What are you watching?

The new fall TV season is underway and I've had a rather startling revelation. We don't watch tv on the tv. It turns out our watching has gradually shifted to the computer. We do watch shows on the tv but it often happens because there are several of us watching the same thing, or it's a special. With hubby's erratic work schedule he is continuously trying to catch up with his shows on the internet. He does not like to miss an episode, because things can get confused. The kids don't even watch tv anymore, unless our reactions draw their attention. They spend time watching anime from out of country, or Youtube videos. All of us have also begun watching web only series. Even our news watching has transferred to the computer.
I can see this migration continuing, although it might be a while before hubby and I are watching things on our smart phones. Our eyes aren't getting any younger and those screens are not that big.

The family that techs together

What picture comes to your mind if I told you that I'm in the kitchen at the table on my laptop, hubby is in the living room on his smartphone & watching TV, youngest son is in the addition on the family desk top watching anime  and eldest son is in his room on his desk top reading manga and listening to music? You'd probably picture everyone in a separate room with doors closed and no interaction between them. In many households that might be true, but not in this one.

We live in a small, one-floor, open plan house. Hubby would be in eyesight if he wasn't on the other side of the pantry cupboard. Youngest son is on the other side of the halfwall between the kitchen and the addition and is in line-of-sight of his dad. Eldest son keeps his door open so he can yell at me to come see something or ask questions. All of us can hear the TV show dad is watching, so you'll hear the occasional question or someone will drift in to watch if it sounds good. As we move around we check out what each other is doing, sharing and asking questions as we go. Someone is playing a video game? Come over and watch or better yet join in.

Technology is just a part of our lives but we have made the conscious decision to not allow it to isolate us from each other. I'm hoping that when the boys are out on their own that this same technology will be keeping us connected.