How has mass media technology changed the way audiences are entertained?

Humans have not just began to enjoy entertainment over the past few decades with the invention of mass media technology. Our species has been using entertainment ever since prehistoric times, dating back to even before our written history. We have come a long way since the paintings on cave walls and the stories around the campfire of the early humans, but the core categories of entertainment remain the same today as they were back then: storytelling and music. The four main types of entertainment that have survived from the ancient civilazations such as Greece into current day are music, literature, sports, and sex. Mass media technology has had an enormous effect on entertainment because it has allowed entertainment to reach mass audiences. Before the invention of movies or television, the only way to see performances was to go to a play, and obviously the majority of people did not have this luxury. I think that one of the most positive effects of mass media technology on entertainment has been that it brings people together and unifies our countries and others. Everyone in our countries has seen certain classic movies, we all know certain popular songs and artists, and most of us are fans of certain sports team. With mass media technology, entertainment is so easily accesible that people can enjoy it whenever they want, and with movies on demand and music sites like itunes, they can be entertained in their own home by whatever it is that they want to see or hear. In average U.S homes, the television is on seven hours a day. This shows that with the development of mass media technology entertainment has gone from a rare luxury, to something we are exposed to for most of our day. This is very convenient for everyone, but in my opinion seeing a movie has become something to do at home if you are tired or bored, whereas when they were first invented going to the movies was a treat, probably making it alot more enjoyable. As new mass media technology continues to develop entertainment will become even more easily accessible than it already is, which will have both positive and negative effects on society and entertainment.