Even after all these years, television still gets a bad rap for not being smart enough. Sure, there's enough banal programming that's not worth hours on the couch, but the explosion in channels has actually done a world of good for the argument of the benefits of television. Especially in more rural areas, it's actually possible to become cultured through watching television.
In the days before cable and satellite TV, it was a lot more difficult to have a window into the rest of the world. The news was local, the sports were local, and most of the fiction programming was really mainstream and national. The most intriguing programming around was usually provided by public broadcasting, where education was at the forefront and the shows were truly entertaining and interesting.
With the explosion of channels in the United States, it became possible for anyone to have more access to the world and different sources of information. Instead of just catching up on the local news, it's now possible, with satellite TV, to catch up on the international news from a variety of sources from all over the world. Interested in seeing the small differences in humor and advertising from country to country? Most large channel packages offer programming from the BBC as well as other foreign countries.
But the potential for television to educate isn't just related to the news. Programming for children has grown by leaps and bounds, and as wonderful as original shows like Sesame Street are for early education, the new flock of TV designed for babies through high schoolers are incredible. They make use of the latest technology, but more than that, they are curated from shows all over the world.
It's possible on BabyTV to watch something designed in any country. It's even possible for younger children to get a jump-start on learning a different language, with popular programs like Dora the Explorer right next to shows made in countries like Italy and France. What a positive educational tool for parents.
Older children can also greatly benefit from the vast expanse of programming on cable. For every boring reality television show, there's an invigorating show that manages to disguise learning within a program that's exciting and innovative. From chefs who travel around the world tasting weird and exciting food to fishermen and jacks of all trades who've managed to work around the world, there's something truly exciting about a great deal of the shows on more intelligent channels. And even more than that, it's an opportunity to understand things that you might not run into in your own neighborhood.
Instead of dismissing television as a waste of time and energy, instead it might be better to consider that all things in moderation are helpful. Put very simply, television is not what it was even 10 years ago. The growth in programming of all different subjects offers people exciting and informative look at spots around the world. It's truly incredible what one can learn just by watching an hour of television, so long as you know where to look on the remote control.
There's no better way to give television a second chance than with the incredible DIRECTV deals available. The staggering amount of channels that Direct TV offers makes it easy for people to find the educational programming that so many parents and precocious individuals desire.
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