Assignment #5 - Irene Kim - Our TV Habits Need Modifying

My relationship with technology is very confusing. Up until about third grade, I loved playing computer games on my dad's desktop, the only technology we had apart from my parent's flip phones. When we moved to Kentucky, I was shocked to see fifth-graders sporting Apple products and sharing Instagram posts. As I entered seventh grade, I got my first cell phone; my first laptop in tenth grade. Since then, I regret to say that most of my spare time has been spent on YouTube and Netflix--a habit I desperately want to change.

With TV, however, it's different. My parents have always been avid watchers of Korean television, whether it be K-dramas or Korean news updates. I had never been a regular audience of any form of news other than the occasional New York Times update on my phone--until I entered high school. Upon taking Colonel Brown's class which was filled with general knowledge and where everyone was subject to interrogation on the latest news, I began taking more interest in the news. Now, I enjoy reading through daily updates from outlets such as the New York Times or CNN--and occasionally indulging in a Buzzfeed "Tasty" video. I also love listening to NPR's TED Radio Hour podcast when I'm on the go.

Still, I rarely watch other television on the actual TV, including the Emmy's and the Nobel Prizes. I haven't ever intentionally taken the time out to watch either of these shows, though I have seen bits and pieces posted across the Internet afterward. To be frank, I didn't know that the Nobel Prizes were shown on TV--but now that I do, I will definitely make a point to watch them this year. While I respect every actor or actress for their hard work, I do think this goes to show that the entertainment industry and celebrity media is emphasized far more than academically oriented achievements of equal importance. Entertainment provides a form of amusement and diversion from the real world; the Nobel Prize winners are what keep the real world running. From Marie Curie to Martin Luther King, Jr. to Einstein, these winners and especially today's winners who are often obscured in the mass of the entertainment industry, deserve more recognition for their work.