"Sit back from the Screen or you will go blind", my late mother would say, echoing the concerns of parents worldwide since the dawn of television. Being fixated with this magical box that beamed people, programmes and places into our living room.
Being brought up in a disciplined environment, we weren’t allowed to watch very much TV in our early years. If at all. But when I was eight our family circumstances changed. Dad went off to Saudi and mum was left to bring us up. The Radio Rental’s TV where we had to put 50p in the back to make it work, became a beacon of entertainment.
From He-Man and She-Ra to Kenny Everitt, Russ Abbot and Dusty Bin we found the TV to provide much needed escapism from the brutal reality of life. Some of my fondest childhood memories were of mum hiring a video recorder and three Bollywood movies. Shutting the curtains and watching these mega-long magical productions back-to-back. Not knowing what time of day, it was, and being entertained in only a way Bollywood movies can, with their exaggerated and elaborate songs, sadness and superhuman stories.
Then everything changed! I got older and TV got bolder. Our screens went from fun to frightening. The launch of Jerry Springer saw abnormal behaviour being normalised. Our screens started sensationalising stupidity and silliness leading to real scariness. Jeremy Kyle came and millions of us sat at home during the day, were indoctrinated into thinking that rude and crude were OK. Both of these shows lead to deaths and eventually the shows being rightfully shelved.
But the changes had already taken place, the damage done. I may sound dramatic, but I genuinely feel that our society worsened through these types of live shows and our wider behaviours impacted. As young people, we would flip the channel or look away if people were kissing on a TV programme when watching. Now we see dating shows where you only chose your date based on their genitalia!
Yes, I sound like an old codger, and I probably am. But we have now moved on to being fixated with screens. Full stop. From TVs where we binge watch Netflix series; desktop computers where we get distracted with pop-ups and get lost down rabbit holes whilst doing some online work; to mobile devices which accompany us to the toilet or we pick up every 8-10 minutes to see if we have received any notifications. In a recent survey we in the UK were one of the worst at constantly checking our phones
Everyone, everywhere is always on. The first and last thing we do is look at our phones! Our children’s behaviour has changed dramatically. Becoming more introverts and socially isolated. Spending hours in front of screen. Watching, worrying and wallowing in not being good enough. Ambitions to grow up and be an influencer. Have a YouTube Channel and spend their lives showing-off their lives.
So, as I look back and remember Morecambe and Wise. Sharing a laugh, allowing us to switch off. Now watching my kids spend as much time as they can on devices, zombified. To now simply watching other people, live their lives.
Enough is enough! Time for a digital detox. We are introducing one, at least one day a week. It is hard but incredibly rewarding. So definitely TV is not TV going forward.
Ammar Mirza CBE is Chair & Founder of Asian Business Connexions, Chair of the NELEP Business Growth Board, Honorary Colonel of 101 Regiment RA and holds various positions across the public and private sectors.