In current news, a grocery chain in England is testing shopping carts with Ipad docks and speakers. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/31/ipad-dock-shopping-cart-keeps-footie-fans-and-their-other-halves/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/31/ipad ... er-halves/</a> GREAT idea, right?
That seems a pretty big leap of judgment to make on people who consume media. Or even overconsume it. Though I may be misunderstanding exactly what you mean so maybe you can clarify what "It" you're talking about? I'm at work right now (temporary project sadly)listening to my ipod and taking a moment to type this post. In a moment I will turn back to Summation and continue my habitual practice of somehow being really good at document review and always exceeding my quota. Without my ipod I would go nuts with the boredom of this job. Similarly, at home I am one of those people who watches TV and uses the computer at the same time. Which could include playing a video game while chatting online and keeping track of a show. Is there some intrinsic character flaw there? I work, I spend time with my wife, I hang out with my friends, so why is it a problem? Similarly, someone mentioned that it bothers them when people wear earbuds while shopping because of the signal that they're avoiding social interaction. Once again, so what? If they feel like being anti-social but aren't impacting anyone else, it doesn't seem like a bad thing to me. Maybe we're just worried on their behalf, but that also seems a touch condescending. Where I share people's concerns is when it comes to the possible impacts on children or the possible ways in which this could actually inconvenience others (like if you don't take your earbuds out at the register and thus make the transaction take longer for the people behind you).
I think IWSJ is partially correct, at least with the way that I operate. I'm not as inundated with media as some of you seem to be, but I do my fair share of Netflix watching, internet surfing, and music listening. I own a TV but only use it for Netflix, so my TV watching is limited to things I specifically seek out. I spend a lot of time on this message board, another message board, with several email accounts, IMing, looking at clips on youtube, craigslist, articles on Wikipedia, and random sites I stumble on Stumble Upon. Most of this stuff is a huge waste of time. I have no illusion that my wikipedia reading self is in any way truly educating myself. It is mostly out of boredom, or more often, procrastination. In fact, right now I have a number of things I need to accomplish, but what am I doing? Writing about how I should be doing something else. I take a lot of science heavy classes and I bike to and from school twice a day. I'm tired. But I don't want to sleep, because then I feel like I'm somehow wasting my precious, low pressure moments. In reality, if I just took a nap around lunch time or when I got home from classes in the evening and then used my time wisely after that, I would be much happier and get a lot more done. As I write this, I promise to myself that this is what I will do. We shall see.
Personally, I do a lot of things at work (meat locker) that I'm completely alone in a different room than anyone else. I always have a radio on for background noise, but I rarely even notice it unless a song I either love or hate comes on. Thanks to my ADD, I will literally just zone out, work, and be thinking of 100 things at once. I've designed some of my best ideas for projects while at work. For the first several months I worked there, people thought I was super shy, because even when I was in the same room, I had my "task" that I was working on (let's face it, it's not super brainwork to work there), and I'd go into zone out mode where my hands were moving, the task was getting done, conversation was going around me, and I was totally silent. My head, however, was designing a quest with a giant walking fungus & trying to decide what kind of accent I should give it. And where I should send people to collect its spores, that kind of thing. It wasn't until we had a happy hour that people realized that I was just off in my own little world, not shy, not stupid, deaf or mute, just zoning out. So they now harass me until I participate, and my creativity has gone way down on getting things figured out during work hours. That being said, I can't just watch TV or a movie. I have to be surfing, online playing a game, skimming a book, something. Currently catching up on shows I missed this week, while posting here. I haven't been to an actual movie theater in probably 10 years, because I can't sit still in the dark & watch a movie. Going out to eat by myself? I'll have a book with me to read. I'll put it down to chat with my server or whatever, but can't stand just sitting without something to read/watch/distract me. I've been this way since I was a kid. My mom figured out if she'd let me read while I was eating something I hated, I'd finish my plate, whereas if she just made me sit there, I'd be there for hours. I was never diagnosed with ADD as a child, wasn't until a few years ago. So maybe that's where this comes from?
Once that week is over, how to you prepare to jump back on the grid? I agree with your statement. I try to minimize the gadgets. I don't have or use a smartphone or iPod, except when I'm working out. I have a laptop, but don't use Netflix, Hulu or torrents. I do try to read as much as possible, and read actual books. I have e-books, but I like the feel and smell of a real book. Reading allows me to immerse myself and unplug. If you're using gadgets to avoid contact, and not pay attention to your surroundings, you end up doing something like this. Enough said.
I do this, and have done since I was a kid. Actually, I'm thinking about something in my subconscious (philosophy, physics, Hindu theology, metaphysical bullshit, whatever), but consciously? Nothing going on up there. I must look like that epileptic guy in The Andromeda Strain. On the other hand, I'll often put a track on repeat and just ignore it for half an hour or an hour. Then it's stuck in my head for the next three days. I'm shit at multitasking. I need to be fully involved.
A) "antsy and restless" is a form of anxiety B) I think you're fooling yourself. Anxiety doesn't have to be a panic-stricken, desperate need. Low level anxiety is stressful and I think most people who, like yourself, cannot go without constant stimulation are experiencing chronic, low level anxiety when you're not actively involved. I think a big part of what you're missing is the ability to exist without sensory input. That is, re-training your brain to go without the constant stimulation and just exist in the world. It's very peaceful. I just spent 12 days in Peru, a week of which was spent hiking in the Andes. No electricity. No cell phones. Nothing. Even our four days in the cities, I deliberately avoided electronics or news. I didn't even read during this time. When I went to the Galapagos, it was the same thing - 9 days on a boat, no cell phones or RSS feeds or books. Maybe it's not an important skill. I don't know. It's important to me, though, and it feels really awesome. I'm a very low stress person, but to be simply existing in the wilderness with nothing but a pack on your back and the dirt under your feet - or on a chair on the deck of a boat with miles of ocean in front of you - is really a soothing experience.
I use one about once a month at a local place. It takes a few sessions to really get something out of it and relax but I think it's tremendously helpful for figuring shit out and directing your focus to problems big and small without little distractions taking you on whimseys. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.floatation.com/wheretofloat.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.floatation.com/wheretofloat.html</a> Lately I've been cutting back on my media consumption because it was getting out of control. Especially podcasts where you are literally putting someones voice and idea/beliefs into your head. Now I limit it to when I'm driving or sitting in front of a computer writing quotes or something work related. No more hiking with Jay Mohr talking about how awesome he is. It is a form of distraction, but also simply entertainment. Like everything in life... moderation is the key.