Can Television Improve Social and Political Life in the United States?

Throughout history television has been used to improve social and political life in the United States in many ways. Television reaches millions of viewers in the United States on a daily basis. It is an important form of communication and has been for many years. Television brings important historical events, both positive and negative, directly into the homes of America. People do not only read about current events, they experience them in real time. Society and Television Television can be used as an education tool because there are many television shows on the air that are informative and educational. The right television shows can teach our children about morals and values. Educational television is not only for children, television channels such as â€Å"National Geographic† and â€Å"The History Channel† can serve as learning tools for adults. There are also programs that educate society about problems and concerns about the social and political aspects in America. Since there is at least one television in each household, it is the best tool to use when airing news broadcasts used address a large audience (Csun. edu). Issues such as the large rate of unemployment or political happenings in the country are made known to the American public. Using television to educate those who do not know all of the facts and data related to issues of society is one way these issues can be addressed. Airing programs that address these issues during prime time news or highly watched shows would utilize the influence that television has and reach a large number of people at one time. One way to improve social life in the United States is to let the majority of the population know what is going on in America. When awareness is improved, news coverage and politics begin to get involved with the issues that the American people are concerned about. Political Television The television can be used to improve political life as well. The news stations cover and dramatize the news when it comes to politics. There is always a politician arguing over the latest issue that has arisen. Even though these types of arguments are sometimes dramatized, it gives the American people a chance to view both sides of an issue. Television also airs messages from politicians who are campaigning for seats in the Senate or House. This is useful with providing American people with knowledge about candidates and what they stand for. The American people get to see the pros and cons of one side versus the other side and then decide who they agree with. Television can improve political life by informing Americans about who stands for what and what the politician’s goals may be (abelard. org). A person is better suited to make a clear and conscious decision about who they want to vote for in any election through the information that television provides to the public. Television helps improve both social and political life in by raising awareness of social issues and informing people about political aspects that are going on in the United States.