Why are Soap Operas so popular?

Essay from Paula Lewis.
Key points in my opinion.
Fourteen people stated that they liked soap operas as they are relaxing to watch, and don't require too much concentration to follow the story-lines. My 'household' observations backed up what I had found, as on a number of occasions, social interaction took place during the soaps without anyone losing the story-lines. Everyone seemed to be relaxed, taking each event as it unravelled-indeed, no-one seemed at all tense or nervous while watching, perhaps indicating enjoyment.  Most of the people who chose relaxation as a factor for watching soaps were female, with the exception of one male. Either the males didn't want to admit that soaps made them feel relaxed, or they weren't aware that this was the case. Here, the male-female ratio of 1:4 must also be taken into account. Secondly, six people said that they watched soap operas as they were on at a convenient time. This certainly seemed to be the case, as my house-mates always made tea in time to see the soaps. In fact, I occasionally heard some of them (including males), plan out their time so that they could sit down to watch the soaps. Again, mostly females were aware that soaps were shown at a convenient time, whereas most of the males didn't see time as being such an important factor.