The television has had a much larger impact on American society than I had previously ever considered. Prior to the television, the majority of Americans received their news from the radio, they were unable to watch sporting events unless they were attending in person, and entertainment was an entirely different industry in general.
The television was invented in 1927. Television also had a large impact on politics after its conception. FDR became the first president to appear on television in 1939. FDR had polio and was confound to a wheel chair for the majority of his time as President. Considering he was elected largely off of speeches given on the radio, his election has become a subject of conjecture of political historians, who wonder if FDR would have been elected if Americans had been more aware of his condition.
Not only FDR, but in 1960 the first televised presidential debate took place between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. Polls found that there was a much higher support for Kennedy among people who watched the debate than those who listened to it. Political commentators and political historians agree that this was likely due to the fact that JFK was an unusually attractive man. It's well documented in psychology that there is a bias towards attractive people, as people tend to find them more agreeable and easier to get along with. This now meant that the image and appearance of the president was important, not just his politics.
Aside from politics, television is still the primary source of entertainment for Americans. Americans have grown to idolize celebrities that they see on their televisions, from athletes to actors and more. Given that the worldwide entertainment industry grew to be worth an estimated 101 billion dollars prior to Covid-19, the invention of the television catapulted one of the largest industries in the world into prominence.
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