Entrainment is a basic human need and without it, most of us would feel lost and bewildered. While a majority of people consider entrainment to be a secondary need or maybe a tertiary need, it does not fit within the basic hierarchy of needs.
Imagine that you see a baby cry, your first instinct will be to satisfy hunger or sleep but there is another primary human need that most mothers forget about – the need to stay entrained. Even the interaction with the child, the way voice changes instantly, and the way most people make faces when they come across kids, everything falls under the category of entrainment.
To satisfy this primary need, ancient civilizations relied heavily on live entertainment, be it show dramas, live singing, or just storytelling. The stories explained through these techniques were simple, easy to remember, and fun for everyone. However, as the world went through an evolution, human intellect changed with it, people developed various interests and so the sources for entrainment changed.
Now, most people do not even remember when they last used TV for entertainment as most of us rely mainly on social media and online content streaming companies. All thanks to the easy accessibility of high-speed internet, now you can stay entrained on the go. Good internet companies like Xfinity are not just offering high-speed, affordable internet but also ensure that you have 24/7 customer service at your beck and call so you can enjoy seamless entrainment at all times.
From simple shadow movies all the way to mind-bending thrillers on the silver screen and deep fake news on social media, here is the evolution of Entertainment.
Evolution of Entertainment: Live, Broadcast and More
The Era of Audio Stories
The very first source of human entrainment was stories. People would gather around the fire to enjoy stories. Most historians believe that everyone shared these stories but according to some tribes always had people for storytelling. Most of the stories were transferred from generation, learned and told by everyone, and had a moral. These stories are now called anecdotes, in some underdeveloped countries; but this source of entrainment is still common.
The Era of Characters
Character-making was one of the most unusual yet most exciting parts of entertainment that is common even now. The character-making started from shadow making and evolved into rock painting, puppetry, and playing characters. This type of entrainment is common even now, as we see most people mimicking famous people and writers crafting heroic characters.
The Era of Books
The book era will never go out of style. It started as a way of recording history and keeping track of the new stories that were part of the inheritance for the storyteller families. However, eventually, when people learned writing and reading it became a source of entertainment for all. From bedtime stories to recording history, books played a huge part in entrainment.
The broadcast Entertainment
Right after stories became popular, visuals and effects were added to keep the audience hooked. It started from the radio where drama was presented by using dialogue, sound effects, and background music. Later after TV became a popular source of entertainment, TV dramas and series became popular. These broadcast channels mainly helped in keeping people busy based on the availability of time within the masses. Generally, people would prefer watching TV, right after coming from the office, while enjoying dinner with family. This is the reason popular time slots like prime time are common to this day.
The Era of Social Media
Although TV is still a popular means of entertainment after the internet takeover, it has taken a backseat. Now, people like to stream their favorite shows online by using smart devices. The process is so easy and convenient that more people are switching from the traditional TV, opting for other devices, or replacing their TV with a smart TV. Moreover, content streaming sites like Netflix, amazon, apple Disney, and social media sites are becoming a major source of entertainment, replacing the traditional channel-based entrainment that was popular before.
Bottom Line
Entrainment has always been a necessity and never a luxury; however, the modes of entrainment and the way these sources are consumed have evolved. From a full-fledged experience with a ticket in a cinema, now most people prefer home theater experiences, thanks to the easy availability of the internet, this is all possible and more affordable than ever.
