Does watching television make you a more "interesting" person?

My mother and grandmother are ALWAYS encouraging me to watch television, and say it will help me relate to other people and make me a more "interesting" person. My mother said that watching a show on a regular basis is a "hobby" and "common intrest" that can be shared with other people. Quite frankly, i have a burning hate for televison and when i am watching it i either cannot stop or i want to go upstairs (usually the ladder). When i think of a "hobby" i think something you can engage yourself in, like poetry, photography, hiking, yoga, tennis. I like movies a lot, but i believe watching a television show on a regular basis is stressful and absurd. My grandmother says TV is good for your mind, when i have read that television make you dumber. I am 17 y/o and i am the only teen that i know that despises the tube, which leads me to believe my mom and gma are correct. but if they are correct, why would studies villify the TV (aka the obesity machine)?