Sources and Forms of Entertainment and Their Impact on Society Essay

In Life the Movie: How Entertainment Conquered Reality, Neal Gabler describes entertainment as having no moral, physical, or mental benefits to the success of society other than bringing temporary happiness. Through forms of entertainment, especially ones created in the last century, this viewpoint is strongly evident. However many forms of entertainment stimulate and progress society. Entertainment brings a greater feeling of happiness and relaxation to individuals of society thus having a positive effect. However the source and form of entertainment chosen to fulfill happiness and relaxation in most instances, determines the positive or negative effect on society. Physical activities create possible the largest source of entertainment for society. From Ice climbing to soccer matches all entertainment of this form has a positive effect on society. From a scientific viewpoint physical activity brings more flow of blood to the brain, thus supplying it with the maximum amount of nutrie nts and oxygen needed for brains growth and health. This process of extra blood flow creates an outstanding separation between student athletes’ and regular students’ high school GPAs. In most schools student athletes average GPAs average almost a full grade point higher than other students’ average. Though, this is not the only advantage to this source of entertainment. Entertainment such as this builds personal characteristics, characteristics such as teamwork, perseverance, effort, and even leadership. From my personal experiences in soccer I have learned how to become a leader while still doing my part on the field, qualities that can help me and any groups I work with in the future. Varies forms of storytelling have been a source for entertainment for as long as human populations have been able to communicate with each other. Sources of entertainment such as fireside stories, performances, and reading are just some examples of this form of entertainment. However, in the past few decades, new technologies especially the television have altered the art of storytelling to mindless, visual and emotional appeal. Before television this form of visual and imaginative entertainment, would usually include life lessons about morals and history or even provide guidance for one’s life. With television being the most common source of entertainment it holds a huge part on the  influences on the people of society today. However shows such as Fear Factor and real world have no positive effect on society. These types of shows have no lessons to be learned and force no physical or mental exercise of the viewer. Entertainment keeps society driving and pushing further. Not only can it offer happiness and a better state of mind, but it can also offer learning opportunities to society. However, source and form of entertainment determines the positive or negative effects of its use. With technology growing at exponential rates concerns arise because of the correlated increases in negative impact entertainment. The idea being, the more we really on technology for everyday tasks, the less capable we become of being a positive part of society. Entertainment needs to stimulate both the mental and physical capabilities of society, it shouldn’t only bring happiness and visual appeals otherwise we will live in a world much like the one in Mikes Judge’s film Idiocracy.