But there's a reason why these soaps are so popular. I'm not a fan but I know that many, many people use them as a form of escapism. They unwind at the end of the day watching something that doesn't impact upon their own lives; makes them feel better about their own traumas or issues they might be dealing with. They allow your brain to slow down from its whirring madness that can threaten your own peace of mind. So to sit and watch an episode of Holly Oaks or Emmerdale is the best way to relax. We love a bit of rubbishy tv. My guilty pleasures are Come Dine with Me and Whose Doing the Dishes. I love these. The narrator on CDWM is brilliant, he cracks me up. I never fail to be astounded at how bad some people are at cooking and entertaining. WDTD is the perfect way to have a nosey around a celebrity home and let's be honest who doesn't love a good nose around someone else's house.
With so many people, children and adults alike, spending hours on their smart phones and tablets we need to encourage an alternative way to relax. I know we should be outside keeping fit, appreciating the great outdoors; we should be reading books or painting pictures; knitting or tap dancing. Whatever activity that takes your fancy and makes you put down your virtual reality. So if watching tv is your chosen form of activity make sure you do it together. I know some couples who spend their evenings in different rooms watching tv, alone. That really bothers me. Yes, I know we all like different programmes but with the range of choice surely you can find something you both enjoy! DickyB and I have programmes we both enjoy and the other doesn't but in the evening we make sure we watch something together, because this at least gives us a conversation. We can discuss what we are watching, laugh and the same things, shake our heads or just roll our eyes. He can laugh at me when I jump or cry at the programme, reminding me it's not real and it's just for TV. Gathering around the television gives families something to bond over. Even if you're not interested in the same things watching tv with your family might bring you closer together; reminiscing about shows you've watched together gives you shared history and memories. We spend many hours chatting about Friends and other programmes we've all enjoyed together.
There is of course a down side to the joys of our goggle box. It can ruin your relationships. If you are watching television instead of spending time with your family, this is an issue. If you're so wrapped up in your program that you start ignoring or spending less time with the ones you love, then television is a problem. Use it as a tool to relax and bond with your family but don't let it replace them.
I can become completely absorbed by a programme. I will sit and sob whilst watching DIY SOS. I get frustrated for the chefs on Masterchef. But then I have other programmes that I put on and they're just there, you know the ones where you are doing something else and can dip in and out of. Perhaps the tv is on just for company.
"Television can help you feel less lonely. Psychologists coined the term "social surrogacy" to explain how television can fill the shoes of absent friends or family. In one study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, researchers found that people who watch a favourite TV show report feeling less lonely during the show."
But I'm not really a day time tv watcher. During the day I listen to the radio. Infact I listen to BBC Radio One. I love it. Pretty sure that most people my age listen to Radio 2 or 3 but I love keeping up with the music at home. The radio here in Dubai is ok but every channel is virtually the same. I can flick through and at times three out of four stations will be playing the same song and if I hear Justin Beiber or Taylor Swift one more time I might need to put a brick through my car radio. Within the confines of my car I'm a trapped audience without any means of escape as I've had a cd stuck in the player for about 4 years... A Christmas one!! (No, I'm not lazy regards getting it repaired it's just that the whole front dash board will need to be replaced and to be honest it's not worth it.)
Unlike the tv though radio keeps me up to date with what's going on in the world, it forces me to listen to news throughout the day which in turn often has me actually going to look something up so I'm completely filled in with what's happening. I'm not inclined to put the news on the tv, don't know why but I'm not. And as music is one of my happy places I'm more drawn to listening than watching. I love the conversational aspect of radio, it's easy to feel you could be a part of the conversational. The banter between the DJ's is always fun. I find myself laughing out loud and enjoying their company. But the radio is turned off once DickyB comes home, we need time to chat and catch up our days, to discuss upcoming plans and our life.
And I'm making a concerted effort to put my phone down at bedtime, to actually ready a proper book with pages and everything! It's actually a much nicer way to wind down and relax before sleep. Slows my mind down before snuggling into bed. So tv has its place but we must remember that actually living in the real world is what's important; it's good for our souls to interact with real people and to be a part of our families lives, their dreams and ambitions. Their happiness and sadness. So turn off the tv and spend time together, time that you can never get back once it's been spent.