Since 2005 when my first long stay in Brazil started, I’ve noticed more than a few common threads that unite the people of Brazil. One of those is leaving the TV on when no one is watching it.

I never understood this peculiarity though. Is the extra noise like a nightlight to a child, like a mothers home cooked meal or a favorite corner of the house to read a book? What I mean by that is, is it a comfort thing?

Is the TV here just as nice to watch as it is to hear? Was the radio left on all the time before the TV was introduced to Brazil?

The other interesting thing is that some families unplug the electronics when they are not using them as a way to save energy or a superstition that says energy is being used even if the device is turned off (well, modern electronics do have a power save mode so when you turn it off, it just goes into hibernate). So this brings me to deduce that leaving the TV on while at home is considered a fair use of said device.

Any thoughts?