Televisions are increasingly becoming in use in the current century. The primary benefit of televisions is for entertainment purposes and information motives. However, what contribution does Television as a channel of mass media have in shaping the culture within society? Televisions are associated with several positive programs with various tastes and preferences from the audience. Thus, it is evident that the multiple programs incorporated within the Televisions, be it for information or entertainment purposes, play an influential role in shaping up the current culture of the society.
Furthermore, the diversity of these programs has improved the nature and shape of the community based on the cultural policies that are continuing to develop. Televisions influence many individuals by gender, race, and class (Felani et al., Pg 21-26). As far as the American culture is concerned, several cultures globally have been shaped by stereotypes propagated through television programs.
Television has shaped the cultural aspect and view of racism. Initially, there was a deep root of racism within several cultures worldwide until Televisions as mass media channels took over. Racism became too rampant such that some cultural perceptions and stereotypes were held within the culture of various groups on racism and its prospects. However, Television has shaped this cultural perception of racism as a mass media channel. In addition, efficient moves are made by the various television programs towards ensuring that there is zero tolerance of the culture of racism that was initially dominant in the society (Viswanathan, L., & Vernachio Pg. 556-567). One of the elaborate programs incorporated in most American televisions is the Black Lives Matter program that addressed the issues of racism.
This television program was formed immediately after the death of George Floyd (Clayton). Educational constructs and information were passed through the programs that enlightened the society of the evil behind racism. Thus, it is a clear illustration of how Television as a channel of mass media has shaped the culture of racism. Another television program that has been key in shaping various cultures’ racist stereotypes and perceptions is ‘Dear White People. This Television show has been aired on multiple televisions, including CNN, since 2017. The motives and the educational constructs behind the show have shaped the cultural perception of racism, thus shaping the entire culture regarding racial matters.
In addition, several other TV shows advocate for racism and social justice, an aspect that shapes society’s culture at various ages. Some of these programs in Television have ensured that the cultural perception stereotypes on racism are shaped from the initial and primary levels of development, that is, at the tender ages. An example of a television show that has ensured that the cultural stereotype of racism is shaped is Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism. This is a TV show and program that is aired on CNN. The show is age-sensitive and can be watched by kids from three years and above. The central aspect incorporated within the play suggests cultural elements that would bring about acceptance of diversity within the society. The TV show was inspired by George Floyd’s death and the protests that followed. The first aspect of the show is that there is diversity in color with unity in operation and acting. Thus, it is another display of how Television as a channel of mass communication has ensured the shaping of various cultural aspects as far as the racist stereotypes and cultural part is concerned.
Various societies’ important and ethical cultural activities have always faced advocacy from multiple televisions. This aspect has made the culture of various organizations continue upholding the cultural norms that are ethical and positive. Peaky Blinders, a famous television show, is a perfect demonstration of how televisions have shaped the culture of various societies and the world at large. In this TV show, Tommy Shelby, a dangerous man, engages the Peaky Blinders, a famous gang based in Birmingham, in weird fights and criminal activities. Later on, the TV show demonstrates how Chester Campbell, an inspector, shutters down Tommy Shelby. He is nabbed and put to the end of his criminal activities alongside his gang (Bielińska, Pg. 34-45). Thus, it is crystal clear how Television has advocated for ethical, cultural practices in society. In addition, this TV show ends while giving a condemning picture of all criminal activities incorporated within various cultures.
Culture has shifted away from holding and conforming to criminal practices that may affect the social being in society. This shaping of cultural norms aligned to crime has faced an upper hand from Television. The most significant aspect of televisions that shapes the culture to conform to ethical practices are the programs that are incorporated within the stations. Signal, a South Korean TV show, was voted the best TV script considering the motives behind the story. The show demonstrates the necessity of eliminating criminal practices and acts within society as part of the upheld cultural practices. As a result, alongside other shows of the same intentions, the show has ensured that culture is effectively shaped. In addition, based on crime within various cultures, the educational programs set in place by the television stations have confirmed that there are more excellent moves towards shaping the society’s culture to be a culture that is free from crime. Most of these programs and shows, such as the Signal, can be watched with age, an aspect that ensures that the shaping of culture begins from a tender age as it rises.
Televisions are considered mirrors of society through a focus on the cultural practices upheld within the community. The news that televisions display plays a significant role in shaping the cultures of various individuals and ethnic groups in society. While airing news, the main intention that different television stations have is to ensure that it condemns the diverse and unethical cultural aspects that happen in various parts of the world (Lotz, Pg. 800-801). A critical culture that televisions have shaped as mass media channels is feminism and male domination. Initially, women were perceived to be considerably low individuals in the community regarding their capability and respect to them. However, with the authority of Television alongside other mass communication channels such as social media, radios, and movies, women’s degradation as an awful cultural aspect has significantly reduced.
This culture has been eliminated through the various women advocacy programs incorporated within multiple television shows and stations. A sample of a television program that shaped the feminist cultural stereotype is ‘Fleabag.’ The Television show was aired between 2016 and 2019 and was voted to be among the culturally sensitive television shows that advocated for the position of women in society. In the show program, there is a lady known as Fleabag. She has no filters and managed to maneuver her way through life and love despite the tragedy he faces and the kind of society that is feminism sensitive and upholds the culture of feministic diversity and inequality. This TV show enlightened society on the necessity to ensure equality between both genders, thus shaping the cultural stereotypes based on gender.
Male chauvinism is a culture that Television has shaped by incorporating other programs such as debates that are live on air with individual contributions and giving out of-held views aligned to the matter. Reuters, a famous television station, has incorporated a program that allows for the participation of various members of society. Participation is characterized by presenting the different stereotypes that are culturally held on the chauvinistic aspect of society. Through the program, considering that televisions can reach several individuals in the community, there has been a positive impact in shaping the vice of chauvinistic cultural view. All these programs have impacted the gender stereotype because the channel of mass communication can reach out to several members of society. In addition, the visual illustrations made while addressing this issue of gender bias in society and within various cultures make the shaping aspect of the culture relatively easier and efficient. Other stations addressing the element of gender bias in cultural perceptions are CNN, FOX News through the news being aired, and the Voice of America (VOA).
In several television stations, there are special programs that focus on gender-based violence aspect. The culture of gender-based violation has been dominant, with a decreasing graph only visible in the recent past. Televisions have played a significant role in the depreciation of cases of gender-based violence with various societal cultures. The aspect of gender-based violence is tied to the feministic ideologies and stereotypes upheld within the society’s culture. Within these programs, the television stations have altered the perceptions of the cultural stereotypes that propagated the vice. As a result, the aspect of GBV has been perceived as a total vice with several diverse cultures. Besides the efforts made by other mass communication channels, televisions have played a significant role in shaping the culture based on gender-based violence (Cheema, Pg. 8-12).
Furthermore, there has been occasional news analysis on cases of gender-based violence with various diverse cultures. This analysis condemns the culture of GBV, thus ensuring that there is a downward trend in such issues within society. As a result, this culture has been significantly altered and shaped.
A better illustration of how Television has effectively shaped culture based on gender-based violence is through the campaign posts aired within various Television. Between 2016-2018, a campaign post was aired on multiple American television stations that advocated for the aspect of gender-based violence. The post reached numerous individuals, an element that made it easier to shape the culture. Within the center, some messages illustrated the negatives within gender-based violation practices incorporated within the culture. Thus, the mass outreach of television stations made it easier for the culture of gender-based violation to be demystified and eliminated. Courtesy of these programs and posts that Television makes, alongside the mass outreach conferred to Television as a mass communication channel, this aspect of culture has been able to be reshaped. The culture has been shaped by posters that the television stations aired and the news that was constantly aired and analyzed by the anchors that would condemn the cultural practice. All these aspects would reach out to the mass population that had access to Television, thus making it efficient to shape the culture.
In the recent era, people have been practicing cultural preferences from their consumption from televisions. Any aspect fed in the Television can reach out to various individuals in the society, an element that reshapes culture within the community. Culture entails a lot of preferences on the default way of living. In this era, televisions have altered and reshaped people’s everyday lives. Advertisements on televisions are majorly for business purposes. However, the advertisements have taken another move of reshaping the cultures within the society. A case illustration is an advertisement in CNN that emphasizes the need to ensure healthy living and eating while avoiding steroids. This post was able to reach many populations across the globe, thus shaping the various and diverse cultures within the world. Television has shaped how people eat and drink through the different awareness and promotional posts made within commercial breaks from effective programs. Thus, it is a clear indication of how televisions have reshaped the everyday life maintained by various cultures when it comes to health and diet to newer and recommended feeding methods. The health tradition and culture has as well faced reshaping from televisions.
Several programs are aired on televisions that address the better living conditions and adoptions recommended for better health. The recommended healthy living differs from the cultural living aspects (Lotz., Pg. 800-802. However, since there is more consumption of what comes from the media in the current era, the living styles have powerfully been shaped to a positive direction aimed at ensuring the society lives a healthy and infection-free life from the foods and drinks. Thus, this is another general aspect that televisions have shaped due to their mass outreach aspect. Other cultural elements that have been affected by televisions include perceptions of various technological advancements and diversification of operationalities within the global outreach. Cultural stereotypes were initially dormant and incompatible with the technological advances made in multiple sectors, including the health sector. However, the educational programs incorporated within Television have shaped culture to the extent that there is acceptance and conformation to the technological advancements that were initially unacceptable within the diverse culture.
In conclusion, the role that televisions, especially television programs incorporate, plays in shaping society’s culture is so distinct. These moves by the television programs are different from the altered standard ways of carrying out activities within the community. The usual ways seemed to be quite damaging. In turn, the programs have taken a better direction in ensuring that the wrong cultural perceptions and stereotypes are eliminated. A better foundation is laid to offer better grounds for reshaping cultural perceptions and stereotypes (Lotz., Pg. 800-802). Thus, alongside other mass communication channels such as films, radios, movies, and print media, televisions have played a more significant role in shaping the culture and cultural stereotypes. Perceptions of everyday life as per initial cultural stereotypes have been significantly influenced by Television, considering that it has access to various individuals just as other mass communication channels such as the internet. Thus, the role played by televisions in shaping culture is critical and vast compared to the mass media channels such as radios and films.
Works Cited
Hong, Pamela M., and Clayton D. Peoples. “The ties that mobilize us: Networks, intergroup contact, and participation in the Black Live Matter movement.” Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy (2020).
Cheema, M. (2018). Talk shows in Pakistan TV culture: Engaging women as cultural citizens. Feminist Encounters, 2(1), 8-12
Viswanathan, L., & Vernachio, B. (2021). Connecting Stereotypes of South Asians in the American Media to South Asian Teenagers’ Internalized Racism. Journal of Student Research, 10(2). 556-567
Bielińska, A. (2020). Masculine Guns and Feminine Tears: Gender Roles in Peaky Blinders TV show. 34-45
Lotz, A. D. (2020). The future of televisions, a response. Media, Culture & Society, 42(5), 800-802.
Putri, D. H., Rianto, P., & Felani, H. (2018). Local television and the construction of regional identities: case studies on two local televisions in Pekanbaru, Indonesia. Asian Journal of Media and Communication (AJMC), 2(1), 21-26.
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