A Lonely Winter Medium
All I
wanted to do last winter was cuddle up in bed with a hot drink and watch some
of my favorite movies. Every night for the winter break of 2011, before going
to bed I chose a movie I had not seen for a really long time and watched it. Even
though I had my family and friends around, in the evenings my best companion
became the TV in my bedroom.
Television has been around for nearly 90 years in the
commercial world. Its very beginnings were in the late 19th Century.
More surprisingly is how long it’s been present in most American households, “Since
the 1970s, 97% to 98% of U.S. households have owned a television,” (Grant and
Meadows 2010, p. 214). In my house alone, there are four television sets, one
for every person in the house, and only two have satellite connection.
One of my favorite theories in communication technology
is the media dependency theory, which states that it is, “An ecological theory
that attempts to explore and explain the role of media in society by examining dependency
relations within and across levels of analysis,” (Grant and Meadows 2010, p. 53).
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| My television. No satellite connection or cable. Favorite DVDs next to the TV. |
This past winter I entered a solitary play dependency
with my TV. I entertained myself alone, in my bedroom, every night by watching
a passionate unrealistic love story play out or the believable blood sucking
vampires of the Anne Rice series. Spending time alone like that, in front a
bright screen producing moving and speaking figurines gave me some sort of
peace and comfort every lonely and icy winter nights.
Most people I am sure are not as dependent on TV for self-entertainment.
As a matter of fact people have been brought together by television since the
1950s. The social play perspective is evident in the evening gatherings of families
who watched the news together as a family or a particular show. In most recent
years television at the bars and other gathering places use it to share some
common interest, that being mostly of sports. If you cannot get a Super Bowl
ticket, well you go to the bar or a friend’s house to witness the most
important event of the year.
Among other dimensions within this particular theory,
media dependency, there are also social understanding and self-understanding
dependencies formed with the medium of television
The History Channel with its various shows, help you
travel through time to learn about the ancient majestic kingdoms of Egypt, as
well as the potential disastrous future. What do you take away from shows as
“educational” as those shown in the History Channel? Possibly, you see the
world with different eyes, and learning about the past as well as the future
help you understand more of the world around you. Then if that realization is
possible you come to a social understanding
When you want to learn about yourself then you
probably watch “reality” TV shows. It is easier to relate to some types of
people who appear to have the same life as yours. Now, the big critique on
reality TV shows is that who can actually relate to the “Real Housewives” of
whatever? Or the over exposed and tanned to crispy brown color of the “Jersey
Shore” cast? Well, you can probably learn about yourself that you actually have
a better life than those wealthy empty souls or that you are actually one of
the smartest Americans compared to those thirty year old hollow heads. Maybe if
you find a show that really relates to you, you will learn something about
yourself that you didn’t know. Go on and watch Dr. Phil, see if he won’t put
you in place.
I enjoy television, as much as I do not like to admit
it. Today there is so much garbage on TV, that it’s channel surfing for me
every time I turn it on and I know I am not scheduled to watch my telenovela
(Mexican soap operas) or news. I do not watch that much anyways because I have
too much studying to do or I just rather not be a couch potato.
Television is not disappearing any time soon, even if
the internet gives you more flexibility to watch your shows. DVRs and other
play system devices that allow you to record or watch whatever you want
whenever you want still requires that 56 inch flat screen. Other functions of
television like cable and satellite TV are not leaving any time soon either,
too many people depend on the medium to project the learning or entertainment they
thirst for.
Me in particular, even though I do not have cable or
satellite in my room, I do have my screen and DVD player. I’d like it to be
there for every breakup or lonely nights to keep me company when no one else
can.
What do some of my
friends/followers think about television?
Hugo Valle, 15 years old, cousin from
El Salvador: Said that he finds TV entertaining but prefers the internet.
Andrew Hornback, junior
at IUS: “Don't watch TV because I'd rather study.”
Dario Darji, student at
UofL: “An archaic, outmoded medium of receiving information/entertainment from
the 20th century. Still in use by people who have not progressed to the 21st
century.”
Christina Corder, Alpha
Phi Omega—Delta Theta Historian: “I like to watch something that will leave me
craving more like the books I read do. Now I know that TV shall not consume my
life, but when I do get time to watch I take it as a chance to take a break
from homework/studying or to do that while during commercials.”
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