbanization, industrialization and population explosion in the nineteenth century’ (Geraghty & Lusted 1998). Creating an incentive for domesticity solved the uncontrolled working class problem.

That incentive began with television. For TV to succeed, consumers had to be at home. To be at home, they needed both capital investment in the home to maintain activities there, as well as an ‘ideology of domesticity which would maintain their pleasures there rather than in the street, pub, cinema, music-hall or even in brothels or communism’ (Geraghty & Lusted 1998). Throughout the 1940s and 1950s ‘mass’ private housing was perfected as the necessary precondition for televisio. This movement promoted the values of domesticity by creating an incentive to spend time at home.

Television became a medium for the association of the home with the ideology of domesticity. It has grown to represent private life, suburbia, consumption, ordinariness, heterosexuality, family-building, hygiene and the ‘femininization’ of family governance (Geraghty & Lusted, 1998). Shortly after the domestication of television, women became the focus for a number of campaigns to achieve social compliance, focusing on hygiene and domesticity. Women attracted men towards the home as they promoted comfort, cleanliness, cooking, security and regular sex.

This ideology of domesticity was promoted through political and commercial campaigns. They were based upon existing aspects of respectable life like religion, femininity, thrift, shame, privacy, self-help and property. The home became a lifestyle in itself and the activities it was expected to sustain. These associations of domesticity have ineradicably become a part of the TV’s textuality. ‘Television viewing is integrated with the routines through which the rituals of everyday domestic life are constructed’ Grossberg(1987).

The ways television consumption is performed depends greatly on various types of social, cultural and household influences. Culture, domestic space, social structure, lifestyle and income, among many other factors all effect the consumption of television in any home. These influences concurrently determine the role of television and the way it is consumed. The television is ultimately a pervasive item of furniture, which is central to the contemporary concept of the home. The TV set is a symbolic object of commodity culture as the choice of television purchased reflects upon its owner.

Its relationship to commodity culture is further symbolized by its location in the household. Television is not only an integral part of individual’s lives; it has also become integral to their households physically, focally and socially. Most Western homes are arranged to accommodate the television rather than arranging the television to suit the home. Homes are typically organized to use the television as the main feature of the living space. Viewing is influenced greatly by the location of the TV in the home. The availability of space within a household impacts upon viewing practices.

This technology will often be used to create personal space in a restricted environment. The TV may be used in small homes to avoid conflict and lessen the tensions of spatial privacy. In small homes the room must be used for many purposes, which requires the need for negotiation between family members. Larger, wealthier homes may have more TV’s causing an increase in private space. This may lead to less conflict and friction because personal TV preferences are not an issue. While the television can be used as a medium for privacy it is also effective in terms of developing social relationships.

Families are considered to be the fundamental units of society. Examinations of family leisure have consistently demonstrated a positive relationship between family recreation and the success of family functioning. In modern society, leisure is the single most important factor in developing healthy relationships between husbands and wives as well as between parents and their children. The inclusion of the television in the home allows families to always have a leisure activity available to participate in together.

Such viewing experiences can provide one of the best opportunities for communication among families today. The household has become a major unit of consumptions and major market focus, yet the public is not well informed about the processes of consumption and its relationship with domestic time, space and actions. Though influences within the household can affect the ways in which television is consumed, television also affects the dynamics of household consumption and use of goods, services and meanings.

It defines that homes relationship to the outside world. The last forty years have shown major increases in the diversity of consumption of technologies in households. Advertising through television has greatly impacted this. Television as an object of consumption has a complex economy of meanings. It is both a technology as well as a carrier of meaning. The purchase of televisions as a commodity gains meaning by the intention of the consumer. The type of TV purchased, its location in the home, and its use all signify something about the owner.

The associations, which develop as a result of purchase, are all influenced by social measures. Consumption is a general process of the construction of meaning. (Douglas & Isherwood. 1978). It is concerned with ‘the internalization of culture in everyday life’. Which is the re contextualization of the alienating possibilities of everyday life. (Miller,1987, 212) Television is often assigned a kind of everyday piority which means that other interactions take place around and throughout the watching of it. Television is a catalyst for forms of domestic organization of time and space.

It is often a determining factor in how households organize their setup and everyday timetables. Disagreements may arise about the choices of broadcast content, or sheer quantity of viewing as well as differences of opinion about whether the set should be on in shared living spaces. Television content can often take priority for some over the more monotonous aspects of the household, a spouse for example. Most domestic conflicts today are not concerned with what is on television but rather about completing chores when opposed to luxury of viewing.

TV today has become so entwined with every day culture in the home that people will often constantly be watching television while concurrently doing other things. The television continues to prevail over other outdated technologies, as it is so deeply immersed in everyday life that it would seem outrageous for the television to be excluded from the home. Historians and theorists of mass culture have commented widely on the electronic foundations of the mass media and their role in the evolution of modern consumer capitalism.

Following the decline of a competitive market structure and furthering it, advanced capitalism creates an expanded sphere of consumption where the needs of the individual are defined, shaped and administered in the interest of high consumption levels and increased market control (Baran & Sweezy 1966). A culture of consumerism meeting these requirements has been largely through mass communications, representing an unprecedented joining of economic and cultural forces through which the meanings and structure of consumption are constituted throughout the realm of daily life.

Previous research into the television audience does not consider the new environment in which television exists; the environment today is both technological and social. This new environment needs to be taken into account when studying the effects TV has on everyday lives. The consumption habits among households need to be viewed with the social, economic and technological aspects of the domestic sphere as central influences.

Televisions audience needs to be understood in terms of a set of practices that are routine and ritual yet also embedded in the various multiple dimensions of domesticity. References. Dennis Potter, Potter on Potter, ed. Grahem Fuller, 1993:122. Douglas, Mary & Isherwood, Baron. The World of Goods. London and New York Press. 1978 Geraghty, Christine & Lusted, David. The Television Studies Book. Arnold Publishing. 1998. Isherwood, Baron. The World of Goods. 1978. Grossberg, L. ‘The In-Difference of TV’. Screen, 28, 2. 1987 Sweezy, P. & Baran, P. A. – Monopoly Capital [1966]

TV in my Country There are two main purposes of TV: educating/informing people and entertaining people. In this essay, I will look at how well TV in Britain, my country, achieves those purposes. The first purpose of TV is to inform and educate viewers. TV stations should regularly present national and international news. In addition, they should educate people about current affairs, health, history and science. British TV stations have regular news coverage. They also have several shows that discuss the economy, politics and other current affairs issues, such as the BBC’s Question Time.

In addition, there are several good shows about health matters. For example, I recently saw a program called Healthwatch on the BBC which informed viewers on how to reduce the risk of getting heart disease. What is more, there are some excellent programs about history on the BBC 2. To illustrate, last week I saw a program about Alexander the Great, which included many interesting facts about his life. For instance, he never lost a war in his life, and he started leading his army at the age of 16. Lastly, British TV has some excellent science shows. For example, two days ago I watched a program called Survival which is about nature.

It showed how tigers look after their babies. Consequently, you can see from the above information that British TV stations are very effective at informing and educating viewers. Another purpose of TV is to entertain viewers. Good entertainment includes comedy shows, drama, movies, music shows and sports programs. British TV shows often show excellent comedy shows such as Friends. Furthermore, there are many drama shows, movies and music shows on British TV. For example, a popular show is Coronation Street which is a soap opera about the lives of ordinary people.

British TV also has some excellent shows on sport. For example Match of the Day is a show which discusses the highlights of football matches that took place earlier in the day. However, there are very few live football games on British TV. Therefore, I can say that British TV performs very well at entertaining people. On the other hand, I would be happy if there were more live football games. In short, British TV is excellent at its purpose of educating and informing viewers. It is also generally effective at entertaining people. However, there should be more live football games.

As we already know, television has changed the world and how we view it. In today’s world, majority of what we see on the television ranges from violence to sexuality to profanity. There is no doubt that whatever is shown on the television can not only easily influence the behaviour of adults, but also the most vulnerable minds which is that of young children. Television can greatly affect the development of the brain in young children. Not only that, but the amount of time spent on the television can be detrimental to children’s physical health.

Television has a negative impact on children that can affect them in numerous ways including mentally, emotionally, and physically. So the question is, what impact does the television have on our children’s mental health? The first two years of life are the most critical for the development of the brain. This means that young children’s brains are more open to learning and enriching influences. It also means that young children’s brain are much more vulnerable to developmental problems should their environment be negative or un-nurturing.

Many studies on the effects of TV violence on children have found that children become immune or numb to the horror of violence and accept violence as a way to solve problems. This means that the viewing of television violence by children can cause aggressiveness which means more violent children who will grow into violent adults. Children are our number one imitators. Just ask any mother whose had her 3 year old daughter walk into the kitchen with bright red lipstick smudged all over her lips and eye shadow covering their entire eye. Why?

Because that’s what she sees her mother do every single morning before she leaves for work. Point is, what children see, children do. Television can also affect some of the most important areas of children’s life, like the classroom. Results of an investigation done by the Quebec Longitudinal Study of child development exposure showed that watching too much TV as toddlers resulted in a 7% decrease in classroom engagement as well as these children have a harder time focusing in the class. We cannot continue to set our children up for failure.

Letting something like the television which parents have so much control over, control us is only harming our children. Not only does television affect children’s mental development, but also their physical health. A television often takes the place of interactive experiences that children are supposed to be a part of. A child who watches more than 2 hours of television a day has a 17% of becoming obese, a 15% chance of having cardiovascular system problems, and an increase of cholesterol in the blood.

Now what do you usually have beside you when you’re watching your favorite daytime soap opera? Yep, you got it, a bowl of potato chips! This is exactly what children do when they’re watching their TV shows. Deneke 2 Kids are starting to become less active and lazier and it’s becoming a greater risk factor for adulthood obesity. If parents don’t start taking responsibility of what they’re letting their children do, their kids are going to be pointing their finger to their parents asking why they let them do this while signing up for the 30th season of “The Biggest Loser”.

Excessive television viewing among young children has been linked to negative impacts on early brain development, and lifelong physical health. Early exposure to television can affect a child’s mental development as well as physical health. So parents replace those TV’s in your children bedrooms with books and do more fun and active activities with your kids so your child doesn’t become one of these statistics.

PESTEL Political

The theatre is subsidized by the public purse in the form of local authorities and the arts council (Arts council, 2010). However, funding is under continual pressure after cuts made to the arts budget by the coalition government (Mintel, 2012). This has been evident since 2008 where the arts council of England stopped funding of the theatre meaning it is only supported by Winchester City Council, Hampshire city council, sponsors and friends of Theatre Royal Winchester (Burn, 2008), for example, sponsorship from the Hampshire Chronicle and wave FM (Theatre Royal Winchester, 2012).

This could have an impact on the Theatre industry as it may mean they are forced to take a more commercial approach and lead to increased prices to ensure that they stay afloat. A recent 2012 survey on local authority arts spending by Arts Development UK has revealed there is a decline in partnership work between Arts Councils and local authorities. Also, 47 local authority arts services have closed since 2003 and average expenditure on the arts is 16% down on 2010 and 38% down since 2008 and 15% of local authorities in England and Wales have lost their arts services since 2000.

The outlook is also looking bleak as Chief Cultural and Leisure Officers Association reveals a planned 15% cut to arts services for 2012-13. The local Government Association is warning that unless central government policy changes, local funding for arts in England and Wales will have practically disappeared by 2020. The distribution of Arts Council funding across the English regions reveals a considerable imbalance: London gets over 50%, Midlands 12% and South East only 4% (2010-11 figures) (Gillet, 2013).

Economical Due to the UK market slipping back into recession, this continues to restrain consumer spending and the performing arts as a whole are not immune from this common trend as the spending power of customers is hindered. It is also evident that household incomes have been restricted by high inflation and static earnings further hindering spending power and consumer confidence (Mintel, 2012), meaning that consumers have less disposable income to spend on items such as the theatre.

However, because of this trends in recent years have seen a fall in holiday trips taken abroad and therefore seen an increase in domestic holidays and theatre breaks are a popular form of weekend break and tourists spend is an important source of revenue for the theatre business (Mintel, 2012) as the west end enjoyed record box sales in 2011 for the 8th consecutive year (BBC, 2011). Social

The theatre is seen to be most popular with those ranging from 35-55+ who account for 66% of theatre attendees showing that they are an ageing demographic with a strong female bias (Mirror, 2012) suggesting that the theatre is struggling to attract younger audience members as it may not be seen as attractive too them. Danny Boyle was quoted saying “”Theatre sustains local communities and does very positive things for local economies. But it also gives a sense of belonging” (Youngs, 2012) and are therefore hugely important part of the UK and British culture. Technological

New technology is having a huge affect on the theatre industry. The ownership of mobile devices such as smartphones and Tablets are playing there role in this age of technology, as is the quality of TV’s, HD, 3D and the content that you can see within your own home that is most threatening to the theatre industry (Mintel, 2012). Technology is also being used in the form of multiple camera angles and high-definition technology, allowing Digital Theatre (2013) to bring the drama and emotion of each production to a global online audience to those who otherwise would not have seen the performance.

Environmental- Environmental issues for the theatre can take several shapes and forms. For example they can include things such as energy bills and sets being scrapped at the end of performances especially for smaller theatres, as they cannot afford the storage. Bus miles generated by companies on tour and the audiences travelling into town are also factors that can be linked in with the theatre. There is also paper for the flyers, posters, programs and scripts that may be wasted and demands on power from theatre foyers, bars and offices, as well as the many exit signs that, by law, must be lit round he clock (Fisher, 2007) all add up and can prove costly for the theatre. There are several licenses that a business such as a theatre need to adhere to and these are monitored by bodies such as the Environmental Agency (2013) who aim to “protect and improve the environment, and to promote sustainable development. ” Legal- Health and safety law applies to theatres as it does to other businesses. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and related legislation places duties on employers, employees, the self-employed and those in control of premises.

The responsibilities include things such as working at height and manual handling as these are the two areas where most accidents/injuries occur (HSE, 2013) The Winchester theatre also holds 14 licenses ranging from food to alcohol licensing which must be handled with care responsibility. There are also important contracts between the theatre itself and the touring company’s/performers that must not be breached (Courtice, 2013).

Reference List

1. BBC, (2011) West end ticket sales hit ? 528 Million in 2011. Available at: http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/entertainment-arts-16795432 [Accessed 01/03/2013] Courtice, Mark (2013).
2. Lecture at Oxford Brookes University. 19/03/2013 Digital Theatre, (2013). Available at: http://www. digitaltheatre. com [Accessed 01/03/2013] Fisher, M. (2007). The Guardian. Alas, Poor Planet.
3. Available at: http://www. guardian. co. uk/environment/2007/feb/07/energy. theatre [Accessed 01/03/2013] Gillet, John. (2013). Local Authority Cutbacks: A report on Theatres 18/01/2013. Available at: http://www. lost-arts. org/local-authority-cutbacks-theatres/ [Accessed 06/03/2013]
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6. Theatre Goers Available at: http://audiences. visualdna. com/mirror/audience/entertainment/theatre_goers [Accessed 01/03/2012]
7. Theatre Royal Winchester, (2012). Available at: http://www. theatre-royal-winchester. co. uk [Accessed 01/03/2013] Young’s, I. (15th Nov 2012)
8. “Danny Boyle voices regional theatre fears”. Available at http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/entertainment-arts-20338771 [Accessed 03/03/2013]