Death of Television...not likely

One of the biggest debates in regards to television has been the question of, will the television become revolutionized or die out. Nowadays, it seems as though Americans are able to consult the internet for the pleasures a television would provide for them. This includes the ability to watch movies and television programs as well as staying up to date on current events. In turn, there has been a supposed “downfall” in viewing television. But how much of it is due to the internet. I feel that there are several proposed reasons for this alleged decrease in the viewing of television.
Besides the obvious accessibility of the internet for viewing programs, another possible contributor to this decline is the economy. Due to the poor economic conditions, it’s possible that many Americans are working longer hours to support themselves and in turn, do not have as much free time to watch television. Also, in an effort to save on monthly costs, it’s possible that Americans are withholding from additional television features such as cable.
Another possible contributor is that Americans are becoming more conscious of the environment. Americans may be becoming more aware of the fact that watching television for consecutive hours on end uses up massive amounts of energy, further damaging the planet. This notion may be encouraging Americans to get off the couch and partake in more eco-friendly leisure activities.
But maybe the cause of the decline is simply the fact that there is nothing on television that is worth watching. There are only so many home-decorating shows, hospital dramas, crime investigations or reality shows featuring spoiled rich brats who are famous for doing absolutely nothing one can fathom. Maybe the issue is that after the success of one show, the insist on beating it to a pulp and pushing out multiple remakes and spin-offs. Perhaps the issue is that Americans have better things to do than watch crap.
Will television die out eventually? This is highly unlikely. Throughout history, the television has served as a symbol of unity among Americans. To this day, hundreds of Americans gather around television sets to enjoy annual awards shows and the Super Bowl. It doesn’t appear that Americans will result to gathering around a computer to partake in viewing these events. Also, televisions are much more basic and user friendly. This is important when considering younger children and the elderly. So overall, though there may be a decline in the amount of television being viewed, maybe a supposed “internet takeover” isn’t the cause.