by Morgan Carlson

Created on: August 05, 2009

At the very beginning, television was an informational tool as any other piece of new technology starts out. However, it was long until the news was competing with entertainment. Then even after that, entertainment and sports began to contend with the struggles of various dramas and movie re-showings much later.

In the modern age, television encompasses nearly every topic and branch of life. It doesn't matter what it is, when it is on, or what it is about, you are sure to find it on the television. Whether that television is in a box, stretched out on a flat screen, against the wall, or even in our pockets, television has remained in much the same place in our lives, with us in front of it.

However, with changing times and changing technology, there are certainly people that are changing as well. With shows lacking originality, cable prices too high, too many needless channels, and some things just not worth watching, people are making the gradual movement away from the television in favor of other things. Where some people have removed television completely, more satisfied with the convenience of selecting what they want to watch and when, right off the internet and through their monitors that rival flat-screen televisions. One has to wonder if this is the slow removal of the television influence in our lives.

Yet for those who grew with the television, their allegiance is unwavering. The place of television in the lives of the older generations is a firm one that gives them options they can relate to. Something that computers can't replace is the ease and simplicity of the television systems that have long been a part of their lives and never filled with the troubles and problems computers face. After all, when was the last time a television failed or crashed, fell victim to a virus or a worm and betrayed information? The thing is that the normal televisions won't fail in such ways, and identities will not be stolen through the trusted screen of so many years.

Because of the simplicity in its design and function, the television will always have a place in our homes. It is a social event that can be shared with family and friends in your own living room. It can play music from music channels, tell you the weather, inform you about money and investments, and inform you of world events. While the same can be said of a computer, it is more of an individual satisfaction.

Are either televisions or computers better and the future of the television uncertain? Probably not, even with undesirable and foolish shows becoming all the more prevalent, the television is here to stay.

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