«Our culture is about distraction, numbing oneself,» said David Greenfield, a Connecticut psychologist who specializes in high-tech issues. «There is no self-reflection, no sitting still. It’s absolutely exhausting.»
Unknown
I did try out Netflix for a month. It allowed me to understand Tristan Harris’ “This Panda is Dancing” video. And yeah, you start watching one episode of a show during the evening, and suddenly it’s morning. Because it’s not about telling a good story, it’s about keeping people watching. You are the fuel that keeps those services going.
And frankly, I wonder whether life is best spend when you click on a link (e.g., to access Netflix) and skip forward hours of your life.
While skipping this habit and searching for meaning in one’s own life might be difficult, well, more difficult as transferring one’s time perception to Netflix and others, I can at least suggest a way to stop that fast-forwarding of your life.
Look for a break, any break in episode itself. And stop there. It’s strange, but the desire to keep people watching makes it hardest to stop at the end. So stop in the middle. And if you do not find any moment you could stop — ask yourself what is really served here? Your entertainment, or keeping you docile until you have to work again.
Just a thought.
