Telecommunications
Changes in transportation were not the only
changes that affected the way we lived in the 20th
and 21st century. With
telecommunications
, radio,
movies, and television have drastically altered our
lifestyles. All of the components for wireless
telegraphy, better known as the radio, had been
invented by the early 1900s, and the age of radio
was about to emerge. In 1920, the first for-profit
radio station (KDKA) was started in Pittsburgh. When
radio became a popular formof entertainment and
business, companies in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh
startedmass producing radio sets for consumers.
Also, movie theaters sprang up inmany
small towns and cities and became centers of
entertainment. At first, movies had no sound but
that soon changed in the 1920s. Whilemovies have
remained popular, the singlemovie theater has
changed tomultiple screens usually housed in
shoppingmalls. Once a small town gathering place,
the singlemovie theater in the center of town has
mostly disappeared.
The advent of television occurred in the 1930s,
but it was not affordable for the consumer until the
mid-1940s. Undoubtedly, the TV has now assumed a
lead position as our entertainment center in the
home, especially with technologies such as video
gaming systems and DVD players that can be wired
into the TV. Cable and satellite providers also have
brought a greater choice of television channels, as
well as high-definition (HD) programming.
Communication devices, such asmobile
telephones, computers, and digital video cameras,
have helped create the
information superhighway
.
These devices have revolutionized the way we conduct
business and trade. Literally, billions of dollars of
trade can be conducted electronically in one day.
Today, with the Internet, we now can shop, pay
bills, email, downloadmusic andmovies, and attend a
cyber school without ever leaving our homes. And the
growth of online social networking sites has
transformed the way we communicate, collaborate,
and socialize. The advancement of new communication
technologies will no doubt continue to shape our
future and our lifestyles.
L
ET
’
S
R
EVIEW
1. Improved railway systems and cars allowed the creation of what kind of community?
2. For what is the Pennsylvania Turnpike famous?
3. Name another revolution in road building that came from the success of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
4. The railway systemof cars in cities allowed the creation of?
5. Contrast the ways street cars, cable cars, and trolley cars were propelled.
6. Name three large port cities of Pennsylvania.
7. Name at least 4well-known products that are handled in our port cities.
8. Name at least two inventions that changed the way farmwork was done.
9. Regarding radio, what significant achievement was accomplished in our state?
10. List at least four new products that have revolutionized the telecommunications industry.
Modern Pennsylvania
101
It was common for
whole families to
gather around the
radio together (left).
As they became less
expensive, TVs
replaced radios as the
family center for
entertainment.
Advances in
telecommunications
has allowed computers
and handheld phones
(below) tomove to the
forefront of sources for
information and
entertainment.
