Industry has brought in a highly stratified society, with various social classes vie for visibility in entertainment fare. The increasing number of religions has made it difficult for people to join together on religious platforms, leading to diverse markets for diverse entertainment fare. Technology has also played a significant role in shaping American cultural values, with televisions and computer games becoming popular pastimes.

The economy has also played a role, with middle-class people becoming more literate and having money to spend, leading to the opening of doors to opera, public musical performances, reading clubs, and salons. This has taken away people from active participation in the realm of entertainment. Public education has focused more on building tedious skills rather than entertaining skills.

In today’s world, art and entertainment have become commodities, and the survival of artists depends on what the various publics need. While the basic pleasure-giving functions of arts and entertainment have not changed, their emergence as institutions managed by professionals and technicians represents a complex state of affairs. People still yearn for the sociological component of entertainment, as seen in the way people flock together in stadiums to see matches instead of watching them on television.