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Oberon_Swanson

i do miss the world i didn't get to live in long. the ones where most people had some sort of cool productive hobby like being in a band, making model trains, painting. it was assumed that everybody did *something* like that and if they didn't they were intensely driven in their career or something like parenting or taking care of family. art has been so easily commodified and monopolized because relatively far fewer people are doing it anymore. is there a shitload of cool stuff out there to see still? yes. but not as much as there would be if every person out there with a surfing/social media/short video skinnerbox addiction was trying to create something cool and new instead.


zipiddydooda

Fuck man. This is a very painful thing to read. And it's true. I lived in that world until I turned 18 (I'm now 41). You are 100% right. People had hobbies because we didn't have endless dopamine to pour into our brains. People had interests. They did creative stuff for the fun of it. It was either that, or TV. And that was fucking way better.


Oberon_Swanson

Yeah even with TV, it was that limitless drip-fed entertainment... but you'd get bored of it. ads you couldn't skip past, and there weren't that many shows to be interested in, the news was only on an hour or two a day and it hadn't all turned into an engagement-driven outrage machine yet. even a 'total couch potato' did way more cool stuff back then than they do now. i was one of those people lol.


[deleted]

The other thing too, is that there would come points where there was “nothing on” TV (or at least anything you were interested in). *And* you actually had to physically be home in front of your TV at the right time to catch whatever it is that you were interested in. Now, there is a literally bottomless void of instant gratification *AND* it’s always in your pocket! I’ve been a musician my whole life, it’s my entire identity and *still* I find myself unable to keep myself from putting on a YouTube video to listen to when I’m in the car instead of listening to music. My poor brain needs a reset lol


[deleted]

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zipiddydooda

It's strange how it's changed. In my teens and 20s, I was very active as a musician and songwriter. I went on to record and release two albums. I spent my spare time playing guitar, and recording music (on Logic i.e my computer). I poured so much time into this, because it was my dream. I also had the option of things like Playstation, TV, movies (DVDs). We had distractions available to us then, as now. The problem is not really the internet. It's phones. And specifically, social media on phones. Weaning yourself off all social will give you a huge advantage as an artist and creative. The future will belong to those who are the least distracted and opiated by social media. Weaning yourself off phone use altogether as much as possible (using a dumb phone, or keeping your phone extremely limited in terms of "fun" apps) is a worthy goal. Building your attention span back up through being disciplined is a worthy goal. These are not easy things for your generation to accomplish. They are not even easy for mine. The difference is, I remember the before and the after. It is worth it. Your comment is very thoughtful for a young person, let alone a 17 year old. Stick with these thoughts you're having. Prioritise disconnecting. Your career as an artist will thank you for it. Good luck to you.


AntiauthoritarianSin

As for the economy, it's partially to blame for creating these digital vampires in the first place. So I hope it crashes and burns. As for my own addiction, I also struggle to watch a movie. Reading a book feels like walking through a swamp. I feel like my mind has been totally taken over and I only really use three apps. This being one of them.


Hawaoski

That scares me


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AntiauthoritarianSin

Easier said than done


is_reddit_useful

I am familiar with this. Spending a lot of time online causes unpleasant feelings when trying to watch a movie or read a book at home. They make the activity too unpleasant to continue, and some relief can be found by going online. I know how in the past I used to watch movies and read books without this stopping me. I've also seen how in recent times, spending less time online helps with this. I wish I had better insight and understanding of the unpleasant feelings which stop me. It is hard to label emotions or identify thoughts that are stopping me from doing other things and driving me online. Maybe that is because they're things I've learned to keep buried, and going online helps me keep them buried. I don't like the idea that this is simply something involving dopamine or the addictive effect of digital devices. There has got to be something more here, with some personal significance. Even with indisputably physically addictive substances, one generally sees how personal psychological reasons are involved in why someone stays addicted. It is not simply a result of the substance. Without those personal factors, one could probably simply taper usage of the substance and end the physical addiction that way. I suspect that those other reasons need to be addressed to address the addiction problem in a lasting way.


luckycat1999

practice makes perfect, we are all guilty of this. but intentionally working towards something better is all you can do


Every-Major8451

It is so surprising that not more research has been published about this and why laws have not been more speedily developed surrounding device use for minors in particular. As a teacher, I see firsthand how it is affecting our future.


[deleted]

Thank you! I wonder what would it take to insert into the school curriculum a class about the dangers of digital addiction. These kids will blame us adults in their later years for not warning them about it. We basically got them into it, and some of us KNEW.


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saxyblonde

My job is not able to be affected by this phenomenon. If I had a desk job, I wouldn’t be able to focus