I went to see the comedian Nate Bargatze with my wife in Portland on Friday night. The traffic outside the 16,000-seat venue stood paralyzed and chaotic at the same time. The parking lots around the event were full. Jaywalkers shouted at drivers, and drivers edged in every direction. I should have arrived 30 minutes early but was an hour late.
While stalled and stressed in the confusion, I pulled out my phone and listened to a comedy clip on YouTube. I laughed at the content and my situation, felt calmer, and eventually found a parking spot.
The jobs entertainment media does for you
Acknowledging that screens do some good for individuals and society, let’s critically examine how we use them. And by entertainment media, I mean television, movies, social media, and other immersive visual content. I see six jobs that we ask screens to do for us. Perhaps you can think of others to share. We treat it as:
- A coping mechanism (The screen junkies) – These are the individuals who use media to quiet the noises around them and the stresses of life. They find that a good video can help them achieve a certain emotional state – something in between numb and happy. Those who use media to cope can expect to see their screen to increase over time. It may not solve the problems they were attempting to escape, and it can squeeze out the more fulfilling aspects of life – leading to an even greater need to watch.
- A reward (The screen mercenaries) – After a hard day, these individuals reward themselves with time on YouTube or an episode of their favorite show – perhaps more than one. The prospect of screen time motivates these individuals to push through a challenging priority list. The difference between screen junkies and screen mercenaries is that the junkies use media to calm their nerves so that they can get to work while mercenaries only claim their prize when the work is done. Their media use remains relatively consistent over time.
- A social lubricant (The watercooler crowd) – This group uses entertainment media to build relationships. They watch the latest viral show so that they can gather with their colleagues around the water cooler and criticize it the next day. They go to movie theaters so that they can laugh and cringe with others. They snuggle with their spouses while enjoying the nostalgia of an old favorite. Media consumption waxes and wanes with this group depending on who their friends are and what’s playing that day.
- An educator (The scholars) – This group seeks novelty. They watch documentaries and how-to videos. They get their news and the latest trends online. The phone notifications draw these folks in and the quest for truth and the latest content keeps them engaged. As the recommendation algorithms get better at serving up novel content, this group will spend increasingly more time on their screens.
- Our voice (The publishers) – Some people use entertainment media to create and share content. They make art, share ideas, and push back against viewpoints they find distasteful. Everyone who produces content on public forums could be considered an influencer, but fewer and fewer people are creating content these days.1 Because screens give these people a voice, they may spend increasing amounts of time on media platforms, especially if they receive positive reinforcement from the mob. When people receive negative feedback on their opinions and projects, they may spend less time on their screens or even turn into Luddites.
- The enemy (The Luddites) – These are the people who treat screens as an evil to avoid. Perhaps there are a few people who are not drawn to the blue lights and have little desire to engage with them. Others actively dislike entertainment media. These are the Luddites – the Amish among us – who do not have a television, or if they do, they rarely watch it. When you message them on social media, they do not respond for a time. And when they give in and watch a show, they feel bad about it. On the positive side, the Luddites avoid the useless distractions, filth, and ensnaring content that is so common. They also miss out on much that is edifying.
What jobs should screens do for you?
It’s valuable to consider what jobs entertainment media is doing for you (Here’s a post on the emptiness of much of what we watch on television). Of the six approaches listed above, which are the primary and secondary drivers of your media consumption? Is it strengthening your relationships or stealing time from them? Is it teaching you the secrets of the multiverse or distracting you from them? Does content creation give you a voice or does it isolate and quiet you? If entertainment media not doing the job, consider giving it a new one.
There’s an argument to be made for each of these approaches, but I’m trying to use entertainment media to share ideas and as a reward for hard work – not as a coping mechanism. I’m avoiding using it to follow trends and the latest trivial content. Reduced media time created enough space in my schedule for me to write this post. So, it’s a start…