Forms of Communication:
In the 1960’s, communication was a lot different from what it is today. Forms of communication included radio, telephone, and television. . Nearly everyone owned a telephone, which contributed to it becoming a leader in communication. However, some people still communicated using hand written letters. Very few people had a television, which at this time a majority only had access to one if any. Newspaper was also a source of communication at this time, but there was not nearly the amount of competition for readers that exists today. Postmen would travel from town to town delivering any sort of mail. These forms of communicational technologies have led us to the more reliant and advanced form of communication we have today. No one had even heard of a cellphone. The most common way to communicate with someone was to speak to them in person, or if they lived far away to send a letter by mail. Computers were just starting to be looked at as a source of communication, and breakthroughs for its use for mass communication wouldn't start for years to come.
Television
One way in which Americans communicated in the 60's was through the use of television. Television struggled to become a form of national mass media in the 1950s, and became a cultural force, for better or worse, in the 60s. The 1960s were a time of political, social, cultural, and psychological change. Americans were confronted with large cult movements, civil rights issues, the Vietnam war, student protests: all in which were covered by national news organizations and broadcasted on television. Television's effect on politics, advertising, and public perception continued to grow. In 1962, with the communications satellite Telstar I in space, followed by other satellites, news reports from around the world could be transmitted directly to a network broadcast center, giving television unprecedented power to communicate major world events real-time. President John F. Kennedy was the first President to use the television as a form of communication to directly speak to the nation. This was very effective because it was easy to get a message to millions of people quickly. This was the first time in history where the nation was actually able to see the president, just by sitting in their living room. Most families only had one television, seeing as it was still a luxury, so usually television was watched with the family. With the television becoming more widespread, it changed the way we receive news and how young adults spent their time.
Screenshot of the moon of the 1969 live television broadcast.
Radio
For those who could not afford a television, there was the radio. Through the radio, people were able to listen to not only music, but also live news broadcasts as well. The development of the portable transistor in the early 1960's changed the availability of the radio forever. The character of being easy accesible and portable led to the advanced form of communcation we have today, such as computers and cell phones.