I've found that watching 1-2 hours of a tv show after I put my daughter down, especially one that is a limited series and has a strong plot, makes me feel "better" after a long day (rejuvenated / rested / ready to take on tomorrow), but if I look at YouTube or my phone all evening I end up feeling worse. But before I massively reduced my screen time during the day, I didn't feel like I had the "energy" to watch a good tv show in the evenings (really, my attention span was just shot). All to say: I think one of the unsung benefits of purposeful mental rest/digital detox during the day is more enjoyable downtime in the evenings! I have the mental space to actually watch tv that I enjoy, rather than doomscroll.
That's such an interesting point. Because my focus is on intentional breaks from any digital use (regardless of merit) I think less about the effect of different types of consumption. But I'm absolutely certain you are right. Rapid-fire consumption must be very different from longform. I think there was some research recently on YouTube Shorts which confirmed this.
Really interesting you've noticed a knock-on effect from day to evening! I feel it palpably. It really does feel like the day is the horse and the evening is the cart??? (Since I've started with this I've mangled so many metaphors)
I also find the post-kid bedtime hour of tv helpful to turn off my brain at the end of the day. Like a bedtime story, it rests my brain from actively thinking about my own life. youtube at night amps my system though - whether because i usually go to youtube to learn new skills, get updates about the world - doing the opposite of rest!
Very interesting to hear. There is likely something in the pace of the thing we watch, perhaps it's the frequency of dukkha/dopamine loop spiking! Still very much thinking this through, but I quite like my "mental rest is for during the day" preliminary hypothesis. A world without TV with my wife in the evening feels like a grim one.
That’s really interesting. At the end of the day we decide what we do and how long. Every small decision can built our meaningful life or make it a bit miserable.
I've found that watching 1-2 hours of a tv show after I put my daughter down, especially one that is a limited series and has a strong plot, makes me feel "better" after a long day (rejuvenated / rested / ready to take on tomorrow), but if I look at YouTube or my phone all evening I end up feeling worse. But before I massively reduced my screen time during the day, I didn't feel like I had the "energy" to watch a good tv show in the evenings (really, my attention span was just shot). All to say: I think one of the unsung benefits of purposeful mental rest/digital detox during the day is more enjoyable downtime in the evenings! I have the mental space to actually watch tv that I enjoy, rather than doomscroll.
That's such an interesting point. Because my focus is on intentional breaks from any digital use (regardless of merit) I think less about the effect of different types of consumption. But I'm absolutely certain you are right. Rapid-fire consumption must be very different from longform. I think there was some research recently on YouTube Shorts which confirmed this.
Really interesting you've noticed a knock-on effect from day to evening! I feel it palpably. It really does feel like the day is the horse and the evening is the cart??? (Since I've started with this I've mangled so many metaphors)
I also find the post-kid bedtime hour of tv helpful to turn off my brain at the end of the day. Like a bedtime story, it rests my brain from actively thinking about my own life. youtube at night amps my system though - whether because i usually go to youtube to learn new skills, get updates about the world - doing the opposite of rest!
Very interesting to hear. There is likely something in the pace of the thing we watch, perhaps it's the frequency of dukkha/dopamine loop spiking! Still very much thinking this through, but I quite like my "mental rest is for during the day" preliminary hypothesis. A world without TV with my wife in the evening feels like a grim one.
That’s really interesting. At the end of the day we decide what we do and how long. Every small decision can built our meaningful life or make it a bit miserable.
Everything is training isn't it, for good or ill! Trying to just focus on the positive side of that, otherwise it's a little daunting!