The Box That Changed America Analysis

Words: 461
Pages: 2

TV’s Impact on the American Culture
Written By: Ayush Bajaj

Television has had drastic effects on the culture of the United States of America, both in positive and negative ways over time.

First of all, television positively united Americans in the 1950s through many major events, despite their different backgrounds and opinions. In the article, “The Box That Changed America”, the author Lauren Tarshis writes that television was becoming a powerful cultural force that brought Americans together. She also wrote about how television has united Americans in the nation’s most crucial times, such as when Walter Cronkite, a famous newscaster, broke the news of Kennedy's assassination and Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon. This
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In the passage “Television Transformed”, the author Lauren Tarshis writes that cable TV, faster computers, newer channels, and smartphones have changed the way we watch TV. She also writes that nowadays people can choose from thousands of shows, videos, and movies at any time. This negatively affects American culture. Previously, families and people would spend time together, and would stay together when watching television, especially if they were receiving tragic news or in a momentous event in history. Nevertheless, they would still watch the same channels on the same television set, together. However, in current times, people watch whatever they want on whatever device they want at any time they want. This leads to less interaction and unity between people. People will spend more time on their own devices watching whatever they want rather than interacting and spending time with friend and family. When it comes to TV, people will be isolated from each other, each watching something different. These technological advancements have negatively impacted the American culture.

Television has drastically affected the American culture in different ways. In the 1950s, people would watch television and spend time together, but due to technological advancements in television, less people are interacting with