ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the history of television (the device), and the history of the industry that grew up around it. There were two important consequences to this rapid diffusion and adoption of television. First, because using the device takes time, other activities formerly done during this time were lost, or at least diminished. The second consequence of this rapid introduction of television into the society was that American social scientists missed an important opportunity to do certain kinds of comparative research. When a new device such as television comes into society it has an indirect and a direct effect. Once television comes into a society people do not go out as much and they do not have friends over as often as they did before they had television. The chapter also focuses on the research documenting the effects of the introduction of television on reading, imagination, social relationships, sports, and frequent hobbies.
