Are We Spending Too Much Time On Entertainment?
Start writing a post
Sports

Are We Spending Too Much Time On Entertainment?

Tread lightly.

3164
Are We Spending Too Much Time On Entertainment?
The Board Game Family

Americans run on entertainment. TV shows, movies, video games, sporting events, music concerts, and social media (to name a few) make trillions of dollars a year in revenue and consume most of American citizens’ pastimes. Entertainment providers like Netflix, Sony, Microsoft, NBC, AMC, the NFL, the NBA, and countless other domains dominate the modern business industry. For a truly lucrative business calling, many entrepreneurs look no further than the glitz and glamour of the 21st century entertainment industry.

I’ll readily admit I’m well-invested in the entertainment industry. I watch football, basketball, and soccer on a regular basis. I had a PlayStation 4 gaming system; I regularly play video games with friends, and I watch Netflix almost once a day. I’ve spent a lot of time, money, and energy on entertainment (except for money on Netflix—thanks, mom). Until recently, I believed that entertainment wasn’t a problem in my life. I played my video games, I laughed at my favorite shows, and I watched professional athletes compete almost every day.

One day (after playing Call of Duty for 3 hours straight) I asked myself a question—how much time am I actually investing in different forms of entertainment? I’ll let you all get a sneak peek into my life with these stats.

Here’s the amount of time (on average) I spend on entertainment each day:

  • 15 minutes of highlight videos from all my favorite sports teams, and up to 60 minutes if there’s an important game (such as a playoff or championship game)
  • 60-80 minutes of Netflix
  • 60-90 minutes of various types of video games (these include phone, system, and computer games)
  • 20-30 minutes on YouTube
  • 45 minutes on social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, primarily).

All these minutes added together equal about 305 minutes, or just over 5 hours of every single day.

I’ll be the first to say this: that’s a ridiculous amount of time for anyone to spend on entertainment. The average work day is eight hours long; that’s only three hours more than the time I spend staring at glowing rectangles! Sometimes I watch Netflix when I do homework in order to keep me sane, but my work often suffers as a result. I’ll watch games with my friends under the notion that it’s quality time—but seriously, are we interacting or just watching the game? I’ve made plenty of excuses for my entertainment addiction, but after I sat down and calculated the amount of time I dedicate to entertaining myself I realized that I was too reliant on the entertainment industry.

Think about it: the average American watches approximately 4-5 hours of television a day. And that’s just TV! Think about all the time you spend on your phones, tablets, laptops, and gaming systems. These are sobering numbers. Studies also show that it takes the average adult 10,000 hours to master a skill. If that’s the case, the average American should be a master television-watcher within 10 years (if that was a skill). And again, that’s just TV. Imagine what you’d learn, how you’d grow as a person if you used that time to learn a new skill—like playing guitar, or crocheting, or playing basketball, or writing books and essays. You could become an incredibly skilled professional by sacrificing some of your entertainment time.

Just a few days ago, I sold all my PlayStation 4 games. I did this for one purpose: I realized that my entertainment addiction was controlling my life and sapping my potential as a productive human being. I know plenty of people who play video games and balance their social and academic lives along with their video games—kudos to you, but I couldn’t handle it. After years of denying the problem, ignoring its effects on my life, and wasting my hours staring at a glowing screen, I knew I’d had enough. That evening, I posted all my video games on auction sites and looked for potential buyers.

There was something liberating about handing all my video games over to a complete stranger in a beanie and biker leathers; no longer would I have to play through a story just to get to the resolution I craved. No longer would I need to repeat the same action over and over again to achieve a single desired result. No longer would I have to push off friends, social engagements, homework, projects, or invitations because of my own struggle with entertainment. Finally, for the first time in a long time, I was free to spend my free time in a more productive way.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with entertainment. Human beings need time to kick back, relax, and enjoy some good, old-fashioned fun. Rest is an essential part of daily life, and entertainment is often the medium by which people relax. However, we must practice everything in moderation. Relaxation, recharging, and refocusing are all good things, don’t get me wrong. However, when entertainment becomes the main event, we should stop and ask ourselves: what am I learning from this? How am I growing and developing as my own person? Am I gaining any useful talents and abilities from this?

Again, I understand the value that entertainment has in modern society. There are millions of people who make a living through entertainment—I applaud them! They create incredible artwork for the rest of us to enjoy, and most truly have remarkable skills. But for those of us who aren’t involved in the entertainment industry, remind yourself of why you watch and why you play. Our time on Earth is short, so we should make the best of it.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
the beatles
Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

Keep Reading...Show less
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

19 Lessons I'll Never Forget from Growing Up In a Small Town

There have been many lessons learned.

70832
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

132441
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments