Standards of Living 1941 - 1960 Flashcards
Why was the initial impact of televisions incredibly limited?
They initially cost around $200 dollars in 1948 which was relatively unaffordable, they were also small and only received reception in the New York Area.
What were the levels of TV ownership in 1950, 1955 and 1960?
During 1950 only 9% of homes had a television, by 1955 it was at 65% and by 1960 it was 85%.
What caused such sudden growth in television ownership?
Due to mass electrification schemes and easy installation they were very accessible. In 1948 there were 16 broadcasting stations, by 1954 there were 354 which gave people more choice.
What was the impact of television on people’s lives.
Many people bought them in the suburbs and as entertainment was being sent to them they began to go out less. It saved them finding a babysitter and in turn avoided having to drive to the cinema, restaurants or stadiums. Pre Cooked TV dinners were also produced.
Why did the toy industry begin to grow significantly?
The development of the plastic industry meant that toys could be produced more cheaply and easily furthermore many companies realized that they could take advantage of the pester power of children to get their parents to pay for things.
How did the television effect the sale of children’s goods?
Many TV shows began to sell toys of their characters for example the company which made the show Davy Crockett generate $100 million in just 5 months from selling just racoon skin caps.
How were men and women targeted differently by companies?
Men were often targeted by car companies and other similar companies meanwhile, women were often targeted for their pester power, often this was for labor saving products such as washing machines.
How did the way of buying food change?
People began to now shop at supermarkets and in turn often developed favorite brands to buy from and in turn favourite supermarkets, pre prepared things also became popular such as pre prepared cake mix from Betty Crocker.
How did eating habits change after the war?
During the war food had been rationed meaning that after the war people began to crave the foods they had been deprived of. People ate more fat, sugar and meat as well as more synthetic items. Coca Cola made $56 million in 1950 and $79 million in 1959.
What did the change in people’s eating habits lead to after the war?
People began to investigate what the long term effects of this would be and by the 1960’s full reports were being released and written.
Which group of consumers grew drastically during the 1950s?
Teenagers began to spend more and more during the 1950s and a 1959 survey revealed that they were spending about $10 billion a year.
How much were teenagers spending on transport and why?
38% of teenage spending went towards transport especially cars. in 1959 there were 1.5 million teenage car owners which was boosted by many families buying the latest model of car every few years in turn leaving second hand one for teenagers.
How much were teenagers spending on clothing and sports and why?
They were spending 24% on clothing and sport. Teenage girls generally spent more on clothing and cosmetics with $20 million on lipstick alone. Boys generally spent more on sports equipment as well as trips to sporting events.
How much did teenagers spend on food and drink?
They were spending 22% on Food and drink as many of them ate a drank significant amounts outside of home, they ate on average about 20% more than adults. The industry received a huge boost as they often ate lots of ice-cream and drank milk and furthermore, they also ate a new drive ins which produced fast food.
How much did teenagers spend on entertainment?
They spent on average 16% on Entertainment with for example $75 billion going to records, movie companies also began to target the teen audience with high schools films and a range of cheap horror and sci-fi films such as the blob.
