Can television destroy family communication?

Many people have a love-hate relationship with television. It is undeniably an important source of news, information and entertainment, and many of us watch it far more than we admit to. Yet, it often comes in for a great deal of criticism.

Some of this criticism focuses on communication, or rather the lack of it. It is alleged by many that television has destroyed communication among family members. Is this allegation fair?

It is almost certainly the case that members of a family do not communicate as a group quite so frequently or so effectively as they did about 50 years ago, but can we lay this failure in communication solely at the door of television? The answer is no.

Admittedly, nowadays it is much less common for families to sit around in a situation in which communal discussion is likely, or even possible. However, there have been sociological changes, other than TV viewing, which have contributed to the decrease in communication. For various reasons, families are now much less likely to eat together than they were in the days of formal family meals, and it was meal times that provided the best opportunities for the exchange of views and information among family members.

Nowadays, people-children and parents alike-are much busier than they were in previous generations. Adults work longer hours and children have a wider range of interests, pertaining to both schoolwork and leisure pursuits. Family members are thus not always at home at the same time, even for family meals.

Mothers are more likely to work, and so they are not sitting at home preparing slowly cooked family meals that will be consumed in a leisurely fashion by the rest of the family. The meals are much more likely to take the form of convenience food, which family members can prepare for themselves in a microwave oven as required. It is rare for family members to be in the same place at the same time. As a result, the opportunities for family conversation are not great.

Thus, television is not the only culprit in the breakdown of family communication. However, it is very likely a factor. Many people prefer to eat their meals in front of the television set and watching the programme on it, even while other members of the family are present. The attraction of the television set is greater than the prospect of talking to their family. The result is a decrease in family communication.

Perhaps the real problem with regard to television and breakdown in family communication lies in the proliferation of television sets within the home. When there was only one television in a home, usually placed in the living room, there was some control on viewing. Only one programme could be watched at a time, although a certain degree of zapping would take place and a certain degree of quarrelling over channels would occur.

However, in recent years it has become common for family members to have individual television sets in their own rooms. That has made for quite a significant degree of isolation. Everyone is watching programmes of his own choice and few people are talking to each other. This must bear some responsibility for the breakdown in family communication, but it is not the whole story.