I have been a fan of jazz music for a while. As an early teen, I remember being on a family trip where we rented out an Airbnb-style apartment. The apartment had a CD player and the owner forgot a disk in it. I cannot recall the curiosity that led me to play it, but I did. I remember hearing melodies that I enjoyed and listening to the same track on repeat. Far into the future, I got enough money to pay for Spotify. “You mean you can listen to all the songs you like for only a small monthly payment?!” Somewhere between the CD and Spotify, I began producing my music, learning via YouTube tutorials and friends I met on SoundCloud. I still enjoy music, especially genres like jazz, boom-bap, and house music. The thing about heavily instrumental genres is that they are difficult to explain. So I recently challenged myself to start reviewing albums on MusicBoard.
When I listen to music, I am entertained. I am also entertained when I watch movies and TV shows, play video games, and read books but the realization that the works I am entertained by were created with great detail and effort showed me that they merit more comprehension. What emotion is the song trying to convey? What beliefs does that movie challenge? What makes that character so likable? It might even be taking a little longer to appreciate the style that a comic book was drawn in. I’m sure that the writer, designer, illustrator, director, actor, or musician would appreciate that. I know I would.
We know that with things like TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, content is consumed at great speed. The next video is just a scroll away so why would I finish this entertaining video when the next video could be even more entertaining? With rapid entertainment, there is a high chance that not much thought is given nor much benefit received from consumption. Consuming content can lead to more. Inspiration, development, ideas, empathy, connection, and more. This is on top of the entertainment value. Certain work is made to entertain, so be truly entertained. Cherish the entertainment and appreciate the creator’s ability to do so.
Consume thoughtfully.
This Week’s Feature Work
From an old project. Monospaced.
I feel called out. I often find myself burning time away with video after video through YouTube shorts. Although my primary interest lie in longer forms of entertainment (such as anime and books/manga), I can definitely see the effect of scrolling through a multitude of videos has on my ability to truly consume and enjoy the inspired work of others.
I love how you convey the state of our world today with regards to consumption. I think often times people do not know how to consume or take something in past the first 5 seconds of viewing or examining. Which is a shame because some things can surprise you! I think it would be good for people to learn different ways to consume. I wonder how it would affect our society as a whole.