Normality for many people is leaving the TV on as background noise. Having shows, series or videos that are ‘background TV’, filling in the silence of working from home, living alone, or just to help you block out other distractions. I’ve never been one to sit in silence very well. Some will say it’s because I watched ‘too much’ TV as a kid, others will say it’s undiagnosed ADHD but increasingly, I am not alone in this. Using TV shows to fill in the while doing other things. Why are we leaving the TV on as background noise, what shows are we doing it with and is this something new? 

What is background TV?

For the uninitiated, background television is low energy television that is left on while you do other things. Typically it’s something that you can watch endlessly or listen to or just have on without missing anything plot-wise. It’s common while working from home, using a second screen or doing the dishes and other housework. Background television has taken its place as a commonplace habit.

Background TV is usually something you don’t have to focus on to keep up with. Long series with 20+ episodes per season are a commonality for this. Common genres are sitcoms, soap operas and procedural dramas; the likes of Gilmore Girls, Friends, New Girl, Grey’s Anatomy and Chicago Fire. Characters that bring comfort, relatability and story-lines that hold enough of your attention while not requiring you to be locked in to keep up with the progressing stories. It’s about predictability, TV shows that you’ve seen before are often used as background television. In sitcoms, there is an equilibrium that is reestablished by the end of each episode, it’s comfortable and safe because we go into the episode’s narrative knowing there’s going to be very little that has long term affects on the characters and the stability they live in. This is surprisingly common in Monster of the Week shows like Criminal Minds and Supernatural, where it may take a few more episodes but you know they’re going to catch the bad-guy by the end and that world’s version of ‘normal’ will be restored where the characters return to the office, pack up and go home.

Why do we watch background TV?

A classic reason is that it reduces loneliness. Television is great for mimicking companionship, it played a huge role like this during the pandemic. Suddenly more people were isolated in their homes, living alone, and working remotely. Television became a silence filler, comfort in simulating the feeling of being near other humans and developing para-social relationships with characters. Para-social relationships is when a person connects with a character or celebrity on a deeper level, feels like they know them and are emotionally invested in their lives on and off screen. A one-sided friendship that fulfills a social need that we have as humans.

Can we not sit in silence anymore?

No, but have we ever been able to. Before background binge-watching, there was day-time TV chat shows. Then before that we had music on constantly, headphones and radios playing for hours on end, connecting with radio hosts and other media figures. People have never been good at silence, we now just have so many ways to counter it. Humans do still have animal instincts, and one of those is feeling on edge in silence. Television as background noise can help us relax, and avoids us having to sit with our own thoughts. Allowing your mind to wander can let a lot of negative thoughts wander in, especially while doing menial tasks. Background noise formed by leaving season 4 of Friends running in the background, can help to fill that gap, so you aren’t distracted by those thoughts. Predictable television is a safer option.

Does this mean we don’t watch TV anymore? 

Yes and no. Many people are turning away from broadcast television and their streaming counterparts, opting to watch video-streaming platforms like YouTube and Twitch. Increasingly, there is a demand for flexibility and choice. Shared content on video-streaming services provides that flexibility and diversity in what to watch or listen to. While broadcast television is still most popular with older generations, televisions are just being used differently, used to stream Netflix, Amazon, Disney+ and YouTube. We’re choosing predictability and agency in choosing television over channel surfing and finding something.