Our family rarely watches TV,
and yet as you say it was a shared experience,
albeit a mostly silent one.
But their would occasionally be discussion and comment on what was viewed.
We rarely tend to share our internet experiences with each other,
as you say. And what the kids view now is mostly in isolation.
I find we have to make other time together in which we relate.

@Lisa: Exactly my point. Modern families no longer have many ways to relate, since so many other relations / outside connections intrude all the time: internet messaging, cell phone call, texting, emails etc.

One has to create events since the family has so many distracting choices of being themselves.

Sometimes less would be more.

There are times when our whole family is together in the same house but each person is individually looking at one kind of screen or another. It is either a computer, a hand held computer game, or a TV.

Personally, I think we are loosing the battle against one kind of ’screen addiction’ or another. My calls to turn off the machines and do something else usually fall upon deaf ears. It is even harder to coax or persuade people to go outside and just enjoy the day. Pretty sad state of affairs.

@Judi: I agree - computers are a highly addictive affair. It’s almost like loosing our bodies and turning into completely “mental” beings.

I am also way to often glued to the screen.