The TV

Television... an overly abused pastime that has rapidly become America’s babysitter. As
far back as anyone can remember, the television has played an important role in the molding of
young minds. The progression of television shows grew as we did, and it started as far back as
preschool.
Television shows of yesterday and today have played an underlying role in the
development of the young mind. As a child, the most outstanding memory of a television show I
have is watching Sesame Street. Sesame street’s puppet fueled singalongs entertained me for
hours. Not only was the show entertaining it was educational too. The count taught you your
numbers, Bert and Ernie taught you how to count sheep to go to sleep, while Big Bird taught you
about the difference between right and wrong along with the help of Oskar the grouch. Big birds
imaginary friend Snuffalupagus taught kids it was OK to have a creative side. Sesame Street
imprinted early that learning can be fun. As we began to grow, so did the amount of television we
watched.
Our last few years in elementary school were filled with such now ­classics as Power
Rangers, and Pokemon. The Pokemon theme song “Gotta catch ’em all” is still imbued in the
brains of today’s ex­Pokemon­watching college students, who take the advice to heart when
dealing with a lot of issued throughout life. The “I must have everything!” mentality certainly
didn’t start with Pokemon but the show reinforced the idea and installed it in all of our minds. The
Crime fighting stars of Power Rangers have influenced our views on the justice system. Unlike
past generations who followed the “Forgive and forget” policy of the criminal justice system,
today the average college student follows “kick­ass” school of thought when it comes to
punishment. These shows influenced our psyche in immeasurable ways, the true effects will only
be seen in the future.
A popular T.V. Show that was watched by our generation back in the times of Middle
school was “Boy Meets World.” With an appropriate name for the experience of becoming a
teen/young adult this show was easy to relate to through the tough times of middle school. It was
also a show that set great examples for students. From Mr. Feeny’s teaching to the unusual
predicaments Eric got himself into, this show was a popular show at the time.
There is so many things now on TV. I remember now my high school years, particularly
near TV, some weird shows from yesterday. One of the most memorable shows from that period
was “Trippin’ the Rift.” I guess I’m a sci­fi geek. Dark Humor and comedy shows bring the best of
the generation in an easy way to understand. The Simpson’s was a relaxation at the end of a long
Every day, new shows are created. A through Z, I believe we’ve seen them all, and we all
have our own opinions and impressions of them. The main thing is that molded our generation
into what it is now. It reflects news and events, educates and makes fun of politics. As we grew, so
did the television shows we watched. From education shows like sesame street to teenage mellow
dramas like boy meets world.