Little TV Syndrome?

Not long ago I was searching for a new apartment so I had the opportunity to view quite a few before making a decision.

The thing that I found uncanny and frankly pretty funny was, when I was taken through the units, the current tenants out for a short time but their furniture still there, no matter how small the place was, there was always a GIANT flat screen TV in it. To me this made no sense at all. Presumably, for the majority, the reason you are renting is because you are not in a financial position to own or perhaps your living arrangement is something temporary, or maybe owning is just not that important to you right now.

I understand that the big screen may have been what the renter "got" in a nasty breakup, maybe the ONLY thing they laid claim to, and therefore they want to hold onto for dear life. Breakups are heart wrenching and sometimes make you do irrational things. To me, having a giant flat screen TV in a tiny room is indeed irrational.

For one thing, did none of their parents tell them not to sit too close to the TV because it's bad for your eyes? Has this warning been lost??? I know I sound like an Old Maid but I visited friends who had a big flat screen mounted on the wall of a tiny room. They turned it on to show me how great the clarity of the picture is and I sincerely felt dizzy. At the time they had a 3 year old. What does that do to a kid's sight???

Anyway, I guess I just don't understand the NEED. I sympathize if someone loves watching movies or big sporting events, they want to feel like they're in the front row. But typically the front row of any football game or movie theatre has at least some space between the event and the spectator!

I was thinking about all this today as I listen to my neighbour below. He is a 50-something bachelor whom I'm pretty sure has not had too many dates. When I moved in, he gave me the tour. His TV, no word of a lie, is about the size of one of my entire walls in my living room. My apartment is pretty spacious.

Back to listening to my neighbour. And by listening I mean he is a big NASCAR fan. I told him jokingly that I would rather have my fingernails pulled out one by one than be forced to watch NASCAR. He still talks about it every time I see him. And he has a NASCAR video game. I am listening to him play it through my floor because the audio on his TV is like being in the pit crew.

So I ask, is there some correlation between the size of the TV and the absence of something?

I tend to think so. Or maybe I'm just jaded.

In the meantime, I'll just put on my coveralls and grab my wrench!