How Television Affects Society. “The only activities Americans spend more time doing than watching TV are working and sleeping. » With this in mind, it is understood that television plays a major role among the statistical majority of most Americans. Society reflects what is shown on television in a multitude of different areas. Three of the main areas in which television affects us are behavior, moral values ​​and social norms. Throughout their lives, young people have found ways to rebel against authority. In the 1950s, boys rode motorcycles and greased their hair. In the 1960s, they grew their hair until they became "who-ha" denouncing their government. Today we see our young people killing each other and denouncing God. A prime example of television's responsibility in this matter would be the massive media coverage of the Columbine shootings. In a personal survey I conducted, almost 100% of people said they had never seen or heard of school shootings before the Columbine incident. Now that the constant media coverage of Columbine is over, more than seven other incidents of school shootings have been reported that will likely never reach the level of media coverage that Columbine received, because school shootings are no longer a novelty. Do you wonder why these kids did what they did? This is because of the amount of violence that is now shown everywhere in the news. In a week of watching the ten o'clock news, I watched blood-soaked war victims give their last words to ABC anchors before slipping into coma. Five days ago, a neighborhood gang interrupted a high school student's regular ride home by beating him to death. When asked if he would reveal the names of the attackers, guess who was at the bedside with a camera to capture the swollen expression on the student's face? Journalists overstep the mark for the sole purpose of sensationalism, and death has lost its shock value. A technique used by many in the television business to attract the attention of mass audiences is to simply make everything brief. The problem with this technique is that it provides constant stimulation through variety, novelty and action. In this regard, television has become a real stunner. In this, we, the viewers, are the addicts.