Why do we consume the media we do.

So, I am sitting here just kinda chilling watching a horrible horror movie in the background and I thought, "hey...why am I enjoying this movie even though it is terrible................So, I figured I will ask everyone about the media and stuff you all watch and do and see if you had any explanation as to why you do what you do.

Here is why I think i enjoy these horrible movies.......So, a lot of these movies are almost devoid of anything beyond a basic and often cliche and predictable story line, so I don't even have to give a crap about how it progresses. Then there is the characters, I think this is what gets me in these. They aren't particularly well written or even developed.....It's more that they always seem to be a group of people that just refuse to accept reality of the actual situation going on.......even the one that's mostly right still acts like everything is normal going on. Then there is the incredibly stupid choices they make......like of hey murder dude might be somewhere around. "I'll go clear the upstairs rooms of the house by myself"........Or in the ghost style ones. "Hey, this book says everything will be good unless we use a Ouija board, have a psychic and yell at the ghost well selling our souls to the devil we should be good. "So, who wants to sign this contract that this board with the moving thing on this board wrote that jenny says is haunted, and who ever is in the kitchen shut the hell up!".......The final caveat being the way in which they kill the characters off........sometimes they aren't even well written death scenes it just straight outlandish and for some reason i get this odd satisfaction think, "well, that shit ain't going to happen to me". It's a kinda macabre way of enjoying a movie I suppose but interesting none the less. However, I will say once in a bit you do catch a jewel of well written story like a gambling aspect.

I will try writing some more of these as I watch other stuff or consume other media (music, radio, books).

What do you guys think? What's a type of media you like to consume and what reason do you think you do? I would love to hear, it is an interesting study into our own humanities.

Much love, respect and peace,
Kobos

For me , my media was everything. I’m an old dj- skating rinks and double portable CD players here - smileys face! There was a moment I decided to unplug and see the result - media fasting - I became more calmer and - even now - it seems all that the box wants from me is money some how some way. I’m amazed at the result. Some schools encourage a smaller or minimize type of life style as far as media and social functions for maximum retention. Either way you learn I can say this - there is benefit in returning... and media is a great thing to apply this too... unplug and start again... when I couldn’t sing a “decent “ song to my kids at night ... I began to re evaluate what exactly I was putting into my head and heart. GIGO- garbage in garbage out some days.


Ps I still rock some slip knot and and System of a Down on record but i ALLSO make room and seek for those - differences ..of music and of things like that - balance my man balance -

Kobos wrote: What do you guys think? What's a type of media you like to consume and what reason do you think you do? I would love to hear, it is an interesting study into our own humanities.

Much love, respect and peace,
Kobos

The type of media i most consume is martial arts instructionals and combat sports updates on youtube. Then fitness (especially resistance training) related stuff (though i think i have finally reached a threshold where i have more answers than questions so there is less of this than there used to be). Next would be random bits and pieces of what i call “The Culture War” which is the ongoing battle between various ideologies and how it plays out in government, social movements, police activity, and media coverage and response. After that is nature and science related topics and occasional forays into psychology and philosophy. Then finally theres a fair amount of different things that could all be categorized together as “humor” which is anything from stand up comedy to parodies to “pet fail” videos.

I'm going to be predictable and say stuff related to my path, but its true. Music that serves my path, movies which serve my path, and news and knowledge to learn more. This way the insane access to knowledge available these days is a positive - rather then letting oneself get drenched in noise and then complaining about it.

Anything else for me is just curiosity etc. If I find myself in a semi-mindless zombie zoned out coma then I tend to prefer to turn if off, saves power (money & environment) and the mind cannot clear itself of cobwebs and errant lines of thought if its constantly propped up with relating to diverse characters as distraction from self. Under routine circumstances, sleep is not a waste of time.

Crap in crap out.

As we don't have a grand philosopher king to determine what media is available to us throughout our lives, it is up to us to police what junk we feed ourselves.

(for example, I fill my life with paranoid dystopian tales, along with high fantasy - so for better or worse, I believe in the doom of all humankind, but also in dragons)

my playlist is all 80s and 90s rock. Which only assists me in being an anarchist womaniser

Since I spent the first twenty years of my life enjoying that flavour of cake, I am predisposed towards spending the next twenty snacking on the same thing.


If you read fashion magazines or celebrity drivel (negative connotation my own) then those are the things that will become of value to you, repeat ad nauseum.

It can be hard....because there a large groups that make a living out of feeding you crap, so you have to take a relatively active role in changing your interests- but it's not so hard. Next time you see an article that probably won't interest you - just don't read it.

There's a slim chance you'll miss out on the critical piece of information that will make your life perfect (fingles) - but there's a much greater chance you'll just be consuming more of the same, and you might be better off trying something different (like oysters, new areas of interest can be an acquired taste)

The solution to pollution is dilution.

If you watch TV for 6 hours a day, cut off 30 minutes and read for that time. Do this for 2 weeks. At the end of 2 weeks, cut off an hour and read for that time. Repeat for two weeks. And keep chipping away at it. Even if you only spend 1 hour reading a day but cut out 2 hours of TV, you will be helping to eliminate some of that media.

Same goes for cell phones and computers. Cut it off for 30 minutes and read a physical paper book. I’ve done this myself because I work on a computer all day and use my cell phone, so I take time throughout the day to read and meditate. I exercise but not as much or as often as I should but it is still another way to help dilute the media epidemic of my life.

The solution to pollution is dilution.

That's why I dump my coffee cups in the sea.

Same goes for cell phones and computers. Cut it off for 30 minutes and read a physical paper book. I’ve done this myself because I work on a computer all day and use my cell phone, so I take time throughout the day to read and meditate. I exercise but not as much or as often as I should but it is still another way to help dilute the media epidemic of my life.

Yeah...nah.

I mean, I guess I think you're trying to say that somehow things on paper are more wholesome than digital media.

Which is, broadly speaking, incorrect.

There are some good books, there are some good games and movies or telly series.

There is also pure trash in all those fields too.

Swapping "TV" for "Books" doesn't shoot you into the world of betterment.

I play around 2-3 hours of video games a day - these are online games with strategy, and interaction with other human players. I consider this time fairly well spent.

I also read a book a week (give or take, sometimes I'll get no reading done, sometimes I'll smash out a trilogy of high fantasy easy reading) Gobbling up Robin Hobb or Brent Weeks or Bernard Cornwell probably contributes nothing to me in the long run, but is a great way for me to unwind and not deal with live humans.

I get your sentiment, sort of, but I'll defend electronic media against a tide of prejudice long before (and after) I consider raising a voice in defence of Jediism.


I'll fight you and all your damned old gods....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ_vWRtpLJQ

There is very little media I can tolerate. News? No. Commercials? Even less. Most TV shows are out of the question too. Social media? Absolutely not.

Things I can tolerate include movies that I specifically choose, rather than randomly find on TV. Yesterday I decided to re-watch Avengers: Infinity War. Why? Because I find it entertaining, and the depth of character and story are fascinating to me.

My preferences seem to have lately been encompassed by one major fact: most of what we see is fake. Thus, my choice. If I'm going to watch something fake, it might as well be something that admits it's fantasy.

_Vergere_ wrote: There is very little media I can tolerate. News? No. Commercials? Even less. Most TV shows are out of the question too. Social media? Absolutely not.....My preferences seem to have lately been encompassed by one major fact: most of what we see is fake....

Me too. This is exactly how i feel. The word “contrived” always spings to mind. And i usually have the sense that its fake in a way that might not be good for me to play along with, so, i dont.

If that is what works for you, then that is all that matters. I wish you the best with your work.

JamesSand wrote: I'll fight you and all your damned old gods....

That's cute. :laugh: