Many photographs of the nineteen forties and nineteen fifties depict family members sitting relatively close to small TV screens. Typically, each household had only one TV with very limited number of channels. Furthermore, these individuals watched TV in groups. Family members and, commonly, neighbors who did not yet have a television, would gather to experience what was rapidly becoming one of America"s most popular past time. TV was essentially the fireplace of the nineteen fifties. Families, spent a limited amount of time in the evening, gathered around this magic box captivated by its images. .
Technology has drastically improved since the dawn of the TV era. Over time, it stimulated a change within the individuals" behavior. Unfortunately, these deviations led to spending more time watching television. For instance, with the invention of the remote control and cable television, TV viewing became more personalized and channel changing became more common. One could now part from other family members and watch shows that appeal to them, such as sports, from a den, bedroom, or basement TV room. Eventually, many people became addicted to television. "These individuals spent a great deal of time watching TV, they used it more often than they intended, they sacrificed social and occupational activities to watch television, and they usually felt depressed once they stopped watching TV" (Kurbey 165). Like other forms of substance abuse, giving up TV would be an arduous task, "The difficulty arises when people strongly sense that they ought not to watch as much as they do and yet find themselves strangely unable to reduce their viewing" (Kubey 165). However, interactive technology will inevitably change America's TV viewing habits. Watching TV will once again become a recreational activity as opposed to a daily routine. Due to various technological advances in the evolution of television, TV will ultimately surpass the passive realm and enter to a more interactive process, which will decrease viewers" habit of watching TV.
