AMERICAN ARTIFACT ESSAY

A LIVING (POPULAR) AMERICAN ARTIFACT - TELEVISION

Artifact is usually a simple object showing human work and representing a culture or a stage in the development of a culture. It can be placed in various categories like religion, daily life, arts and entertainment, war and communication.

American artifact helps us to define American culture.It can also reveal important details about how the people in a culture lived. Viewing objects from both our past and our present will helps us to define what it is to be an American and also helps us to understand that very thing which makes us who we are.

Most of the times the artifacts our culture produces are forgotten or taken for granted. However, one of the cultural artifacts that really represents and defines American culture is the Television. Television has had a tremendous impact on society ever since it was invented. A large part of how we see and live life today is determined and affected by television in terms of traditions, values and norms.

The life style of people in America before television was totally different. They used to be more active. The kids used to do more outdoor activities. There was lot of interaction between family members, especially kids and their parents, and because of this there was lot of love and affection in the family. However, with the invention of television people have become more lazier and as families no longer spend quality time together the relationships are not as strong as they used to be.

Television has greatly influenced the Americans. The average American watches up to 30-40 hours of TV every week. Television, radio, newspapers and magazines shape your ideas and behavior... (Culture Jam pg.2). However, these new teachings are not always in line with what we were taught prior to television.  We see ads on TV and decided where to shop, eat, and travel. We are told what to wear, where to go and what car to drive there in. The list is endless for the amount of information transported into our homes everyday, changing the way people live and react to life situations.

With the advancement of new technologies television have become more universal with what they can do. People in America can now play video games, watch movies, play music, watch news instantly and even surf the internet in high definition without leaving or missing a meal. They have become totally dependent on TV for relaxation, for companionship, or just to ward off boredom.

Entertainment in America began as a side activity. It was a way to relax or sort of release from working world. Unfortunately people today are spending half of their waking lives in virtual environment. They let entertainment rule and guide their schedule. They sit before the TV passively hour after hour barely moving except to eat. This unhealthy dependence on TV is affecting the physical and mental well-being of people. Today television controls the direction of society and as a source of media it also has a strong effect on our society in several ways.