Technology and the impact of everyday life
Technology impacted the lives of citizens in a huge way in the twenties particularly in Europe and America. New fangled inventions such as the radio and the automobile saw huge changes in daily life for people. They also lead to advertising and consumerism; suddenly the money making wasn't about the producer, it was about the buyer.
-THE RADIO
The radio was in existence before and during WWI (Morse code messages were vital to war communication) but the 1920’s really saw the radio take off for entertainment purposes. The first commercial radio station, KDKA (the Westinghouse Company), went on the air on November 2, 1920. The first public broadcast in America was an announcement that Warren J. Harding had defeated James Cox to be the next President. By 1922 there were 500 radio stations in America. In Europe the famous BBC began in London in 1922. By 1925 it had spread to most of The United Kingdom.The radio opened up a whole new culture. Many things were broadcast including sporting events, classical and jazz music, weather reports, newscasts, political commentary, events, soap operas, sermons, live theater, plays etc. The radio had become the main source of entertainment. The significance of the radio was that it was bringing people together and breaking social barriers. Between 1923 and 1930 around 60% of American families purchased a radio. Early in the 1920s ‘crystal radios’ were used. These radios had a lot of static and required head phones to hear the broadcasts. Around the mid-1920s vacuum tube radios were introduced which were much clearer and didn't require headphones. People gathered around the radio together; family, friends, and strangers. Another impact of the radio was that people were much more aware of political situations as they could be broadcast live. The radio also created celebrities like Charles Lindbergh and Babe Ruth. These were just two of the household names that were made heroes by the radio.
-THE AUTOMOBILE
The automobile was also a huge technological advance that boomed in the 20s particularly in America. Like the radio, the automobile also existed both before and during the war. In the 1920s it saw a huge popularity in America largely due to Henry Ford and mass production. Instead of cars only being for the rich, the Model T Ford made the ‘car for every family’ dream a reality. There were many impacts of the popularization of cars. One impact was that of increased suburban living. Because of the huge time difference between travelling by horse-drawn carriage and the new motor vehicle, people who worked in the city were able to live in the suburbs as they now had the time to get to work. The automobile also made people much more aware of the wider world. All of a sudden people could travel in hours rather than days, days rather than months. Families often went on a leisurely Sunday drive around the countryside. The car enabled people from the city to visit the country and vice versa. Social isolation wasn't a problem anymore. People were able to fit much more into their day.The automobile also brought upon new jobs such as mechanics and garages. Highways were built connecting cities and billboards were built along these highways which was the beginning of consumerism.
-THE CINEMA
The cinema became really big in the 20s. This was due to the emergence of ‘talkies’ (films with speech) and full feature length films rather than just short films. At the beginning of the 1920s, films were silent and colourless. In 1922, the first all-colour feature, The Toll of the Sea, was released. In 1926, Warner Bros. released Don Juan, the first feature with sound effects and music. In 1927, Warner released The Jazz Singer, the first sound feature to include limited talking sequences. Cartoon short films became popular in the 1920’s as well. On November 28, 1928 at Colony Theater in NYC the world-famous Mickey Mouse made his debut in Steamboat Willie. That ‘set the ball rolling for Disney.’ A lot of the big film companies we know today emerged in the 1920s with Paramount- 1927, Warner Bros.- 1923, and Metro Goldwyn Mayer- 1924 and Columbia- 1924. The cinema created a huge influence on people. Because films from different countries were being shown in other countries i.e. American films shown in Europe, people developed pictures about other countries and what they were like. Movies were glamorous and the movie stars almost gods. After the terror of the war people loved these new films; Westerns with a cowboy hero, comedies full of light-hearted humour, musicals.The cinema was a very popular form of entertainment and it wasn't limited to the upper class. Movie tickets were quite cheap so that anyone could attend.
-ADVERTISING AND MASS MEDIA
With the growing industrialization and urbanization consumerism started to emerge. Advertising became more persuasive. Instead of just stating that ‘this is the product’ it was now ‘this is the product and you need it because’. Billboards began to spring up on highways and in the city. Advertising helped cause what we know today as consumerism. Not the product itself but the consumer/buyer. A lot of newspapers and magazines also emerged in the 20s such as the famous Time Magazine. These magazines had huge impacts on people’s views. Media manipulation was rife, people believed what they read.
-MUSIC
Jazz, Blues and ragtime gained popularity in America and the world in the 1920s. People used to go to jazz clubs in the city and participate in upbeat dances like the Charleston. This new music was originally rejected by White Americans as it originated from the black African-Americans particularly the slaves. However, this music soon became all the rage.
-THE RADIO
The radio was in existence before and during WWI (Morse code messages were vital to war communication) but the 1920’s really saw the radio take off for entertainment purposes. The first commercial radio station, KDKA (the Westinghouse Company), went on the air on November 2, 1920. The first public broadcast in America was an announcement that Warren J. Harding had defeated James Cox to be the next President. By 1922 there were 500 radio stations in America. In Europe the famous BBC began in London in 1922. By 1925 it had spread to most of The United Kingdom.The radio opened up a whole new culture. Many things were broadcast including sporting events, classical and jazz music, weather reports, newscasts, political commentary, events, soap operas, sermons, live theater, plays etc. The radio had become the main source of entertainment. The significance of the radio was that it was bringing people together and breaking social barriers. Between 1923 and 1930 around 60% of American families purchased a radio. Early in the 1920s ‘crystal radios’ were used. These radios had a lot of static and required head phones to hear the broadcasts. Around the mid-1920s vacuum tube radios were introduced which were much clearer and didn't require headphones. People gathered around the radio together; family, friends, and strangers. Another impact of the radio was that people were much more aware of political situations as they could be broadcast live. The radio also created celebrities like Charles Lindbergh and Babe Ruth. These were just two of the household names that were made heroes by the radio.
-THE AUTOMOBILE
The automobile was also a huge technological advance that boomed in the 20s particularly in America. Like the radio, the automobile also existed both before and during the war. In the 1920s it saw a huge popularity in America largely due to Henry Ford and mass production. Instead of cars only being for the rich, the Model T Ford made the ‘car for every family’ dream a reality. There were many impacts of the popularization of cars. One impact was that of increased suburban living. Because of the huge time difference between travelling by horse-drawn carriage and the new motor vehicle, people who worked in the city were able to live in the suburbs as they now had the time to get to work. The automobile also made people much more aware of the wider world. All of a sudden people could travel in hours rather than days, days rather than months. Families often went on a leisurely Sunday drive around the countryside. The car enabled people from the city to visit the country and vice versa. Social isolation wasn't a problem anymore. People were able to fit much more into their day.The automobile also brought upon new jobs such as mechanics and garages. Highways were built connecting cities and billboards were built along these highways which was the beginning of consumerism.
-THE CINEMA
The cinema became really big in the 20s. This was due to the emergence of ‘talkies’ (films with speech) and full feature length films rather than just short films. At the beginning of the 1920s, films were silent and colourless. In 1922, the first all-colour feature, The Toll of the Sea, was released. In 1926, Warner Bros. released Don Juan, the first feature with sound effects and music. In 1927, Warner released The Jazz Singer, the first sound feature to include limited talking sequences. Cartoon short films became popular in the 1920’s as well. On November 28, 1928 at Colony Theater in NYC the world-famous Mickey Mouse made his debut in Steamboat Willie. That ‘set the ball rolling for Disney.’ A lot of the big film companies we know today emerged in the 1920s with Paramount- 1927, Warner Bros.- 1923, and Metro Goldwyn Mayer- 1924 and Columbia- 1924. The cinema created a huge influence on people. Because films from different countries were being shown in other countries i.e. American films shown in Europe, people developed pictures about other countries and what they were like. Movies were glamorous and the movie stars almost gods. After the terror of the war people loved these new films; Westerns with a cowboy hero, comedies full of light-hearted humour, musicals.The cinema was a very popular form of entertainment and it wasn't limited to the upper class. Movie tickets were quite cheap so that anyone could attend.
-ADVERTISING AND MASS MEDIA
With the growing industrialization and urbanization consumerism started to emerge. Advertising became more persuasive. Instead of just stating that ‘this is the product’ it was now ‘this is the product and you need it because’. Billboards began to spring up on highways and in the city. Advertising helped cause what we know today as consumerism. Not the product itself but the consumer/buyer. A lot of newspapers and magazines also emerged in the 20s such as the famous Time Magazine. These magazines had huge impacts on people’s views. Media manipulation was rife, people believed what they read.
-MUSIC
Jazz, Blues and ragtime gained popularity in America and the world in the 1920s. People used to go to jazz clubs in the city and participate in upbeat dances like the Charleston. This new music was originally rejected by White Americans as it originated from the black African-Americans particularly the slaves. However, this music soon became all the rage.
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There is radio music in the air, every night, everywhere. Anybody can hear it at home on a receiving set, which any boy can put up in an hour" |
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I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing- it was all started by a mouse" |