One of my favorite things about going to school on Mondays (my only favorite thing, come to think of it) was being able to talk to my friends about the shows that we all watched over the weekend. With only 3 major channels to choose from, it was fairly safe to say that we had a great deal in common when it came to our TV viewing.
I bet kids today don’t have that experience. With so many cable packages to choose from, along with Hulu and Netflix and God only knows what else, no one watches anything at the same time anymore, and none of us occupy the same TV landscape.
For example, I don’t get cable, and can only afford one subscription, so currently it’s Hulu, because I absolutely HAD TO see The Handmaid’s Tale. I seem to hang around Netflix and cable people, so our conversations regarding the good ol’ idiot box are limited. Yeah, I’d love to check out the Hunger Games, Game of Thrones, or House of Cards (at least prior to the sex scandal), but it’s not within my reach.
So how do kids connect anymore? They sure don’t seem to do anything in the sunshine. Do they even do the same things, or is it every person for him or herself? Do TV characters still feel like parts of their families? I miss talking about what happened on Cheers and the Cosby Show (again, prior to sex scandal), and Hill Street Blues and WKRP and MASH and…oh, you name it. I do believe that variety is good, but I think that kids today have lost a lot because they have a bit too much of it.
Come to think of it, if someone shot JR nowadays, there’d be no anticipation about talking about it at school the next day. It would be all over Facebook even as it happened. So much for the sweet, sweet taste of delayed gratification.
Dang, I sound old.
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