Have you ever had something in your life that you can’t live without, yet it also drives you crazy? A sort of blessing and trouble packed in the same box? Most of us have felt that at one point or another in life.

For me, what comes to my mind is screen time, especially the time we spend with the grand old dame of screens, the television. Watching TV is part of daily life for almost anyone who owns a set, whether it is placed in a living room, an office, a small shop or even a corner of the market. It’s just there, part of the background, for time pass or a little break.

Televisions have become part of our daily noise in the background, the laughter and even the arguments. And the reason is simple. There’s a kind of affection we feel toward watching TV. Perhaps a bit of cosiness, comfort, almost a homely feeling that you don’t get from any other gadget, anywhere else.

So today, instead of giving you the usual definition of screen technology, I just want to talk about this ever-changing, ever-evolving, light-flickering box’s importance in our lives and how it has evolved over the years.

The comforting chatter in the background

I know many people, including myself, who sometimes switch the TV on, but do not watch a single programme properly. It just plays on in the background, and the noise, the chatter and all the music simply give us passive company.

If your mum stays at home, ask her how it feels when you are at school or college, and everyone else is busy with their errands. Doesn’t the house feel empty and silent? Yes, it does and this is the perfect time to have that soft chatter from the TV make the place feel alive. Even if it is a cooking show or some old drama beaming for the tenth time, it still feels better than silence.

Thus, the TV becomes a family member who talks too much, but you do not mind.

An escape from stress

Most of us just love to lounge around after coming from school, college, work or after household chores. The brain needs a little rest, distraction and entertainment. Usually, people scroll on their phones now, but some turn on the TV to watch a light comedy, a sports channel or even a drama episode for a little mental timeout.

For that short while, as you forget the deadlines of your assignment, tests or homework, and all the random things that trouble you, TV becomes a place to breathe freely and relax.

An excuse for family bonding

There are no better moments than when all the family members sit together and watch a show or drama. Or perhaps a weekly TV time together. And if there is no such gathering in your routine, I would advise you to make one so that all the family members can sit together and watch a show or a movie on the television.

This is a scientifically proven fact that having some family time together, whether over dinner or watching something together, creates strong bonds between all the members. In the past, when there were no mobile phones, families actually sat together to watch their favourite show; that time was considered a perfect family time, often over a cup of tea and snacks.

Sadly, now this time has been replaced by phones, but TV still has its best moments. Sports matches, comedy shows, Ramazan transmissions and even evening news sometimes pull everyone into one room. You sit, pass comments and argue over which team will win. You laugh together, tease and have a lot of fun. In those few moments, the house feels warm.

Watching something together on TV brings people into one shared space. That is something phones still cannot provide, and perhaps never will.

How TV changed the way we learn

We all know that learning doesn’t only happen in classrooms. TV has taught most of us so much without us even noticing. From cooking shows, dramas, wildlife programmes and science documentaries to history, travel, cartoons and much more.

So yes, we keep learning from most of the things we watch on various channels on TV, even when we don’t realise it.

The early days of TV

Television has a story that goes way back, even before we were born. The sleek screen you see today wasn’t a thing in the old days. The idea started in the late 1800s and early 1900s when inventors were trying to send pictures over wires — kind of like the telegraph, but with images.

People like Paul Nipkow in Germany came up with early “mechanical TVs” around 1884: tiny spinning discs that could transmit very simple images, mostly blurry shapes. It was hardly what we think of as TV today, but it was the start of the television technology as well as industry.

The first proper television system was introduced in the 1920s by John Logie Baird, from Scotland. Then, by the 1930s, more basic black-and-white sets were introduced in the market. Though the screens were still small, just a few inches, with no static picture, the technology took over the minds of people.

After World War II, in the 1940s and 50s, TV transmission and sets started spreading slowly around the world. The display was still in black and white, with only a few channels. Most of the shows were live because they didn’t have proper recording tools yet. The shows included mostly news, simple dramas and some variety shows, and that was enough for people.

Then suddenly, everything looked more real, almost magical, when colour technology in TV sets was introduced during the 1960s and 70s. This led to a boom in the TV industry, when everything felt more modern, superb and advanced. Whether it was sports, cartoons or movies, all of them felt totally amazing in colour.

The 1980s and 90s saw cable and satellite systems boom. Suddenly, there were hundreds of channels with shows from around the world. News aired 24/7, movies aired back-to-back, while kids got variety shows and cartoons on dozens of kids-only channels to watch any time they wanted.

Though our part of the world, like some other developing countries and those with government restrictions on content, was still struggling with a few channels. During the same time, some devices were introduced that made it easy to receive international channel frequencies, allowing viewers in various countries to watch international channels as well.

Before the 1990s, there was only one TV channel in Pakistan — the national channel, Pakistan Television (PTV). It came on for a certain number of hours, not the whole day. Shows, news, cartoons… everything had its fixed time slot. It sounds funny now, but things were that simple back then.

And you might laugh at this now, but back then, a TV wasn’t something every house had. Being a new technology, it was expensive and few could afford it. So oftentimes, neighbourhood families would gather in the house with a TV just to watch a primetime drama. A few TV sets in public places, such as hotels, also saw a huge crowd gathered around to watch the news, national songs, dramas or a sporting event. It became an everyday gathering at a particular time. And no doubt, it had its own charm.

From box to smart screen

See that sleek big screen on the wall in your home? It didn’t just appear overnight; it has a long and interesting history behind it. You are blessed to have an advanced system that allows you to stream movies, watch YouTube, access diverse content from different countries or even play games on the same screen.

These smart TVs have made your watching experience personalised. And this is the reason why many of us now even have more than one TV set at home, allowing everyone to watch their own favourite stuff on their own screen, any time of the day.

While some people joke that TV is an old appliance, it really isn’t. It keeps changing with us. Even in futuristic films, you still see some kind of screen — clear ones, glass ones, see-through ones. So the look might change, but the idea of a TV isn’t going anywhere. It’ll stick around, and it’ll always be there, just with a new face. Who knows what shape it takes next?

Published in Dawn, Young World, November 22nd, 2025