Assignment 5 - Erin

I grew up on television. Not literally, of course. Perhaps what I mean to say is, I grew up in front of the television. I think this exposure to this form of entertainment significantly influenced my career path. By growing up surrounded by stories, my brain was wired to think like a storyteller. 

I see television as a means of communicating, but not for advertisers. If you asked anyone off the street to name their favorite T.V. show, chances are they'll name a narrative program (this includes some "reality" television). The nature of stories and story arches attract humans; it has been like this since the beginning of mankind. Television simply functions as another method of storytelling, a step up from the paintings on the cave walls. 

Similar to filmmakers, the creators of television shows have the ability to tell just about any story they want. Stories may even touch on difficult and pertinent issues in society at the time. It may do this in a subtle way, such as symbolism, or it may address the issue outright, maybe by having a character encounter a situation involving the issue. Either way, television has long been a way of exploring conflict and the effects of that conflict on our society.

So, is television a good form of entertainment? Now more than ever it is. With new forms of television like Netflix and Amazon Prime, even more entertainment emerges. Though some will always be less than stellar (that's just the nature of media), enthralling stories will continue to grab our attention and sway us to put down the remote and just keep watching.