The Television: History, Impact, and Significance

 The Television: History, Impact, and Significance 

The creation of the television was one of the most influential inventions in both entertainment and information of the 20th century. People all around the world could now watch motion pictures instead of just having audio like on a radio. The television ushered in a completely new era of entertainment and fundamentally changed the way that all humans receive media as a whole.

The origins of Television can be traced to the 1830s and '40s. There were two key inventions during this time that laid the groundwork for the television. The first came in Samuel F.B. Morse's invention of the telegraph, the system of sending messages along wires. The next groundbreaking development was Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone, which enabled the human voice to travel through wires over extended spaces.

Both men had dreamed of being able to send pictures as well as sound over the air, but neither of them were successful in their endeavors. The first inventor to make considerable progress in the field was Paul Nipkow. He was a German researcher who had the idea to send images through spinning disks. Although his initial design was ultimately unsuccessful, he laid the groundwork for what we now know as the mechanical television.

Here is where things get a little choppy. There is debate among historians and scholars as to who was the true inventor of the television. Some say it was Vladimir Zworykin, a Russian inventor who had been experimenting with using cathode-ray tubes to transmit images, while others insist that it was Philo Farnsworth, a Morman inventor from Utah. There was a long legal battle between the two, but evidence was found that Farnsworth had preliminary drawings of his invention so the patent was eventually granted to him. 

It is surprising to hear that one of the most impactful inventions of the past century was created by a young farm boy from Utah. Television has had a major impact on our lives, particularly in the way we consume information and the way in which we seek entertainment. 

Back in the day, people had limited access to information as well as the way they received it. They would either have to wait for the next radio broadcast or pick up the newspaper the next day. But the ushering in of the television also brought a surge of broadcasting networks desperate to get their foot in the door concerning the money to be made in this new industry. People were more willing to sit and watch a live news broadcast than they were to huddle around a radio. More people were paying attention to current events.

Even more influential than how people consumed information was the types of media and entertainment they had access to. The rise of television shows and movies was truly earth-shattering in terms of impact. Movies and TV are a staple notion to our modern sense of entertainment; they are practically joined at the hip. It became a social event to watch shows together, and it has given rise to one of the best mediums of fiction of all time. No longer would people have to just listen to or read a story, but they could now watch stories unfold in their own homes.

All in all, the invention of the television had a massive effect on how people received information and entertainment. It has become a staple of the modern world and has had repercussions, both good and bad, on the world today.