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Finding entertainment while maintaining (the illusion of) productivity

I don’t watch many TV shows. I think the last time I watched something on Netflix was in December, and before that, sometime early fall. It’s not that I don’t like TV. In fact, I have a list of 50+ shows that I mean to watch at a time I nebulously label ‘someday’. But nothing makes me feel the waste of time more acutely than television. I can’t bring myself to turn it on because I’m immediately reminded of all the things I have to do. That Netflix logo makes me feel like the laziest bum in the world.

But I still need some sort of entertainment. How else would I procrastinate? I’m more susceptible to YouTube than to Netflix, but it poses the same problem. It’s hard to hit the off-switch. You can just keep watching, and it’s hard to multitask while watching a video, so you end up doing nothing productive.

I also enjoy knitting and crocheting, but they are the worst possible forms of entertainment if you’re trying to also do your homework. They occupy your hands, so you can’t do much except . . . watch stuff. Combined with YouTube or TV, you can double your unproductivity, and also get a clumsy scarf out of the bargain. Fun, but not ideal if you have homework to do. Video games, which occupy both your hands and your eyes, pose the same problem.

Books are another option, but I have difficulty putting books down once I’ve started them. I’ll know I have other things to do, like a history reading or eating lunch, but I’ll just keep reading like an idiot. If I have a spare moment, I’ll dive for the book and keep reading. Some people like to do fifteen minutes of reading before bed, but that can’t work for me. I tried something like it last semester, and I ended up staying up two hours to finish the book, which I didn’t even like that much! For the sake of getting anything done, I need to keep my distance from books unless I’m sure I have enough time to immerse myself.

Having eliminated all those forms of entertainment, what’s even left? I discovered my solution in 2015: audio podcasts. Podcast shows vary in topic, genre, and style. They can be entertaining, or informative, or just make good background noise. Many of the audio dramas are as good as any TV dramas. The best part is that your hands and eyes are free, so you can do other things at the same time.

It took me some time to get used to audio-only storytelling. Now, though, I’m a full-on podcast-phile. I’m listening to a podcast as I write this. In February, I started using the Stitcher app to listen to podcasts. The app tracks how many hours of audio you've listened to. I’ve apparently listened to 80+ hours since February.

If I tracked the number of hours I spent watching TV and saw that it totaled to 80+ hours, I would be appalled. But with podcasts, you’re free to do other things at the same time. The time I spend listening to podcasts are also hours I spend doing other tasks. They mean more than entertainment. Or at least, I can persuade myself that they do.

In the same vein, I’ve started watching actual TV -- you know, with channels and stuff -- a bit more frequently. For example, I’ve watched The Late Show with Stephen Colbert three times this year so far. However, I haven’t watched these alone. It was always with my family. That, and the fact that broadcasted TV is on a schedule, makes me feel like I haven’t wasted my time. It’s a chance to be entertained and have fun, I'll fully admit, but it’s also time to spend with my family. And that's productive too.


(For the prompt about survival strategies)


I feel like I might need more reflection. Ideas? (Also, if anyone wants podcast recommendations, ask me!)


Comments

  1. I have recently discovered the amazing world of podcasts myself. Personally, I don’t feel unproductive watching Netflix because I rationalize it by telling myself that every episode has a theme or a lesson and I’m learning another life lesson every 45 minutes and that’s a pretty good use of my time (but let’s be real, 5 hour marathons aren’t healthy for my physical well-being or my productivity). YouTube is what I use to break myself away from Netflix because they are generally shorter, so theoretically I can stop myself from falling into the binging spiral of “one more episode,” but “one more video” is not much better because “it’s only 4 minutes long.” Podcasts are really nice because I can tune in and out of it whenever I feel like, and I can still do mindless chores while listening. It’s made such a big difference in my kitchen (it’s clean!).

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  2. You know, I really know nothing about podcasts, and I feel like I'm missing out. I might have to give them a try sometime. I totally identify with the issues you present here; with TV as well as anime or any piece of entertainment with length, I have no self-control. I think the last TV show I watched was the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (an incredible show), and I was just going to watch an episode before bed. I ended up staying up until past 4 AM, finishing the whole first season in one sitting. In terms of writing, I like how you addressed different forms of entertainment in the beginning of the essay, and through that revealing the issues each presents, before settling and discussing the magic of podcasts. You definitely get the personal down in this essay. For reflection, maybe you could talk about one specific podcast that you'd have a lot to write about. Good job!

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  3. I really like the tone of this personal essay. It felt very conversational and informal and this made it easy to understand/visualize your experiences and perspective throughout your search for your perfect mode of entertainment. I do think you need a bit more reflection sprinkled throughout your essay here and there. The transitions between your paragraphs were good, creating a sense of flow and connectedness as I read through it. Great job!

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  4. Great essay. The various forms of humor worked well and made the essay fun to read. For how to add reflection, you could perhaps compare what you have gained from audio podcasts vs. the other forms of entertainment- maybe how the knowledge you've gained has changed your life in some way vs. the benefits/downsides of watching TV. You could also elaborate on exactly why you've started watching TV again.

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