I grew up in an era where we did not or do not all watch the same three channels. In fact, I hardly watch TV at all anymore. The idea that America is all tuned into nightly television is an odd concept. However, clearly the shift away from creating products/entertainment that could appeal to everyone has led to individualized selection. We eat different cereals from each other, and watch different shows. One might contend that this predicates loss of national connection and emphasis on individual identity. However, was this national connection ever really real in the first place? Certainly the high censorship and political climate of the 60s meant that entertainment was highly sugarcoated, for better or for worse. Technology and migration away from sanitized entertainment has enabled us to see the world much less through rose colored glasses. Furthermore, who says we’re not all receiving the same news? Sure, we might receive world events through channels that fit our personal biases, but when something big happens, or a funny video goes viral, we all find out about it. It’s not like people didn’t know in real time when 9/11 happened or when Trump became president just because we don’t all watch the same three channels anymore. Other technology has compensated for the fact that we prefer certain individualized markets.