Joshua Eastin
Block D
12/13/2018
Radio Ripple effect
The radio give one of history's best and most influential examples of technology changing how people interact with their society. As radio evolved from a military device to a common amenity it also evolved american culture giving america the strongest national identity of the early 20th century. This unprecedented advancement was accomplished through the radio’s ability to give marketers access to a new form mass market giving exposure which newspaper could never achieve. Corporations were not the only ones to take advantage of this new medium, politicians and musicians also became common on the radio. This lead america into a national identity which would be a primary cause of the Americana culture of the early 1950’s.
The invention of radio is usually stated in the range of 1890’s to early 1900’s but its invention can be traced back as far as the 1850’s when experimentation of low frequency waves began. However, this raises a question: if americans had access to this technology years prior then why did it only become a consumer product in the early 1930’s? This can be explained by two reasons; the first being that the equipment was simply too difficult to use for an average consumer until 1910 when it became more adapted for military use. This reason still does not explain why the radio only gained popularity in the 1930’s. Henretta America’s History textbook gives the reason that america experienced a particularly wealthy change in the economy. This gave consumers more wealth which resulted in more buying power and willingness to buy from consumers. Consumerism swept the nation now ordinary working class people could afford luxuries such as radio. The fact that the radio was not only used by the wealthy would become an important factor in how it us used by marketers.
Radio was loved by marketers giving more exposure than ever possible. The University of Minnesota list the several reasons that radio was more effective than newspaper. While news paper could only be read at home, it was impossible to escape the constant cry of the radio. Restaurants, public areas, even in some workplaces the distorted murmur of a radio could be heard. Another reason was that newspaper could have intriguing art and eye catching headlines the radio possessed unique the ability to speak directly to consumers, this was an entirely new stimulus and the american public was fascinated by it. Children and adults became entranced by the radio gathering around and just looking at the radio. This undivided attention was a goldmine for advertisers. The radio’s success in advertising perpetuated the consumerism of the 30’s past the second world war. Even the war itself could be seen as evidence of radio propaganda.
Another influential result of the radio was the national identity it established in american culture. The nation was brought closer together after being able to hear other americans from distant part of the country. America became more aware of public opinion
Block D
12/13/2018
Radio Ripple effect
The radio give one of history's best and most influential examples of technology changing how people interact with their society. As radio evolved from a military device to a common amenity it also evolved american culture giving america the strongest national identity of the early 20th century. This unprecedented advancement was accomplished through the radio’s ability to give marketers access to a new form mass market giving exposure which newspaper could never achieve. Corporations were not the only ones to take advantage of this new medium, politicians and musicians also became common on the radio. This lead america into a national identity which would be a primary cause of the Americana culture of the early 1950’s.
The invention of radio is usually stated in the range of 1890’s to early 1900’s but its invention can be traced back as far as the 1850’s when experimentation of low frequency waves began. However, this raises a question: if americans had access to this technology years prior then why did it only become a consumer product in the early 1930’s? This can be explained by two reasons; the first being that the equipment was simply too difficult to use for an average consumer until 1910 when it became more adapted for military use. This reason still does not explain why the radio only gained popularity in the 1930’s. Henretta America’s History textbook gives the reason that america experienced a particularly wealthy change in the economy. This gave consumers more wealth which resulted in more buying power and willingness to buy from consumers. Consumerism swept the nation now ordinary working class people could afford luxuries such as radio. The fact that the radio was not only used by the wealthy would become an important factor in how it us used by marketers.
Radio was loved by marketers giving more exposure than ever possible. The University of Minnesota list the several reasons that radio was more effective than newspaper. While news paper could only be read at home, it was impossible to escape the constant cry of the radio. Restaurants, public areas, even in some workplaces the distorted murmur of a radio could be heard. Another reason was that newspaper could have intriguing art and eye catching headlines the radio possessed unique the ability to speak directly to consumers, this was an entirely new stimulus and the american public was fascinated by it. Children and adults became entranced by the radio gathering around and just looking at the radio. This undivided attention was a goldmine for advertisers. The radio’s success in advertising perpetuated the consumerism of the 30’s past the second world war. Even the war itself could be seen as evidence of radio propaganda.
Another influential result of the radio was the national identity it established in american culture. The nation was brought closer together after being able to hear other americans from distant part of the country. America became more aware of public opinion
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| 1930's Family Listening to Radio |
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