Perils in consuming too much content

We've all been there: the endless scroll on social media, the YouTube video after YouTube video, hell, even having access to a constant stream of memes. But it's worth pausing and considering what content you're viewing, what you're allowing to take up space in your mind. Everything is a click or a tap away, and whilst it's great we have such an ease of access to so much material, I think it's very detrimental to allow oneself be taken in by so much.

Depending on your age, most of us grew up watching TV shows where a new episode would be released once a week. New movies could only be watched at the local cinema. Waiting for the next season of a TV show, or the next iteration in a movie trilogy meant you simply had to move on with your life, and wait for what felt like a long time. Yes, there's still a waiting period nowadays with new seasons and movies, but the demand and competition for new content means that a lot of it is accelerated to a release; the sooner the better.

I remember growing up as a kid, and into my teenage years, there was always a few well known TV shows that you and your peers would watch. This usually served as a catalyst for finding common interests and conversations with other people, be it your friends or colleagues. Over the years I've noticed a shifting trend away from this, where this sense of shared interest in certain media is largely fragmenting, mostly along streaming platform lines, but lately more so along political too.

I'm not sure when I started to notice this, but at some point I realised I don't watch the same content as most people I knew. And even amongst them the media varied from person to person. Maybe it's a 'me' thing, I mean I've lost a lot of interest in mainstream TV shows over the years, so perhaps I'm reading too much into something that isn't there, but I suspect others feel this way too.

Netflix Dahmer show

What inspired this article was thinking about the Netflix Dahmer show. I had never heard of the actual person before Netflix released it, but after reading a brief synopsis about it I decided I had zero interest in watching the show. I generally avoided the online chatter about it, but certain things slipped in, and it reaffirmed my decision not to view it. A friend at the time recommended it to me by saying "You have to watch it, it's so messed up" in an almost gleeful way. The content was disturbing, and going by the weird interest some people were showing, it made me realise how numbing much of our media can be.

It seems as if so much of the media we consume has something 'edgy', or something that is meant to stir up controversy so it will generate more interest. A lot of it is pointless content that contributes zero value to the story. How much of the same recycled garbage can one consume, before they think "I need to see the next thing that will shock me", rinse and repeat, you have your slippery slope. The Dahmer show strikes me as another one of those things. It wasn't necessary to glamorise a murderer, but it was done anyway.

I say all of this because I think it's detrimental to ones sense of mental well-being to be uncritically consuming any sort of content. It's worth pausing and considering whether the next streaming show is something you want in your mind, or whether watching a series of short form videos online are going to contribute to your development or sense of well-being. I think we all know that the vast majority of content we view doesn't fall into either of these categories. But we do it anyway because the ease of access makes it the default option in many instances.

I'm guilty of doing this myself, I mean I'm not trying to present myself as some shining example of discipline when it comes to viewing media. I think I'm a lot better than I use to be, but the pull is still there at times. The wider point I'm making is that when this sort of 'lifestyle' becomes an integral, habitual part of your life, then it makes you a passive observer, with seemingly little ability to engage with life. And I'm not saying there's something 'wrong' with watching some new series, rather one should be aware of what they're viewing.

Mundane & uninspiring media

I think a lot of media today is so mundane and uninspiring, that no matter how many special effects or "wow I can't believe they did that" they throw at it, nothing will ever compete with great story telling, or an inspiring message that anyone can relate to. If you're training your mind to be on a constant stream of uninspiring content, don't be surprised when you find yourself in a depressive state or just feeling hopeless. Couple this with a lack of any personal goals, sense of ambition, or simply doing the smallest thing to further yourself; I've seen how this plays out with other people.

There's this common statement today that a lot of us have forgotten what it feels like to be bored. To be in a state where you're not necessarily doing anything, but you're also not seeking out to do something. Having near instant access to a wide variety of media does away with that feeling of boredom. I won't go into much detail why the loss of this sensation is worrying, but in essence, the idea of having moments where you're not being drawn into some cheap dopamine hit, is something of a necessity.

What's the solution?

Well, generally speaking, I think most people could do with having some amount of moderation in what they consume, and how often. This requires a level of self-discipline, but the catch is: the more you've been drawn in by the constant stream of media consumption, the less self-discipline you're likely to have. It's why one should start in small increments, and slowly work up to a level they're comfortable maintaining. Pause before you're about to view a random YouTube video, or go down some other rabbit hole, and ask yourself if it's worth losing the next hour or more.

I think most people would be happier, and better off, if they were pursuing meaningful goals, rather than endlessly consuming various media. A lot of this stuff should be a complement to ones life, not a defining feature. Speaking from personal experience, I'm the happiest when I accomplish something, where there's a sense of achievement. If I'm passively sitting by, being a spectator, I start to feel anxious, even miserable, and that's always been a sign that something has to change. I go through these periods every now and then, but the important thing is to recognise when it happens. It's always worth reflecting how your life is being impacted by the things you surround yourself with.