Problem
By the end of the 1950s, television had become an "electronic hearth," where families gathered in living rooms to share cultural experiences. By 2012, though, the television experience had splintered. Now were are watching programming on our laptops, phones and tablets, making the experience increasingly individual rather than communal. Still, television remains the mass medium that can reach most of us at a single moment in time, whether it's during a popular sitcom or during a presidential debate.
As an electronic hearth, television has offered coverage of special or historic moments -- inaugurations, assassinations, moonwalks, space disasters, Super Bowls, Roots, the Olympics, 9/11, hurricanes, presidential campaigns, Arab uprisings, World Cups -- that brought large heterogenous groups together for the common experience of sharing information, celebrating triumphs, mourning loss and electing presidents. Accessible now in multiple versions, the TV image has become portable -- just as radio became portable in the 1950s. Today, we can watch television in cars, in the park, and in class on our phones.
The bottom line is that television in all it configurations is now both electronic hearth and digital encounter. It still provides a gathering place for friends and family, but now we can also watch a favorite show almost whenever or wherever we want. Like all media forms before it, television is adapting to changing technology and shifting economics. As technology becomes more potable and personal, the network TV, cable and video subscription industries search for less expensive ways to produce and deliver television. Still, television remains the main place -- whether it's the big LED screen or the handheld smartphone -- we go for stories.
i. In the shift from tv as an electronic hearth to tv as a digital encounter, what has been lost? What has been gained? (be specific and as detailed as possible)
ii. How do you prefer to watch TV? Alone on your phone/tablet/computer or in the company of others?