When doing a report on his friend Liu Chang, Johnny was surprised to learn that although Liu's family was extremely well off financially, they only had one television set in their three story home. He was also shocked to learn that Liu's family did not have cable. Liu explained that it was just the way he was raised, and that he had other activities that kept him busy.
A group of guys go out one night with the intention of watching their favorite colleges compete in football games. When it comes time to decide where they will go, they ask themselves where they can find a place with the most televisions. This will provide them with the ability to watch all of their favorite teams at the same time in the same place.
Two high school students that come from different financial backgrounds are working on a project together. In order to complete the project they plan on meeting at the trailer park where one of the students live. When they arrive at the trailer the visiting student is surprised to find an HDTV flat screen television. His surprise is justified because society has been programmed to understand that if you live in a trailer park you cannot afford the amenities that wealthier people can.
The previous examples show how television, a fairly recent technology, has changed the way society views culture based on gender, race, and class. Simple things, such as the size of a television set, or how many one owns can affect what others think of you. Society has preconceived notions of what types of people have televisions and how many they have. Many of these notions are simply generalizations, and may often times be false.
Minorities, in general, are less likely to own multiple television sets or spend much time watching television. In a study conducted by Nielsen Media, it was shown that the bulk of families that have roots in foreign countries, particularly Asia are much less inclined to the couch potato lifestyles that many born and raised Americans are so accustomed to.