In America, we subject ourselves and our children to excessive amounts of mindless consumption. And we’ve all seen the corrosive consequences it has on our culture. Children combust into petulant tantrums if their tablet is taken away, teenagers seemingly have headphones surgically implanted into their ear canals, and adults can’t stand in a waiting line for five minutes without groping for their phone to soothe themselves. This cacophony of content can make even the most self-retrained consumer feel dizzy. But there is no putting the toothpaste back into the tube. The perpetual cycle of creation and consumption will not be deterred — no matter what bills or bans the incompetent, over-sized toddlers in Congress try to pass. Content is produced, uploaded, and dispersed at a prodigious rate and hiding from it is not the answer.
Just like banning books never solves anything, banning or hiding from entertainment won’t either. It’s not about banning books, it’s about educating people so they know how to choose and read the right books — and the same applies to entertainment. The answer to salvaging our society and saving our brains from eroding into pixie dust does not lie in limiting screen time. Sure, that’s a start, but it’s not a long term solution. I propose we take the condescending position that not all entertainment is created equal. Let’s be blunt. Influencer podcasts are not the same as reading historical fiction. We need to get honest about the difference in value between different sources of entertainment in order to indulge in relaxation and amuse ourselves without rotting our brains in the process.
We’re Ingesting an Unbalanced Diet
The daily time spent on social media for the average person is jarring. Even when I glance at my own screen time and notice it’s close to 2 hours, a sense of shame envelopes me. But as I mentioned earlier, the answer isn’t harsh restrictions and entering a seminary. The key is balance and choosing our consumption wisely. Like a diet, it’s not about banishing ourselves to a life of mundanity, but rather finding creative solutions that serve as a tasty treat while also offering nutritional value.
One strange and dystopian phenomena that exemplifies empty, vapid entertainment is ‘reaction videos’. A quick browse across social media platforms and you’re bound to stumble upon an overwhelming number of reaction videos and accounts devoted to creating reaction content. Simply put, reaction videos are people watching and reacting to other people's videos. Reduced in that way, my depiction may come across as patronizing, but there’s a good reason why this genre of videos has garnished such popularity. It’s highly-stimulating, comical content that induces not only laughter but makes the viewer feel a sense of companionship — as if they are in the room reacting along with the creator. However, it’s important to note that these videos offer no real value. Viewers are not being informed, educated, or intellectually stimulated in any form or fashion. It is a straight shot of dopamine. They are the virtual equivalent of a Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Swirl Frozen Coffee. All artificial. All sugar.
On the other hand, I don’t expect people to sprint to their nearest library to swap 2+ hours of screen time for 2+ hours of reading or academics. I get it. After a 8-hour work day, the last thing you want to do is pack your few hours of free time with more rote tasks or monotony. And life is not one big Formula 1 race of productivity. We all deserve a guilt-free dessert sometimes and your day doesn’t need to be 24-hours of self-improvement. My only suggestion is that most of us need to reevaluate our entertainment to edu-tainment ratio.
The Overlap of Entertainment and Education
With content creation at an all-time high, that means there’s been an explosion in forms of content beyond inane TikToks. Engaging entertainment that also contains some level of practical value has never been more accessible. There is an immense, ever-expanding number of YouTube channels, books, podcasts, games, and more that masterfully intertwine entertainment and education.
Podcasts like The Tim Ferriss Show or Joe Rogan Experience, operate as a fusion between entertainment and education. You can share laughs listening while passively learning from the guest about astrophysics, human psychology, or historical events. And there are countless other examples of this crossover such as documentaries that elaborately educate, literary fiction that entertains while concurrently expanding your worldview, or even video game series like Assassin’s Creed that incorporates historical settings and figures.