I was pondering what a post-television world would look like with video delivered over broadband on various big and small screens, when I came upon a Time magazine article that pointed out that much of the world is still pre-television. That's something that I never thought about. Surely everyone must have TV? The article states that only 60% of people from the developing world have access to television. Contrast that to the fact that there are more TVs than people in the United States. The implications for the growth of television in the developing world are significant, as research in India "found that when cable TV reached villages, women were more likely to go to the market without their husbands' permission and less likely to want a boy rather than a girl. They were more likely to make decisions over child health care and less likely to think that men had the right to beat their wives." In a post-television society, like ours, it might be interesting to consider how the medium has transformed our lives, and whether or not new media will have similar impact in the future. The Time article provides a link to the
most popular television shows overseas. Enjoy.
