Anewflavortoourlife 　　Anewtoy 　　Iwaseightyearsoldwhenourneighboursacrossthehallgotatelevision.Itwasverysmallandveryexpensive,butthatdidn’tmatter.Itwaswonderful.Everyoneinthebuildingcameuptothefifthfloortoseethislatestwonderofthemodernworld.Somepeople,theluckyones,stayedforawhileandgottowatchawholeprogram.Thatwasin1948. 　　Soonalotofpeoplegotnewtelevision,butnotus.Myparentsdidn’tliketelevision.Theydidn’tthinkitwasgoodforchildren.Beingagood,docileson,Ididn’targuewiththem.ButIdidsecretlywatchtelevision---atmyfriends’homes. 　　By1955,televisionweren’tsoexpensiveandtheyweremuchlarger.Myparentsstillthoughttelevisionwasn’tgoodforus,butmysistersinsisted.Theysaidweweretheonlypeopleintheneighbourhoodwhodidn’thaveone.Alltheirfriendstalkedaboutcertainprogramsandactors,butmysisterscouldn’t.Theirfriendslaughedatthem,andmysistersfeltwretched,veryunhappy. 　　Oneday,myyoungestsistercamefromschoolandstartedtocry.Shesaidshewasnevergoingbacktoschoolandthatlifewithoutatelevisionwasn’tworthliving.Shecriedandsobbed.Myparents’usualargumentsonlymadehermoreinconsolable.Nothingtheysaidmadeherfeelanybetter.Well,whatcouldtheydo? 　　Thenextmorning,withouttellingus,myparentswentoutandgotanewTV.Thatafternoonanantennawasputontheroof.Suzannecamehomefromschoolandranintothehouse. 　　“Whereisit?Whereisit?”shecried.“Iknewit’shere.”Shewasbreathless,andhereyeswereshinywithexcitement. 　　“It’sinthelivingroom,”mymothersaidasmysisterranofftolookat,toadmire,thisbeautifulthingcalledatelevision. 　　Later,Iaskedher,“HowdidyouknowtheTVwashere?” 　　“Theantenna.Nowourhouselookslikeeveryoneelse’s.” 　　Shehasawonderfulsmileonherface. 　　WhenwewereyoungourparentsallowedustowatchTVtwohoursanight.Oh,yes.Andwecouldn’twatchuntilourhomeworkwasfinished.Butafterayearortwo,TVwasn’texcitingornewanymore.Itbecamejustanotherpartofourlives,likeshoesorsoap.MyparentsstillhadfearsaboutTV.Weweregoingtoforgethowtoread,theysaid.AndwewerenotgoingtoreadbooksbecausewatchingTVwaseasier,theysaid.AndTVwasgoingtofillourmindswithviolence,theysaid.Theysaidlotsofthingslikethat---onceadayatleast.Idisagreedwiththem.Ithoughttheywereold-fashioned,thinkingtoomuchofoldwaysandideas. 　　Today,peoplestillargueaboutthevalueofTV.NobodycandenythepowerofTV.Ithasanenormous,averypowerful,influenceonourlives.Ontheaverage,Americansspend30hoursaweekwatchingTV.Isthisinfluencegoodorbad?Thisisanunanswerablequestionindeed:Itishardenoughtomeasureinfluence;anditisevenhardertodecidewhatisgoodandwhatisn’t.Whatisgood,Isuppose,isthatmanypeopleareconcernedaboutTV’sinfluenceandthatwehavethepowertochangewhatwedon’tlike. 　　Recently,IreadanarticleinthenewspaperaboutthepeopleofMonheganIsland,18kilometersoffthecoastofMaine.Thesepeopledon’thaveelectricity,andtheydecided,onceagain,thattheylikeditthatway.Onlyahandfulofpeoplelivethereduringthelongwinter,andtheylivewithoutelectricity---bychoice.Electricity,theythink,wouldmakethingstooeasyandspoiltheirwayoflife.Maybetheyoungpe