Sad commentary?

I would just like to comment on a social trend that I have noticed over the years. For a short period of time following my undergraduate education, I moved back in with my family to build a savings account and lay a foundation for my career, without having to worry about unemployment. When I returned home, I was most surprised to learn that my parents had a schedule of reality television programs that they watched religiously. I quickly fell into the routine of watching those shows with them, mostly for the novelty of it. (I couldn’t afford television when I was at Uni.)
After awhile, however, it became a way to bond with my mom and step-dad of five years. We each had our own seats in the family room and it became a kind of ritual. At the end of the day I would unwind with my parents, laughing at what we saw, discussing the day’s events, and tossing verbal spars out at one another.
Now that I have moved out, I don’t see too many of those programs any more. I don’t watch them on my own. There are still certain ones that we watch together, however. I go to their house a little before the show begins, and mom and I gossip about the family and our respective jobs. We still settle in our same places and crack the same jokes that we have for years.
I wonder if it’s a sad commentary that “the American family” now comes together around the television screen, and watching reality TV at that. Even if it is, those are special times we spend together, and precious memories that I get to keep.