Television

It’s remarkable to think about how much television has changed throughout the last decade. I honestly can’t remember television shows before reality TV and raunchy teenybopper shows. If you consider what we watch nowadays, it is so much dirtier than before. I remember television shows where it was unheard of to cuss or even allude to sex. Not to mention alluding to characters being gay. Now with shows like Glee and Secret Life of an American Teenager discussions of sex and gays are prominent. Even same sex kissing has become a normal occurrence of television shows. Socially, these shows set a very clear example of what is expected in today’s society. We feel that we are encouraged to explore our sexuality and follow it wherever it may lead. What happened to shows that taught ethical and moral values? It makes me scared to have children knowing these are the influences that will teach them wrong morals.

On the other hand, every major television channel isn’t complete without it’s fair share of reality shows. There is a reality show for every genre imaginable. Dating shows like The Bachelor give desperate women a chance to win a guy’s heart. Even MTV has their take on dating where the individuals in the show are given obscure nicknames and use any (and I mean ANY) means necessary to interest the guy. And the competition shows like Survivor and So You Think You Can Dance give individuals a chance to win loads of money. I mean there are so many shows on every channel that I can’t even name them all. Reality television has become so prevalent that it is a bit ridiculous. But somehow society is absorbed in watching other people do silly things. It’s intoxicating, I even found myself having to pick and choose my reality shows so they don’t overlap in airings. Oh, but now with recordable TV, our show choice is almost endless. We can watch one show while we are recording another and watch that one later. And we can fast forward through those pesky commercials that find there way right in the middle of a juicy part of the show. So what do we do with all the television has to offer?