Assignment 5- Maddie Klumb

Television has become and integral part of our society; it can bring families together, even from across the country. However, along with all the good there is bad - television has become a major distraction in our society. Instead of talking to each other about important, or even small, events in our lives we often talk at each other about the made up scenarios we watched the night before.

I am not saying television is a bad form of entertainment, just that it has drawbacks. It is an excellent platform for spreading news, educating young children, and providing entertainment. Commercials allow the plot of a show or movie to be broken into segments, and advertisers to pitch their products. Shows like Sesame Street help children learn things like numbers, morals, and letters. And news can now be broadcast across the country from around the world. We are able to have an idea of what is happening in other countries within our own homes. Also, in cases of severe whether, or other emergencies, the news is important to have quick access to.

I personally don't watch much TV because I have little time to do so. Most of the time I am either doing homework or an activity outside my home. When I do watch programs most of them are on Netflix. This allows me to watch what I want when I want without the interruption of commercials. Right now I am watching The Office and Big Bang Theory and love them both.

Our society idolizes those we view as successes, but often the definition of success is narrow. Success for one person may be defined differently than success for another.  The most common definition of success in society is to gain wealth and recognition for your achievements. The people who walk the red carpet are well known and followed due to the recognition they have created for themselves through movies, TV shows and other media. People who win Pulitzer prizes are often very important and recognized in their field, but not often by society as a whole. Unless the cure to cancer is found, you probably won't hear about any scientific researcher's breakthrough.

People who win Pulitzer Prizes often do more to change our society than those we see walk the red carpet. But the celebrities are more widely recognized and adored. This says many things about society, like what we consider as important and inspirational. But who am I to say whether this is good or bad? I think that needs to be determined by each of us in our own way.