The Mindless Consumption Of Content

Summary

The author reflects on the passive consumption of streaming content and its implications for our engagement with and retention of the stories we watch.

Abstract

The article titled "The Mindless Consumption Of Content" discusses the author's concerns about the impact of streaming on our consciousness. The author admits to watching numerous TV series, many of which are quickly forgotten, and notes that for all the time spent watching, there is very little reflection or discussion afterward. This raises fears about the potential waste of ideas and the transient nature of our engagement with media. The author suggests that the ease of access to a vast array of content leads to a culture where shows are consumed rapidly and without much consideration, contrasting with the past where anticipation and discussion were part of the viewing experience. The article calls for viewers to spend more time actively engaging with and reflecting on the content they consume, rather than treating it as a passive, disposable activity.

Opinions

The author believes that the current trend of binge-watching leads to a superficial engagement with TV series.
There is a concern that the majority of shows are not given the contemplation or discussion they deserve, despite the significant time investment required to watch them.
The author feels that the rapid consumption of media is akin to discarding packaging after consuming its contents, indicating a lack of deeper appreciation or reflection.
The article suggests that not all shows necessitate extensive discussion, but many warrant more attention than they typically receive.
The author enjoys analyzing shows with friends and family, highlighting the value of communal engagement with media.
There is a sense of nostalgia for the anticipation and discussion that used to accompany television viewing before the era of streaming.
The author posits that the future of streaming could lead to a diminished experience, likened to the dystopian scenarios depicted in "Clockwork Orange" and "Wall-E," if viewers do not become more mindful consumers of content.

A brief anxiety about how streaming suffocates our consciousness

Before I spring into my theory, let me preface it with a primer. How many TV series have you seen recently that you’ve forgotten almost entirely? Or better yet, how many shows have you seen which left an impact on you?

If you consume as much content as me, then the answer might be a dizzying one. For every show we spend twenty hours binging, we spend all of ten minutes mulling over.

Personally, while I watch and forget many shows — some I’m happy to let wash away with the current — I also spend a lot of time contemplating them. I do this for articles and think pieces because stories are my passion; both their construction, execution, and reception. But few others do. For all the time we spend watching, passively sitting and absorbing waves of attention, we actually do very little engaging once the show’s credits roll.

After we’ve tossed it around our minds a few times, we move on to the next. After all, there’s no shortage or limits anymore, so why not? Of this, I’m as guilty as anyone. Even though I write about many of the stories I consider worthy, a great number are washed away with the tide. Not forgotten, but hardly remembered either. A strange thought for something you devoted so much time and attention to, at least while it was streaming.

And when I thought about how often that happens, I was scared by the thought of wasted or untended ideas. It's frightening how quickly shows are discarded once absorbed, as though they’re the packaging we suck an ice pop from; little point in keeping it after the taste is gone. And while not every show requires in-depth discussion or book club itineraries, many shows deserve more attention after they’ve finished: Even if this is negative criticism.

As is usual for me, part of the fun of watching comes from breaking down the shows pros and cons with friends and family after or in between. Now, this isn’t to lament the fact that most episodes of any show are now watched back to back as a binge. Although, that can sometimes warp the fun of anticipation or vorfreude as is called in Germany. Mostly, though, it's that shows are so available, so readily streamable and equally so many that they’re rarely talked about, discussed or otherwise battered around with such consideration.

When this is next to the fact that, perhaps only 5% of the time spent watching a show is set aside to talk or even think about it, and there’s a sadness to the new age of mass consumption. The word mass meaning both widespread and many.

It occurs to me, more time should be spent sitting forwards and engaging with the content that grips so much of our waking time. Whether that means leaning forward while watching or appreciating it afterwards is irrelevant. But as long as the consumption of television or movies is a passive experience quickly forgotten, it casts a bit of a shadow on the experience looking back.

So, maybe next time, instead of speeding through shows as if quantity were a competition, we should ruminate more on what we just watched and how much of our time it’s worth. Otherwise, I’m afraid the future of streaming might become more Clockwork Orange than Wall-E. Actually, neither are overly appealing.