How TV can ruin your relationship

Television and streaming, now more than ever, offers such a wide variety of viewing options that it leaves one spoilt for choice – and even forced to watch multiple shows in succession because, well, they’re all so darn good.

We all have our favourites, whether it’s Grey’s Anatomy, Game of Thrones, House of Cards or Sons of Anarchy, just to name a few.

And that’s fine if you are single and have no family responsibilities. However, when it comes to couples and TV shows, there’s concern it could easily turn into a case of The Good Wife thinking about How to Get Away With Murder.

Well, maybe we’re being just a tad dramatic, but some experts have raised the alarm that where a couple exhibit varied tastes in TV shows, it could spell disaster to their relationship.

“When couples spend what little time they have together in separate rooms watching their own programmes, they often lose their sense of intimacy and connection,” said John Sovec, a California-based psychotherapist, in a Chicago Tribune article.

Picture: iStock

And, in some instances, such as with a family in Pietermaritzburg, it can turn deadly.

In August last year, a squabble, allegedly over watching TV because that went against the man’s religious beliefs, left one woman dead and another seriously wounded. It is alleged that a man confronted by a family member for hiding the TV remote control, he opened fire, killing his cousin and injuring her elderly mother.

While TVs, choices in shows and the hogging of remotes have caused their fair share of squabbling, it doesn’t have to turn into a bloodbath. Counsellors believe there is actually an intimacy to watching TV as a couple.

From the simple act of sitting together (perhaps in each other’s arms), discussing, say, the hype around the show, may serve as the glue that holds things together.

“Trying to find something to watch together can … provide a healthy outlet of communication between you, as you determine your likes and dislikes as individuals and as a couple,” said Barbie Adler, of American matchmaking service Selective Search.

Picture: iStock

Adler says that deciding which shows to watch may seem like a trivial task, but it can also be proof of you and your partner’s general negotiating skills, and is a reflection of how you handle bigger issues.

To avoid turning TV time into a battle scene from Game of Thrones, consider our useful TV etiquette tips the next time you plonk yourself down to catch a show with family, friends or your SO (significant other):

• Tip #1: Don’t be a Chatty Cathy.
• Tip #2: Tame your remote trigger finger.
• Tip #3: No farting.
• Tip #4: Keep spoilers to yourself, or don’t watch …

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