Television Response Post

The television group presented a wide-scale analysis of the television industry, discussing its past, present, and future. Specifically, the group covered the history of television, it’s effects on culture, the progression of television programming since the 1950s, changes in technology, and careers in the television industry.

            The group presented in most detail the cultural effects of television. First, the group discussed the social learning theory: the tendency of audiences to emulate what they see on television. As an example, the group showed a clip from School House Rock, pointing out the tendency of young students to learn national history through the program’s songs. Next, the group discussed the stereotypes produced from television programs, such as MTV’s Skins. Third, the group presented the cultivation theory, the theory that people who spend more time watching television are more likely to receive the real world in the way it is depicted on television, and used a clip from Criminal Minds as an example. With the clip, the group brought to light the tendency of individuals to become more aware of crime as a result of crime dramas. Next, the group discussed the tendency of individuals to have emotional attachments to characters in a show, a concept defined as para-social relationships. Finally, the group discussed the role of television as an outlet to get away from the stresses of every day life. To illustrate this, the group showed an eyebrow-raising clip from the show Jerry Springer.

            The group also showed a number of television clips from the 1950s, clips from the 1980s, and clips from today. Perhaps missing from the presentation was the similarities among television shows from each time period. While the differences were evident and quickly pointed out, the similarities of each television program were not. The aspects of television that have withstood the test of time could have been an interesting and unique contribution to the presentation.

            On the whole, the group did an excellent job presenting television as a form of mass media. The details of television, from its inception to its modern-day uses, were presented to the class well, inspiring critical thinking and discussion among the class. With the information the group presented, the upcoming trip to NBC-13 will be even more interactive and informative as we see the hands-on uses of the topics the group discussed.