Probably the only thing we are all in agreement is that we have fragmented.
In 1956, the Ed Sullivan show peaked with an 82.6 share with an Elvis Presley appearance. Imagine - 82.6 percent of all televisions turned on were showing Elvis.
In 1983, 77 percent of all televisions were tuned to the MASH finale.
This year's academy awards were a 18.9 household share.
Perhaps this trend started with Ted Turner expanding his Atlanta UHF television station in 1976 to a national distribution. He purchased the Atlanta Braves to provide low-cost programming. It worked - America stopped watching the same shows and thus began our fragmentation.
Recognizing a viable business model, ESPN began its first broadcast in 1979. Then the Home Shopping Network and more ...
The fragmentation has been exponentially accelerated by our smartphones. Remember the 1971 Crosby, Stills, and Nash song, "Love the One You're With"? With smartphones, we don't even talk to the ones we are with. At church, at a restaurant, (especially at an airport), look up from your own smartphone and just count the number of people focused on their smartphones.
So how do we de-frag ourselves, similar to de-fragging disk drives?
Step one is putting down the smartphone. Make it a rule at the restaurant to leave the phone in your pocket or purse. Step two is speak to everyone. Everyone has a story they want to tell. Let them. Step three is identifying heroes and changing your life to be more like them. Then we will have more in common.
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