Television has had a significant influence on the culture of many   societies.

　　To what extent would you say that television has positively or negatively   affected the cultural development of your society?

　　Model Answer:

　　It has been around forty years since television was first introduced into   Australian households and people today still have mixed views on whether it has   a positive or a negative influence on the society.

　　Many people believe that television damages culture. It promotes the   stronger cultures of countries such as Britain and North America and weakens the   cultures of less wealthy countries. This is because the stronger, wealthier   countries are able to assert their own culture by producing more programs that   are shown widely around the world. These programs then influence people,   particularly young people, in the countries where they are shown.

　　Also, because television networks need to attract large audiences to secure   their financial survival, they must produce programs which are interesting to a   broad range of people. In Australia this range is very broad because we are a   multicultural society and people of all ages like to watch television. To   interest all these different people, most television programs are short in   length, full of action and excitement, do not require much intelligence or   knowledge to understand, and follow universal themes common to all cultures,   such as love and crime. Television programs which concentrate on or develop   themes pertinent to one particular culture are not so successful because they   interest a smaller audience.

　　Nevertheless we much acknowledge that television does have some positive   effects on the cultures within a society as well. People who do not live within   their own culture can, in a limited way, access it through the multicultural   station on the television. For example, Aboriginal children who have grown up in   white families, or migrants and international students living in Australia, can   watch programs from their own culture on the television.

　　In conclusion, I hold the view that television promotes and strengthens   those cultures that are wealthy and influential while it weakens the cultures   that are already in a weakened position.