Television resembles …show more content…
Borgmann explains, “If television is in fact so typical of technological culture and of consumption, the common attitude toward it may explain why technological leisure keeps us both enthralled and unhappy” (142). Friends and family shun away from television. It is considered taboo to state how many hours of television is watched within the household each night. We become mournful of our lost traditions and practices longing to hold onto the past as much as possible, but we continue to allow the television to dominate and dictate our lives. Entire rooms are designated within the home for family viewing. Television programs are programed at meal times to gain the highest views, thus tearing families away from the family dinner table. Even though the television is seen as culturally degrading, it remains because it continues to promise …show more content…
A study conducted in 2008 by William Benoit of the University of Missouri-Columbia found the level of negativity in presidential television campaign ads is increasing every campaign season (William Benoit). The study found that in ads from 1952-2004 the candidates averaged 40 percent personal attacks in the television ads. In the 2008 presidential election, Obama average 68 percent negative ads and McCain averaged 62 percent negative ads. This illustrates something the television is doing to our culture that is not easily seen. Our culture is becoming more cut off from each other. In other words our culture is becoming more individualistic. The television is an avenue to attack others about something that bothers the individual. No individual is physically hurt in the attack, right? The attacks are to the point where the amount of negativity poisons the individuals doing the attacking and the underlying