Television and its impact upon society

Television is one of the miracles of science. It has revolutionized the
human outlook and is serving as a faithful servant to humanity. Mankind is
obliged to Baird, who invented the television and made it possible to present
moving, talking, living and breathing pictures of men and events on screen. It
has influenced our culture in every respect.

Man is born in the stream of culture and must continually swim in it. The
whole society has a culture consisting of material and non- material
substances.

All cultures have the same basic organization, although the cultural traits
developed by different societies vary from one to another. All the parts or
components of culture are influenced by television in the modern age.

Cultural traits are the single elements or the smallest units of a culture.
They are the “Units of Observation” which when put together constitute culture.
The invention of television has enabled us to enjoy and see with our own eyes
thousands of cultural traits and different people living in different
communities of different countries.

Thus shaking hands, touching the feet, tipping hats, the kiss on the cheeks
as gestures of affection, giving seats to ladies first, eating in brass
utensils, etc. are the cultural traits which have got great significance in our
cultural development only because of TV. These traits are regarded as
elementary units of culture.

Cultural traits are formed when traits and complexes become related to each
other in functional roles. Television influences our cultural values through
cultural complexes also. Cultural complexes are nothing but larger clusters of
traits organized about some nuclear point of reference.

Cultural traits, as we know, do not usually appear lonely or independently.
They are customarily associated with other related traits to form cultural
complexes. Each, cultural complex has a role, to play in different societies It
has got a definite place within the overall scheme of things. The cultural
pattern of a society consists of a number of such cultural complexes.

Thus, many other countries have such cultural patterns, as Socialism,
Marxism and many others. Each of these is a culture complex, consisting of
numerous cultural traits which we see and learn through TV.

There are many basic cultural traits. For instance, patterns of
communication, gesture and language methods and objects for providing man’s
physical welfare, getting food, personal care, shelter, tools, etc., means of
exchange of goods and services, barter, trade, commerce, etc.

programmes about social controls and institutions of government, public
opinion, laws and political offices are also shown on TV. So are programmes
concerning artistic expression, architecture, painting, music literature dance
and other recreational activities of different communities.

Culture is defined as the acquired behavior of a group. It means that there
will be as many cultures as there are groups. Culture is a distinct character
of a nation, of a group or a period of history. That is why we speak of the cultures
of India, of Japan or of America. Invention of TV has enabled us to know about
the cultures of these different countries.

Sometimes individual peculiarities or personal eccentricities also influence
cultural behavior. It is culture that makes the human animal a man, regulates
his conduct and prepares him for group life. It provides to him a complete
design for living.

Culture keeps social relationships intact. Culture has provided a number of
checks upon irrational conduct and suggestibility such things as schooling and
scientific training. TV is also a great source of amusement. A man, after day’s
hard work, may switch on his television set and derive immense pleasure by
seeing dramas, variety entertainments, film songs and films on TV.

He is to feel greatly relieved of days fatigue
and would find as if fresh energy is being infused into his tired limbs. TV has
acquired an important status in the modern age because of its various cultural
programmes. Influence of developed cultures of different countries has got
great significance in our cultural values. It is also hoped that influence of
different developed cultures will influence our cultural development in future
by the grace of God.