Is TV becoming a thing of the past? And is the recession changing our buying patterns? New research from the Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends project suggests that yesterday's necessities are now being seen as luxuries.

According to that research, microwave ovens, dishwashers, air conditioning, clothes dryers and television sets are no longer seen as necessities.

Some of this is because of the recession and belt tightening as people learn to live on less. But some of it was coming anyway. Like for example TV. According to the researchers, only 52% of the public now sees television as a necessity and only 38% of those aged 30 and younger say it's a necessity. There is also a decline towards satellite and cable television services. One reason could be people spending more time on the computer. Another is that most of the stuff you get now on television is just formulaic garbage.

What this research shows is that the recession is leading us back to the past. And this trend is likely to continue for some time.