Unit 4 Section 1 Part 6 THE TELEVISION AGE

A. TELEVISION CHANGES AMERICAN LIFE Scientists working on TV’s since 1920s End of WWII, TV ready for home use Post-war prosperity lead to large #’s of TV purchases 1959, more than 40 Million homes in U.S. had TV’s

1. TV and Politics TV changed politics Politicians realized they had to look good on TV TV showed Joseph McCarthy during the Red Scare, made him look crazy 2. Advertising 1960, TV the #1 method of advertising Product placement in shows was also a popular way of advertising As the cost of TV programs rose, advertisers shifted to buying 1-2 minute segments These were called commercials

3. Programming TV shows began to be produced I Love Lucy was the most popular Categories of shows, game shows, soap operas, etc. 4. Concerns About TV People began to worry about effect of TV Violence, effects on children, lead to ratings eventually

B. OTHER TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS OF THE 1950S 1. Transistors and Computers Early computers were created during WWII 1 st computers were very large, taking up entire rooms and drew large amounts of electricity 1947, the Transistor was created Made smaller computers possible and more efficient First commercial computer was called the UNIVAC IBM was created in the 1950s, computers still large, cost $50,000

1958, the Integrated Circuit was created These computer chips allowed for even smaller, faster, more efficient computers 2. Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine 1950s, Jonas Salk created the Polio Vaccine Beginning in 1955, children vaccinated for polio Salk became a hero

C. CULTURAL CHANGE IN THE 1950S Americans becoming wealthy, began to be criticized John Kenneth Galbraith coined the term Affluent Society Means American was concerned only with wealth Michael Harrington was another critic He wrote The Other America, which highlighted the poor people in the country Many people began moving to suburbs as more houses created Levittown, NY, most famous suburb development, reasonably affordable homes

Population began to shift to the Sunbelt Area in the SW U.S., warmer climate California the major Sunbelt state Also in the 1950s, the Interstate Highway System was created Network of highways connected the U.S. The arts often stressed rebellion against society The Beat generation was formed They listened to Jazz and rejected social norms