Not content with being in the musical dark ages, I have this week come to realise that our TV viewing habits are probably more akin to those of my youth than a lot of people I know.
The World Cup has brought this realisation to the foreground. Now, I actually enjoy watching the World Cup. It is one of the big five sporting events that I do vaguely follow (the others being the Olympics, the Six Nations, Wimbledon, and occasionally, but not as often as before having children, Formula 1). However, there are occasions when even I get a little fed up of having it on every day, and every now and then I get the urge to watch something else.
What seems to happen in a lot of households (and here I am going to generalise horribly) is that the man of the house ends up watching the sport, while the female in charge goes off to the second television and catches up with CSI.
Notice the term "second television" there?
Technically, we also possess two televisions, if you count the "very tiny portable on the top floor that now no longer functions as we no longer have an analogue signal and whose internal aerial isn't strong enough for more than two channels on the digibox". Otherwise known as "the crappy portable". It's hooked up to our ancient VCR that only works if you physically remove the tape by taking off the top of the recorder with a screwdriver. Suffice to say, neither of them really get much use, and to all intents and purposes we are therefore a one television household.
I know, you are probably reeling from the shock right now. To make you feel better, it is a nice telly - nothing too fancy, but under 5 years old, HD and also hooked up to fancy PVR, so we're not completely steam powered. We rarely seem to watch anything "live" these days (other than beforementioned sporting events).
99% of the time I am more than happy with just that one television. Thankfully my husband and I share a similar taste in television. He even lets me control the remote occasionally. The children are at the age where all they want to watch is CBeebies anyway and are in bed by the time we do our viewing.
However, I do wonder what will happen when they grow older. Will they want a TV in their bedroom (something I'm personally dead set against)? Will we compromise and get a second "proper" telly for the kids? For gaming?
Am I naive in thinking that it will ever be like when I was young and the whole family congregated around the box to watch something together?
