The other day I spent 20 minutes on Netflix trying to find something to watch. Couldn’t decide on anything, so I tried my luck on Amazon Prime. Another 20 minutes went by. All this while I had been browsing without actually watching anything.
I could’ve watched half a movie or full episode of a TV show during that time.
This is life in 2019.
The problem here, at least for me, is that there is too much choice. It’s the same for me with books, games, etc. Sometimes I spend so much time staring at the Netflix homepage and end up watching nothing like I did the other day. Sometimes I jump in on a flashy new show fully knowing there are 10 others I’ve barely reached the halfway mark in.
Substitute Netflix with the Kindle Store, PlayStation Store, etc., and my behavior remains the same.
The brain constantly wants new stimulation. And “new stuff” is always available. Abundance is a curse disguised as a blessing.
I’m realizing that I’m inadvertently in Marie Kondo territory here, but she does have a point. I don’t necessarily want to clean up everything, but I’m realizing this has a very noticeable effect on my attention span.
I don’t have a solution for this yet.
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