American pop culture has come a long way in recent decades: from the rock 'n' roll boom of the 1950s, to the hippie aesthetic of the 1970s, to the electronic era of the 1990s Pop culture clearly fluctuates at a rapid pace and although fashions have come and gone, one thing has remained viable even in more contemporary times: the television. Furthermore, the world has never seen a technological spike as significant as in recent years, and television is no exception. Unfortunately, as fascinating as these advances may seem, it is generally accepted that television – like most modern pop culture technologies – has had and continues to have detrimental effects on Western culture. Given that television has been a predominant force over the past sixty years, it can be assumed that most have heard the ubiquitous claim that television "rots your brain." On the other hand, the advantages of this technology are rarely mentioned and when the subject arises, it seems to be hastily dismissed as “ridiculous”. Despite these labels, some would argue that televised pop culture not only offers a form of recreational relaxation, but also has the potential to improve cognitive abilities. Obviously, television is not a new technological development, it has been around since at least the beginning of the modern era; in the 1920s and was readily available for public sale by the late 1930s (Stephens). After World War II, television expanded with its introduction into the commercial mainstream, and by 1955 it was estimated that about half of all American households had at least one. one (Stephens). While certainly impressive, this statistic will only continue to grow over the decades with the rise of color television and cable...... middle of paper ...... e Readings New. York: WW Norton & Company, 2012. Print.Johnson, Steven “Watching TV Makes You Smarter.” Graff, Birkenstein and Durst 277-94. Stevens, Dana “Getting out of the idiot box.” Graff, Birkenstein and Durst 295-98. Herr, Norman. “Television and health”. The sourcebook for science education. California State University, Northridge, 2007. Web. Rotfeld, Herbert “Understanding advertising disorder and reality. Solution to the decline in public attention to mass media commercial messages. " Journal of Consumer Marketing, vol. 23. Auburn University, 2006. Web. March 16, 2014. Stephens, Mitchell. "Television History." Grolier Encyclopedia. New York University, 1998 Web. March 4, 2014." TV Dramas Among Top Prime-Time Viewing Genres, Ad Dollars." Watershed Publishing, April 20, 2012. Web. 2014.