Radios Effect on Our Lives - Essay Example

Media Analysis Radio, which was invented in during the late 19th century, has been one of the most popular methods of communication. Even today, in the age of television and cell phones, people use the radio and try to spread the message across. Initially, radio was used only for communication purposes, but for the past many years it has been used to host different types of shows as well. These can range from music shows to news broadcast. A radio uses radio waves to catch signals, which enables the listener to hear what is airing on the radio at the moment. There are radio studios from where the radio signals originate. When a show is being held at a radio studio, the sound waves go into the microphone and are passed to a transmitter, which uses an antenna to send the waves through the air as radio signals. The frequency of the radio signals matches the one in the radio being used, and thus we are able to listen to whatever is being aired from the radio studio. Radio was developed from the idea of telephone and telegraph, all of which are pretty much related. Radio was first used as wireless telegraphy. Radio was not invented right away, but it was the discovery of radio waves which was a major breakthrough. It is because of these waves that the scientists were able to invent the radio, which is has been one of the major forms of communication. It all started back in the 1860s, when a Scottish physicist realized that there existed a kind of waves called radio waves. After a few years, an American dentist was able to perform wireless telegraphy and established the first form of wireless aerial communication. After him, an Italian inventor, Guglielmo Marconi, was able to establish radio communication and send a wireless telegram across the English Channel. At first, these wireless telegrams were basically dots and dashes, a form of Morse code, but gradually future events demanded that some kind of wireless communication must be present, to communicate with each other in time of need. Therefore, in 1899, the United States army developed wireless communication, and the Navy adopted it too. Before this, the Navy was using pigeons and visual signals to spread the message across. During the first few years of radio, the signals were very distorted and the message could not be spread across clearly. Therefore, AM broadcasting was introduced which amplified the signal received by the radio receiver, and thus increased the clarity if the message being sent. Through this, the first speech was declared from New York City to San Francisco and across the Atlantic Ocean. Then in 1933, a much improved version came into being, the FM- Frequency Modulation. It increased the clarity of the audio messages being received by the radio receiver by removing the noise static, caused by the electrical device. This was great improvement over the AM broadcast and led to the development of FM broadcasting, which is the main type of radio broadcasting today. Radio communication is possible by the existence of radio waves. These waves have opened a gateway to different forms of communication, and not just the transistor radio or a household radio receiver. Other than AM and FM broadcasting, radio waves are also used to provide picture and sound in televisions, which have antennas connected to them. These antennas catch the radio signals and receive picture and voice through AM and FM radio waves. Satellites, also make use of radio signals to indicate their position to the computers on Earth, and radio waves are also used to communicate with the devices that have been put in the Solar system, such as the Mars Rover. Cell phones and satellite phones which have become increasingly popular in the past decade, also make use of radio waves to connect to telephone networks, which link the call to the desired destination. Other than this, radio waves are also used in remote controls that are used for televisions, and remote controlled cars and also even to detonate explosives. Nowadays, many people working in the wildlife management make use of radio waves, by connecting a receiver to an animal or a group of animals, in order to tack down their movements, and also to check on them on day to day basis. Nowadays, radio has become extremely popular. One will find radio studios almost everywhere, and almost everyone likes listening to the radio, whether the news is being aired or some radio show. A recent survey shows that radio listeners have increased to more than 45.5 million per week. Also according to a report, a wide range of youngsters between 14 and 24 years of age, listen to radio shows on their cellphones and transition radios. Radio communication and listening to the radio for leisure became popular during the 1930s. A large number of American people owned a radio by 1939, with the numbers still increasing. Gradually, radios became smaller in size and became a necessity in every home. As there were not many televisions in those days, members of a household used to gather around the radio to listen to the latest news or to enjoy their favorite show. Radio came to be known as an excellent and much effective invention, which had managed to bring people closer together, if only virtually. Many people, including comedians, news casters, reporters etc., became overnight celebrities due to the radio. They had a mass audience who enjoyed listening to them and their shows became popular and available to a much wider range of people. Radio could be easily bought and therefore had become common in almost every household in America. Soap operas became largely popular due to the radio, and as they were aired every week, they were approved by a large number of people. During 1930s and 40s, people had become much accustomed to the radio. Different shows being aired on the radio became a source of inspiration for the people, and also a new source of entertainment. Government used the popularity of the radio to educate the people as well. Traditional family programs were aired on the radio, which attracted a mass audience and also helped in teaching and tutoring them. In America, the popularity of the radio meant that people could be made aware of what exactly was happening around the world. News reporting was not only done for newspapers, but the reporters could report the news on the radio as well; thus informing the public of the current affairs. As the 1930s and 40s, were an era of war, the Presidents of America were able to deliver encouraging speeches to the masses to keep their hoes up and to help them in surviving a challenging time, for them and the country as a whole. As a result, people were more drawn to the government and the President than ever, and it also helped in gathering support for the war. Advertising was another section which benefited greatly through the radio. Different products could be advertised on the radio, which helped in flourishing different businesses, and people were now also more aware of what was out there for them. Radio has had a great effect on people’s lives. Along with the television, it is one of the foremost sources of entertainment and a way of communication for the people. It has helped produce a great number of jobs for people, who have talent and a great voice; and has given them a platform to share their views with the world. Although almost everyone has a television in their homes these days, radio still remains an effective source of amusement and enjoyment for people. Read More