This reminded me of something my dad told me when I was younger. It was mostly to justify saying that no, I did not need a TV in my room, but still kinda interesting:

In many cultures (definitely the ones my family grew out of), the fire served as a gathering spot. People would talk about stuff, share food and jokes, and relax together. It was a shared experience and source of comfort that helped strengthen interpersonal bonds.

His argument was that the family TV served a similar function (without the whole 'also it's the means for cooked food' aspect, which shouldn't be overlooked). It's a point that made some sense to me at that stage of late 20th century mainstream society.

Hmm...the 21st century, defined as billions of little fires, and many of us cold. There's a really pretentious poem here somewhere.