You make a good point. But having televisions running all of the time in a room already IS dictating to everyone present what they have to pay attention to. It's a little like cigarette smoking - if everyone (or the vast majority) of people in a room are smoking or watching a TV then I would just put up with it or leave the room. But if I'm in there by myself or with a few other people who aren't watching the TV, e.g. a car dealership waiting room, as happened recently, the TV-B-Gone is rather handy.