On solitude Man is a social animal. Man is a rational animal. Society is over rated. Interaction is a necessity for sanity. However, people strive for space.
Television is such an open space.
The mind can drift. Hollow eyes peering at nothingness. The complexity of audio visuals from a CRT require continued sustained concentration to capture a fraction of the subtleties of what's going on. Sarcasm can be overlooked without embarrassment because transmission continues. Viewer keeps to self, unnoticed.