In the piece, The Worst Years of Our Lives by Barbara Ehrenreich, there is a lot said about the use of televisions in modern day and how it has changed our society. It helps to give a new perspective on something we think of as a normal, everyday object that has become a staple in our American lives. Ehrenreich states that even though in real life it seems as though we can’t take our eyes off the television screen, there is something “eerie and unnatural” about the lives of people we are watching. She points out that people on TV are never shown actually watching TV. In the United States, TV has become a prominent source of news and entertainment for citizens, and to call in to question the reality of what we are watching can really change the views people have on television itself. This being said, it is not necessarily a bad thing that the people we watch on TV aren’t watching TV themselves. The television itself as two main purposes; to inform and to entertain, which it accomplishes very successfully.
On one side of the spectrum, TV’s are useful in the spread of news and knowledge. Nightly news, whether it be your local stations or the national news, are some of the most watched programs in the country. Although this is not what Ehrenreich is directly referring to in her piece, it is still part of the large purpose of televisions and their popularity throughout the world. If we want to stay informed with what is going on in the world, news that is broadcasted daily is our best source. Along with the daily news, people use TV to watch programs such as documentaries or historical specials. These can be very informative and very interesting, capturing the attention of the individual.
Ehrenreich points out that the reason shows never show people watching TV is because it is too boring for other people to watch. That begs the question of why we are so entertained by the little screen in the corner of every American living room when it isn’t entertaining enough to make the television shows. While that is a valid point to be made, it must be kept in mind that the reason we are all sitting in front of the TV in the first place is to cure the national epidemic known as boredom. We want to be entertained by this little black box in the corner of every American living room, and if that means watching things that aren’t very realistic, than so be it. TV shows are meant to tell compelling stories, to inspire the one’s watching, or just simply to make somebody laugh. No one would watch TV if it was what life was actually like. Although there are many lessons to be learned while watching TV shows, the entertaining part is watching things play out in a character’s life rather than your own.
While it is important to assume what you're watching might never actually happen, television is a very key part in our lives today. The large variation in types of programs to watch allows TV to be a great source of information and fun for all types of people. It serves it’s purpose as entertaining and informative, and without it our country and world would not be where it is today.
