The advent of cable television has transformed the daily of the vast majority of Americans in a number of ways.  Cable television has contributed a great deal to globalization, providing viewers with greater access to the products of other cultures.  Cable television allows the viewer the abiilty to watch TV from Japan, China, and other Asian nations, at the same time opening up European television to American audiences.  At one time, it was very difficult to have access to British comedy series; now, the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is widely available in the United States.

Conversely, the open access that cable television provides to the products of other cultures also serves to limit direct experience of those cultures.  In addition to the Internet, Americans experience the world more and more through the television they watch.  Also, cable television also serves to distance individuals within society from one another.  Rather than committing more time to direct social interaction, many would just rather watch TV.

Like the Internet, cable television makes the world smaller, while at the same time distancing individuals from one another.  Cable television, however, does not achieve this to the same degree as the Internet does.