Essay: Positive and negative effects of watching television

The shows on the television that most watch today has had a lot of positive as well as negative effects and influences on our society and culture. Television is beneficial for many because it gives out information, various forms of education and entertainment. The TV allows the viewers to see the latest news, weather, and information that are important for our everyday lives. These broadcasts often act as an eye to the world.
Some of the most viewed TV shows are sitcoms, and recently, remakes have become common. For instance, a show that started in England and became successful in America is The Office. The British version of The Office did not make it big in the UK because not many British people liked it because it was too dry of humor. But then America decided to make a remake of this show and used some actors that are well known in America. This time the show did well because it addressed certain stereotypes or issues in America that people don’t really notice in everyday life but are always present.
Furthermore, watching television dramas in Asia, particularly in China, is not only an important way to learn about the outside world but also a trendy lifestyle. The popularity of international television shows represents the cultural logic of media globalization formed by two conflicting processes — globalized media industry supply and localized native peoples demand. The consumption of overseas TV dramas by Chinese spectators is therefore entirely international and regional. American and Korean films have worldwide and regional characteristics and become the most famous on the Chinese market, respectively.
Cultural proximity theory has often been used to justify the consumption of transnational media. It asserted that the public wanted to select press products that were close to their cultural background (Straubhaar, 1991). Cultural proximity was described by historical, ethnic, religious, linguistic and geographical differences. Similar language has often been identified among them as a major determinant of audience preferences.
The findings indicated that engaging with characters was more probable to contribute to entertainment in Korean dramas, and engaging with the narrative was more probable to result in entertainment in American dramas. It implies that Chinese viewers tended to appreciate Korean dramas by engaging with protagonists and American dramas by engaging with the narrative.
Culture is a significant tool for viewers to apprehend and enjoy media products (Straubhaar, 1991). Korean dramas enable Chinese audiences through cultural proximity to engage with protagonists and decrease their dependence on the narrative. Cultural proximity, other than the narrative, acts as an alternative tool to help Chinese viewers engage with characters.