Screen and Society: The Impact of Television Upon Aspects of Contemporary Civilization

Abstract: Television has become an integral and important part of life in the Western world; its impacts on society, both good and bad, are largely unassessed. In an effort to focus attention on important questions, a collection of essays addresses such concerns as: the pervasiveness of television; its effects on movies, sports and live entertainment; its effects on education, the political process, culture, popular tastes, family life, sociability, and initiative; its influences on the urban crisis; and its role as a business or as a government agency. As indications of the many influences of television, consider the increase in violent crime, decrease in magazine and newspaper circulation, growth in popularity of ballet, importance of celebrities, or the $10 billion spent on receivers. While television has great potential as an educational medium, it has been accused of inhibiting the learning process and contributing to perceptual aberrations. If television is to be harnessd as a useful tool, its applications must be better understood.