The Media Technology Innovations and the Living Standards of the People - Essay Example

Engaging communication technologies of the 1950s Introduction The modern-day world has had the advantage of witnessing the introduction of mediology. This is a branch of study in media technology that has experienced a broad expansion due to discoveries as well as advancements in media technology. It plays a pivotal role in shaping and defining the manner in which people share information and decide their mode of entertainment. From the outset of human existence, the media has always been part and parcel of mankind, though in early ages it existed in different forms from the one that we know today. As human population grew, which resulted in the formation of groups and ultimate nations, different forms of communication emerged. Up until 19th century, traditional form of communication was the norm of the day. Then inventions and innovations that took place during 19th and 20th century is what eventually led to the modern form of communication that everyone enjoy today. Digital media which was introduced recently has managed to transfer into relief the old technologies’ conditions hence enabling the world to be aware of the environment of the media (Wiston 12). The technological advancements of the media industry in the 1950s around the globe are what this essay shall focus on. Of particular interest will be the discussion on the effects that technological change had on the lives of people and how they influenced their perception of their immediate environment depending on the regions that they lived. This will enable a comparison to be made of how technology was used at that time and today. The advances of media technology in 1950s There was high development of technology from the turn of the 20th century until the beginning of the 1950s and again after 1950s when it returned to its normal growth of high advancement. But why was the 1950s so conservative when other regions were quickly discovering the essence of media technology and investing heavily in it? Since the World War II had just ended the previous decade and many a government had witnessed how technology and media had played a critical role in the war, they decided together scientists to heavily engage in research and development of new technologies in order to add on the already available technology (Winston 31). Technologies that had occurred in the imagination of a person before the war broke out eventually became a reality in majority of western nations and some parts of Asia that were advanced like Japan. Communication was one of the sectors that gained a lot during this era of technological advancement in 1950s with the media industry in particular. From such a scenario, it is not fair to label 1950s as a period replete with conservative attitudes. From the media technology perspective, 1950s was the most prolific and productive period. It was during this period that there was high record in technology changes of both television and radio. Furthermore, there were also other technologies in the areas of newspaper printing, magazines, and movie production as well as other media related tools. It was also during the 1950s that television started airing entertainment and informative programs and to that effect served to complement the radio. By the close of the decade, the radio was reduced to merely providing entertainment related to music whereas television provided a variety of entertainment ranging from film, comedies, drama, live shows and many more. This was partly influenced by the aftermath of the Great Depression as well as the World War II whereby there was a huge demand for things which instigated the exploitation of the untapped technologies in 1950s (Winston 107). Despite the fact that technological advancements happened worldwide, the effect they had on people varied from one region to another. This was due to the fact that some regions like western nations developed faster than others like Africa and other underdeveloped nations. 1950s media technology Since 1950s, the media industry in Asia has had tremendous developments in technology which has made Asia and western nations to communicate easily. Those who work within the media industry like journalists, news reporters and news anchors have overwhelmingly enjoyed the Asian media technology growth. As a result of its high technology advancement, Asia commands huge dominance in the media technology throughout the world. This was brought about due to her peoples’ innovativeness and maximum attention they pay to quality as well as their consistency in strategies they use to innovate technology (Winston 227). Given the needs of her people, Asia has been able to improve the lives her people by meeting those need through technology and in so doing earned respect and recognition at the world stage. Internet has enabled Asia to easily communicate with United States and this has made her to have fast hand information in terms of technology. Among the 1950s technological innovations were: television, which was the most memorable, and others which were non-media such as copy machine, fiberglass Chevrolet, and ball point pen. The Bell telephone developed solar battery in 1954; polio vaccine was invented in 1955. It was also in this decade the Soviet satellite was launched. It therefore goes without saying that the 1950s technological developments and achievements contributed immensely to the way people communicated in the subsequent periods even though there was a huge difference in the way communicated in different regions of the world. Equally important to consider is that people in different eras have experienced the advancement of media technology in different ways. For instance, the youth became excessively obsessed with it given that it attracted many a celebrity of the time. This was greatly influenced by the television since the majority of celebrities used it to reach large audience of their fans. Equally eye-catching to many a person was the gadgets that had been invented in this decade. Several decades later, the excitement still exists whereby people get obsessed with any new innovation that comes their way. Today, cell phones especially from Apple, laptops, and celebrities are what drive most people to ecstasy. The media today play a critical role of instilling moral values to members of the society. Programs that promote moral values have taken over the role of parents and family at large in ensuring that children receive good morals. This is in contrast with the 1950s the television first burst into the scene since parents were still in control of their families. Many a people spend more time with their cell phones than they do with their families or people close to them. Advertising is one of the major sectors that transformed people’s lives during the 1950s. More avenues were available for companies to advertise their products and hence people became more informed and knowledgeable about what was on the market. Today, more avenues have emerged for advertising such as the internet, cell phones and billboards. This has contributed to the spread of American lifestyle to most regions in the world: American music, fashion, movies, food, and cars have been adapted to most parts of the world (Winston 126). In addition to advertising, the new media technology has been used to shape public perception through use opinion polls and news on television. Regulation and technology The innovation of media technology in 1950s brought about many challenges which needed to be addressed legally. These challenges never changed and today they still cause a great risk to the media industry. Since not all laws that were formulated in the 1950s can be applicable today, there is need for new laws to take care of the issues that have arisen due to modern day problems. Conclusion The media technology innovations of the 1950s contributed immensely to the improvement of the living standards of the people. Television and other innovations of that period did a lot in making the world become a global village. Today media technology is a power to reckon with whereby it has helped instilling moral values to the members of society. Due to high competition and rivalry within the media industry, there has been need for laws and regulations to help maintain law and order within the industry. Work Cited Winston, Brian. Media Technology and Society: A History from the Telegraph to the Internet. London: Routledge, 1998. Print. Read More