Back in August, when I was oh-so-young and naive, I didn't have much to say about TV and its hold over the world. I would probably (and to an extent still do) have seen it as just another way to pass some time; little did I know just how influential it actually is on our society and myself as an individual.
TV offers such a huge opportunity to communicate to people all over the world, from thousands of channels all at the touch of a single button. What could be more effective than that?! It can introduce you to new hobbies and interests, educate you on things you would never dream of reading or acting out, inform you of on-going politics and news..and the best bit in my opinion - take you to another world entirely and you don't even have to move a muscle.
It was interesting to look at the ways in which we watch TV, with many companies introducing 'Ipod moments', such as the almighty Sky+. As a society, and especially our generation, we have become increasingly demanding when it comes to TV shows; we know what we want, and we want it now! (However, it is nice to think that some programs in particular manage to hold that appointment viewing factor and still encourage families and friends to sit down and experience it together, such as Doctor Who and even our much loved X Factor...)
The way I feel about TV has changed and I have been opened up many different genres, such as classic comedy show I Love Lucy, which has influenced so many great shows such as Friends, we were introduced to quality dramas such as The Street, which sets the standards for real good-quality writing, and even managed to sit through an episode of The Simpson's without wanting to tear my hair out, success!
When looking at allllll the different genres of TV shows, you have got to wonder why on earth people watch some of the trash that is out there! Take for instance, Game shows and Reality shows such as Big Brother. It baffles me that the population can sit and watch people being gunged in to oblivion or watch people sleeping (?!) on Big Brother, rather than tuning in to good quality shows such as The Wire or possibly maybe even Gossip Girl ...(come on, I had to slip that in.) But, I guess that the creator of Big Brother thinks watching people sleep is the best thing since sliced bread, as long as they are paying the bills eh?!
In general, I feel I now look at TV in a different light, that it is more than just something to pass the time and there are some great programs out there in need of my undying attention! I have also discovered the lovely moments of appointment viewing with my wee mum and it is nice to think that hopefully some day I can sit down with a little mini-me watching something I have created, fingers crossed...