The Death of the Living Room
Housing prices have skyrocketed, and as a result, living spaces are getting smaller. Some want to feign minimalism, but we all know most of us would choose a large property with privacy, peace, and quiet if we could afford it.
Lifestyles have also changed. Anyone under 45, or even 50, likely consumes most of their entertainment and daily dose of media propaganda on their phones and tablets. In fact, most of the people I know don’t even own a television.
Socialization is different as well. We used to entertain a lot more at home, but that’s been replaced by clubs, bars, and coffee shops. People also have more interests and hobbies that take them away from home. Travel, adventure, sports, gyms, concerts, community centers, and volunteer organizations take up our time now. As a result, the living room has become the empty house dinosaur from the past. It is a relic of a bygone era of bridge parties, twister contests, neighborhood shindigs, teatime, television entertainment, and the evening news. The only people living in living rooms nowadays are the elderly and rambunctious children under five watching the same animated film for the tenth time while they jump on the couch.
I’ve lived in multiple types of housing: apartment complexes, basement suites, single-family homes, condominiums, lofts, townhouses, and rooming houses. In every place I’ve lived, I’ve stared into the abyss of an empty living room. The only living room action I have witnessed in the last ten years is weekend potlucks hosted by hippies, in which the living room acts as more of a music room, library, or an extension of the kitchen.
Currently, I use my living room as a part-time sewing space and wonder if the entire room would serve a better purpose as a craft space. I could replace the monstrous Ikea couch with a large cutting and craft table or create a spacious area for stretching and playing with my pets.
I don’t see any use for a living room. Even small 700 sq. ft. condo dwellers could utilize their living room space for a better purpose. If I were designing a condo, I would expand the kitchen and build a corner table with bench seats for social gatherings. A small loveseat, a couple of recliners, or a chaise lounge to the side would suffice. A tv hiked on the wall in a bedroom could offer a cozy space for an Amazon Prime night or late-night YouTube binge.
The tightly-knit community life of the mid-late 20th century has died. The living room has become the forgotten scene of the crime. Although, living rooms have also taken on different forms through the centuries. Farmhouse living rooms of the 17–1800s were scarcely used, with the kitchen and the porch being the focal point of social life.
The use and purpose of the living room is evolving. It will be interesting to see how the rooms in our living spaces change in the future. The living room could disappear altogether replaced by a hobby room, home gym, or primary recreation room.
I like to think some use the living room as a cozy reading spot in front of a fireplace, but with current energy prices, it could mean the use of more practical warming devices in our bedrooms or home offices.
Perhaps the loss of the living room signifies a more productive and healthy life. Could it mean that we are prioritizing time spent outdoors or out in our communities? Or is it a direct result of our increasing reliance on and addiction to our cell phones and subscription-based on-demand television in the comfort of our bedrooms? Maybe it’s both. The death of the living room could mean we no longer see our homes as the focus of social living and we are placing more value on life in our greater communities. Maybe it’s just part of how we are choosing to evolve socially and physically.
Goodbye, living room! Hello, craft space! I won’t mourn the living room. Will you?
S. Angell is a published poet, writer, philosopher, video blogger, and preschool teacher by day. She explores an array of topics including love, life, death, history, and society from a philosophical perspective. You can find her on Instagram @therainydaypoetess or TheRainyDayPoet.com
