How Television Has Affected Our Lives

The television has evolved from the days of being an ostentatious product to one of extreme importance. Children, parents and professionals have been known to swear by it, and modern society's dependence on the television is much like that of a cripple and his crutch. It is undeniably the most powerful form of mass media today, and indeed, life would seem almost empty, meaningless even, without it.

Known affectionately as 'the tube', studies have shown that most people would not permanently give up television viewing, even for a million dollars. Talkshow host Oprah Winfrey once conducted a test, challenging American citizens to live without the television for a month. The result? Many failed. Apparently the television has too much to offer in terms of entertainment and information.

The most significant source of information on television is the news. The viewer is kept up-to-date on the latest happenings, as the television bombards him with efficient on-the-spot coverage, exclusive interviews, and flashy newscasters leaving the radio and the newspaper lagging far behind. Because most people now would have instant access to television in their homes - almost every family in Singapore owns a television - it is the most popular way of relaying information. Even in defence, the television is used in the mobilization of armed units.

However, the television is not merely limited to the news when it comes to information. The Teletext, or INtv, is a good way to keep up with the latest in stocks, sports, and news among others. In even provides airport departure and arrival times, weather (both local and foreign) and bits of leisure like recipes and children stories.

Programmes on television also give the viewer plenty of other information. Documentaries, whether on wildlife or ghosts, offer extensive coverage. Current affairs programmes give more in-depth reports plus analysis.

The invention of television was probably intended for entertainment, and it remains rightly so. The different kinds of programmes television has to offer is mouthwatering. Box-office movies, cartoons, dramas, 'live' sports, art -- the sky's the limit! The cinema may provide a better effect, the amusement park more thrills, and that chess game more intriguing, but the television is both convenient and cheap. And with the growing popularity of laser discs, karaoke, and video games, the television as a source of entertainment is further enhanced. Most people would definitely find it difficult to do without the television in this aspect.

The importance of television in the lives of modern day man can be seen in worldwide popularity, and its legion of fans who remain unmoved by the rapid influx of virtual reality games, high-tech performances and compact discs. The television is able to give the viewer anything he wants to watch, and because it caters to various tastebuds, it would not be long before you scan the T.V. guide and find a programme to your interest.

We cannot live without the television simply because it has no substitute. The advent of the personal computer may seem as a threat but it would probably be linked up to the television, and when it does make 'the tube' go the way of the dodo, it would be many generations from now.

Though not all of us are 'couch potatoes', the grip that television has on us is simply unavoidable. The importance of the television should not be understated, and because much has become so reliant on it, it as an appliance we cannot do without. Life without the television set is like the Stone Age, it would be a very big step back, as it is the television that keeps us all sane.