Finally Today

Is it rude to turn on the television during a conversation?

My relatives are always watching television. When we go to their house it seems like the television is always on. If we are in a conversation if they are bored with what we are talking about the attention will go towards what is on television instead of what is being spoken about. Don't you feel the television is used to mute conversation? How about at your house?

Public Comments

1. In my house, television is just a part of life here...I am totally able to carry on a conversation while it's on. As far as your relatives go...having the TV on isn't the rude part of it...ignoring you while you're talking to them is.
2. ~~We always have a TV on at our house. It isn't because we want to be rude or don't like conversation, it's just TV can be relaxing and can even initiate more conversation should it get quiet. It just feels abnormal in our house for a TV not to be on. One of my daughters would completely agree with you, she hates having a TV on when they have company. Guess we burned her out :)~~
3. i was always raised that having the tv on while you have guests, never mind ignoring them in favour of the tv, was rude, impolite and against standard etiquette. different if you're there all the time but if it is not like your 2nd home then yes, its rude
4. I have had to tell my husband to turn the tv off a lot of times when guest arrive. I HATE trying to talk over the television and I hate going to visit someone and having to compete with the tv for their attention, so in my opinion the only time the tv should be on is when there is nobody in the room except the people that live in the house (and even then, the tube needs to be silenced at times).
5. what did you say woman? the game is on and i just turned it on to ignore you. go get a girlfriend if you wanna run your yapper.
6. Oh yea, very rude. Why bother inviting people over? Some people have no manners.
7. In my home, the TV is off no matter who is visiting, family or friends. The reason for people being in my house in the first place is because they were invited by me. I will not let children watch TV either if we are in the living room chatting. If they (kids) whine or complain I just tell them that they are here to visit, not watch TV - they can do that at their home. I refuse to compete with a TV for attention during a planned visit at my home or visiting someone else. Just leave, I would. They just might clue in that they are being rude.
8. I think TV is rude in general, it has been a blight on society and has stolen more from families than it will ever replace. Many people are addicted to the boob tube and we have lost our ability to interact on a social level not to mention the garbage that's on isn't worth watching anyway.So to turn on the TV when you have company unless to watch a ballgame that everyone came to see would be like picking up a book and reading it while someone is trying to talk to you. One of the most important principals of conversation is to pay attention and listen.
9. Uck.. that's how it is at my cousin's house. He's ALWAYS watching ESPN or some crap like that. The TV is for when everyone is relaxing after conversation times, not when you're trying to talk to people. At my house, the TV is on ONLY when people aren't talking, and it goes on mute when someone has something to say.
10. Yes it is. I will always put my tv on MUTE if I am on the phone or if someone is talking to me in my room. Its just polite. and with people who want to stop talking and watch tv, its normal. Don't fret.
11. I think that's rude. I HATE it when people have you over and the TV is on, let alone BLARING in the background. At our house, we don't have cable. With the digital converter box we have seven TV stations. We don't waste our lives watching TV. And we do not have the TV on when guests visit. That is so uncouth. Did you realize that watching 2 hours of TV a day equals a MONTH of your life lost?
12. err maybe u r talking bout something tat isnt interesting to them. tats y... try to find topic tat works...
13. I personally think it is very rude to use television to ignore a conversation. If you are bored in a conversation, you either leave or try to liven it up in my humble opinion. Lets put it this way...if you were on a date with someone and they were bored with what you were talking about (or vice versa), who here could honestly say they'd just start looking away, stop talking and focus on someone else? I dare suggest very few - and it'd be blantantly rude. So...people who use TV as a distraction or convenient means to mute conversation I think are being somewhat offensive. I know some households where TV seems to be on all the time. Not mine by any means but I know some. I prefer to be away from the room with the TV to talk if others are watching...and if someone comes to talk to me while I'm watching TV...I'd turn it off. It's common respect! :-) Or at least, should be!