54% of US households subscribe to digital cable tv (not including those with satellite/dish). This statement means over half of American citizens are unknowingly washing money down the drain by the second.
Advertisement companies spent $12 billion in 2013 on airing their advertisements alone, while the cable tv companies make $200+ a month from more than half of the US population for unoriginal television comedies, unnecessary advertisements, and a lazy mindset to not want to do anything for the rest of the day. If cable companies make millions from advertisements alone, it is not necessary for them to charge cable as a service to millions of subscribers.
Cable tv was never a benefit, even from its deepest roots. When the television was first created, the government said that the television “should not go into production because people will not waste their time sitting down watching a large screen all day”. The only reason why the government approved heavy development of the television was because it helped go in play with the large capitalist society that was planned out for America.
The reason the television was okay’ed was because the government knew people would buy a product, go home, see an advertisement on the tv for a better product, and us as silly Americans will go buy the next product and the cycle will continue. I think it’s sad how predictable the American society is.
Not only is cable tv a waste of money, it is also just a waste of time. Each average sitcom is only about 15-20 minutes long, but the commercial breaks make each show 30 minutes (and with some reality tv today, each episode can be up to an hour or even two!). There are plenty of things a human could be doing for 2-3 hours than wasting time sitting at a screen, such as exercising, reading a book, having a family night out, etc. Television is just a big waste of time to begin with and us as American citizens should just stop endorsing it all together.
I strongly admire your opinion because it is one that not many of us consider. We watch Cable TV unconsciously aware of the consequences of it besides the monthly payment. I like how you included the costs of advertisements as a support. I have never really thought about how much money is contributed to adds. I also like your opinion because it applies to so many people. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your analysis, however I feel that there is some worthwhile programming on TV. Things like sports broadcasts and local and national news are important to people and cannot be found as effectively elsewhere. Mostly, I think that your argument is strong and that you make good points.
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