Wednesday 5 March 2014

Guilty pleasures

Linking up this old post with #ArchiveLove because it's about guilty pleasures and it discusses a TV show (and yes I did go and see Offerman on Friday night! Interesting Offerman also discussed this and sang 2 songs about it, but more of that in a yet to be written post.) We all have guilty pleasures, and a lot of what we busy ourselves with, we self-create. We waste a lot of time, or rather use up our time on the internet, rather than being present in the physical world. I think we are busy to the point of exhaustion, because we commit too much. We don't want to skip a swimming lesson, or guitar or work function, and in the end, something has to give. Sometimes we busy ourselves so we're not left alone with our thoughts.

Last night I watched an episode of Parks & Recreation called Sex Education that opened with a hilarious bit around "tonnes of old people have chlamydia". It also covered Internet addiction. It came down to this, Ron asked Tom why he needed to be distracted all the time? His answer 'the truth is, things aren't going that great in my life at the moment, so I'd rather play Doodle Jump than think about that."

Is that why we do it?

It definitely adds interest to a lacklustre day. It is easy contact, usually without hassles or demands.

It is a way for the lonely to reach out (or is it for the sociable but house/office bound?).

It is often an addiction, as our devices become more and more portable.

It becomes an intrusion. An intrusion in relationships, in our cars*, in our lives.

Some one mentioned it was the National Day of Unplugging today, a movement aimed at getting hyperconnected people to slow down their lives a little with a day of rest, and ultimately build time of rest into their normal week**. Give it a go.

Or more importantly, unplug a little of your day, every day.

I'm no saint. I've taken to leaving my phone in the other room at night, because otherwise I will check email & facebook. I am trying to be better at other entertainments when waiting or out in the park. I'd like it if my phone was the last resort, rather than my first choice.

I'm not going to give it up, but I would like to be a little more present in my life.

Seems like a challenge for my Torschlusspanik List, but I'm not sure if I'm ready for that commitment. Would you? Could you?



*Not my car, in the show Tom crashes his car, tweeting.

**It's hilarious to me that the National Day of Unplugging people can be followed on FB and Twitter, and have a competition where you upload photos of what you do instead of being online/phone etc...sort of defeats the point.

29 comments:

  1. Love the hypocrasy (no I can't spell) of the unplugging day!!
    I have seen parks and rec a couple of times, I love all those late night shows, 30 rock is great too. I really should set the recorder for them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No spelling demons here...so do your worst! ;) I love 30 rock too. I have most of them on DVD and I'm still taping it (not entirely sure why)

      Delete
  2. The Unplugging Day thing sounds like it really is missing the point! I'm addicted to the online World but as yet do not have an Iphone so I'm resisting it because I don't want to become worse. Parks And Recreation seems like a really funny show the couple of times I've watched it but yeah, my husband doesn't always 'get' things I think are funny either.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, but I think it's ok to not like the same stuff - gives you something to watch when the other person is out....

      Delete
  3. I LOVE Parks & Rec too! That episode was hilarious, and when Ron told Tom to talk it out, and the stuff he was saying, I was like "Oh shit, that could be me". I'm not quite as bad as Tom but some days I can be. I try to make a point of being less "plugged-in" on the days Dave has off work so we can spend time together as a family, and also in the mornings, as that is when the girls are at their best and I want to enjoy it as much as I can.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We've discussed this before, and I remember clearly you like Ron Swanson too! It's funny that the being plugged in is the norm and we are having to be mindful to alter that...

      Delete
  4. I actually managed to have a reasonably unplugged day today...but only because my devil child didn't sleep a wink last night and so I slept most of the day while he was at daycare!

    Thanks for linking up with us at The Lounge.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hahaha.
    I've been unplugged a lot lately due to traveling in remote areas and choosing to concentrate on writing my book etc. Thus the beauty of the scheduled blog and Facebook posts! I actually like being unplugged ... for a few days ... but then I'm all about being plugged in again as soon as I'm done!
    L

    ReplyDelete
  6. It is quite ironic to have social media accounts and competitions for National Day of Unplugging! But nonetheless good effort. I try to leave my mobile in the room too so that I won't reach out to it so easily. I think for me it's more of a habit than a need.

    Ai @ Sakura Haruka

    ReplyDelete
  7. It's so easy to get in the habit of checking everything all the time. Sometimes I have to put it down for a few days or it drives me crazy! I love the sound of the Parks & Rec show, I'll have to check it out!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think you need to be able to chose to not to check - especially when you are out and about with friends and family. I just leave it in my bag - if someone really wants me the phone will actually ring (which isn't often).

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh man, that's so ironic! Maybe you're supposed to load them up the day after?
    It's an interesting point you make about how being connected gives us an excuse to get away from the real world and real relationships.
    I like to think that to me it's a connection to the real world - stuff that I wouldn't usually see or here about it I wasn't on social media.
    Gotta watch Parks and Recreation. It appears I'm missing out!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I hate the thought of unplugging ... but the times that I have to do it I actually feel relief. I guess it's the thought that I might miss something initially, but then realise it is a bit like Bold and The Beautiful - you can miss quite a few episodes and still know what is going on.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Haven't seen it! Must. And I unplug. Not as often as I should, but phones are put away when hubby gets home from work for family time. Usually...

    ReplyDelete
  12. I try to unplug as much as I can, and usually put my phone away quite early at night. I love Parks & Rec, and have been watching a lot of Arrested Development lately too. Anything that gives me a giggle is good, particularly at the end of the day.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Yes I need to unplug and live I am starting to lately and feel all the better for it. It is good for inspiration. Of course it is. !

    ReplyDelete
  14. I definitely need to learn to unplug. I check FB as soon as I wake and before I go to bed. Addicted much?

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am trying to unplug but because I am on Perth time I am always behind in the blogging world. I am starting trying to schedule posts & FB but they never publish at the right times so I am back on the internet trying to fix it! If I didn't blog I would definitely be unplugged

    ReplyDelete
  16. I only seem to unplug when I have dramas going on. Just before bed I read all my favourite blogs and skim the headlines. I need to learn to unplug! Cheers for linking this one X

    ReplyDelete
  17. I missed the whole "Parks & Rec" boat but figure it must be pretty funny from what I can gather, and it seems to win a lot of awards so there must be something in it!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Unplugging...what is that!!? I have no self control it would appear. Cheers, Denyse

    ReplyDelete
  19. Never heard of Parks and Recreation!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'm doing better at being unplugged. I don't check my phone as much while I am out, unless I am by myself. I definitely use it as a distraction from overthinking stuff though.

    ReplyDelete
  21. It's hilarious that national unplugged day is dependent on social media and has a competition where you can share evidence of being unplugged on social media. That's gold!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I can quite easily go unplugged when busy doing something else but I find I use social media to keep myself occupied when lonely or wanting to fill in the day and that happens a lot, far too much. I don't take my phone to bed at night, plugging it in downstairs to charge. Mr Sparky charges his upstairs as it is his alarm. I need to spend less time in the evening on the computer or phone and spend more time paying attention to those around me.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I need to unplug more too and unfortunately from this afternoon I will have a forced unplugging! I dropped my phone and it is so badly cracked I can barely see anything! Off to be repaired tonight! How will I surviv in bed without my last minute check of my emails, FB and IG?!

    Ingrid
    http://www.fabulousandfunlife.blogspot.com.au

    ReplyDelete
  24. I leave my mob on all night and do tend to check it often. Naughty I know.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I love that episode of Parks and Rec. I am far too likely to flop at home after work and play on my phone instead of finding something offline to do. It's just so easy.

    ReplyDelete