Some people have said television has changed in the past decades. While some people may not see a conversion, others can recognize the transformation instantly. Television has been around for decades. And according to the 2006-2007 in a Nielsen Media Research report, 111.4 million U.S. households have at least one TV set. On average, some television sets are on for nearly seven hours a day.
Since the 1950s, America has been entertained by such shows as “I Love Lucy,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “Bewitched.” But some people say the amount of family-friendly programming is decreasing – and at a rapid rate.
Kiffani Jones, 21, a senior English student from Tallahassee, said television has changed from its golden age.
“Television, like society, has changed,” Jones said. “What was thought to be shameful and immoral back in the golden years is acceptable now. Things used to be so tasteful and now they’re so explicit.”
Lakita Lewis, 20, an elementary education student from Jacksonville, said violence is the majority of what is played on television.
“If you look at the shows like “CSI” or “Law and Order,” you’ll find that most of the topics are based on violence and murder,” Lewis said.
In the early 1990s, ABC aired a family lineup on Fridays known as TGIF. The two-hour block consisted of popular shows including “Family Matters,” “Step by Step,” “Boy Meets World” and “Hanging with Mr. Cooper.”
Each of the sitcoms were designed for and geared toward a family-oriented audience.
In the fall of 2007, the time slot that once occupied TGIF will be taken over by news program “20/20,” followed by “Women’s Murder Club,” a new drama. Children are no longer able to watch a family-friendly block of shows.
Economics student Sharee Thomas said there is original programming that is family orientated, but there is a marked difference from the television programming that was displayed in the past.
“Growing up I used to watch shows like “The Cosby Show,” but you really don’t see those kind of sitcoms around today,” said Thomas, 19, a sophomore from Tallahassee. “Quite frankly, I don’t think it’ll ever be the same again.”
There are channels that are dedicated to family programming. ABC Family and the Disney Channel, both of whom are owned by The Walt Disney Company and part of the Disney-ABC Television Group, air reruns of “Family Matters,” “Boy Meets World” and “Step by Step.”
Society is changing everyday. To stay current, TV programs have to adjust. Every season brings something different. Will television ever revert to the way it was years ago? That has yet to be seen, but history always has a way of repeating itself.
Perhaps television will as well.