Snuggle cable
If you are getting close to a man or woman, a cute-sy romantic comedy on TV is the best excuse for a comfortable cuddle on the couch. It's more intimate than a movie theatre. Inviting the person you are dating into your home shows you are ready to take the relationship to the next level. "The physical proximity and closeness helps nurture togetherness," says clinical psychologist Varkha Chulani. Cuddling up in front of the TV with a snack in between romps ensures that physical contact remains unbroken.
Spice TV
After years of monogamous mating, the sensuousness of Munni or Sheela on the boob-tube can pepper things up. "The pleasure is definitely vicarious," says Chulani, "but the stimulation is visual and auditory. It feeds sensual cues to our mind and gets the juices flowing." Fantasy is a powerful tool to bring variety into a stagnant and long-standing relationship, safely. With the help of a television programme, you can visualise a scenario and a music channel playing peppy music pumps some energy into your bed.
Breaking news
A few hours in front of the tube can get our brain to think a little differently, and make you try new things in bed. A few new kissing moves picked up from a reality show, fresh pick-up lines and techniques from Barney, courtesy How I met your Mother and some fitness inspiration from all the model anchors. It always helps to upgrade your skills and you can pick them up easily from TV. Not to forget, popping a fitness DVD into the player will help you get in shape in the comfort of your home. And the fitter you get, the more stamina and agility you have in bed and the better you look.
Baby-sitter
Putting on a cartoon or switching the channel to an edutainment show is a low investment and a quick way for a couple to get some privacy. In the Indian family, where the baby-sitter is usually a grandparent, making some "quality time" can be awkward. That's where the box can come to the rescue. "It may not allow you time for a full-blown sexual encounter," says Chulani. "But with the child busy in the TV room, you can definitely indulge in a short spurt of physical affection in the bedroom."
You can touch this
We don't give it enough credit but cable TV has done a lot for normalising physical displays of affection in country that it largely repressed. "It opens our minds to various cultures, a variety of outlooks and can be liberating," says Chulani. Holding hands, kissing and hugging were all actions that drew stares and were taboo but have slowly become acceptable. Physical displays of affection between parents are important for children as they give them a sense of security and encourage them to do the same with their loved ones. They break the narrowminded view of sex and sexuality.
Remote education
Programmed to switch channels when the ad for sanitary napkins or condoms comes on? If you have a teenaged child in the house, it might be a better idea to leave it on and leave the room. Advertisements on HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, condoms and contraceptive pills could be the stepping stones for a conversation on sex education with your children. They pique children's curiosity and open an uncomfortable topic up for discussion. Allowing exposure to such topics also normalises them, telling children that periods are nothing to be ashamed of or that sex is natural. These also alert them about the consequences of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.