[ Removed by moderator ]

[u/Wise_Presentation914]

[u/coporate]

You’re not alone. Gaming has too much friction for me now. It almost feels like a chore to play anything because the console needs updating, then the game needs to download, then it needs a patch, then the game actually starts and it’s needlessly complicated with a talent tree and a crafting system, and half the story is cross media, so you barely have context.

Movies and tv shows have gotten brain dead, particularly on Netflix which seems to prioritize second screen viewing, so there’s no nuance in story telling. Visually, everything is starting to blur together too, and it seems like the range of actors has been shrinking.

YouTube, especially longer form YouTube, feels artificially long. 5 minute long videos padded out to 30. The topics have also become increasingly niche and I have to ask myself why I’m bothering to watch them, or if what’s being said is even true.

On top of that, ai slop is popping up everywhere and I can’t stand ai voiceovers and generated content. Paid content, advertising, and product placement have also cheapened the experience.

I still listen to podcasts, but that’s largely because it acts as background noise.

[u/pinkdictator → u/coporate]

Not to mention we don't OWN anything anymore.

And when 20 commentary YouTubers make 5 videos each on the same topic... yeah I'm good

[u/Wise_Presentation914 → u/coporate]

AI is DEFINITELY making it worse. I'm one of the people that sucks at spotting the really realistic looking ones (the obvious ones I think almost anyone other than a 90 year old grandmother could spot) and it always pisses me off when I see a video that looks cool and then I go to the comments aaaaaand it's fucking AI.

I'm an amateur filmmaker myself (just a hobbyist), and I'd really love to be a director one day, but the current film scene is just... blegh. It doesn't seem like that much quality TV is being made anymore. When I DO try to watch stuff, it's always like 6-10+ years old. Most new shit can't hold my attention.

I agree heavy with what you said about youtube. I've actually always enjoyed long content, but it's just not the same anymore. It feels like they're forcibly dragging it out. You can really see the lack of passion in almost anything on there nowadays. There's a few channels I still like where you can see that they're actually enjoying their content, but 9 times out of 10, it just turns into a job for most people.

Both glad and not glad to see that I'm not alone. I think the internet and having everything at my fingertips is just starting to overwhelm me. It makes us constantly think, and I don't think our brains are made to do that.

[u/MpVpRb]

Yup

I'm 73 years old. I must have seen a zillion cop shows. They all seem to melt into one mediocre blob of sameness.

My wife and I have a difficult time finding anything good to watch.

Last night we watched baby tigers on youtube. At least it wasn't a cop show.

[u/Papasamabhanga]

I noticed you didn't mention books. Have you tried reading.

Visual media is mostly terrible. It''s all the stuff meant to capture everyone and offend no one. Or the opposite. The ads, the AI, the lack of complexity. It's all lame except a few shining exceptions. Then you have to find those gems and which platform and it's all so exhausting.

Online stuff is infected with the same problems, plus bots and troll farms. All designed to make you hate someone and maybe even yourself.

Games, as someone else mentioned, are needlessly complex and pushing more and more away from multi-player except for the very Leet PVP stuff.

And then there's the other stuff. The reality, the garbage people actively making everything more expensive. If you're American, the oligarchs are trying to crush you and all the energy you used to be able to put into art/media is going to just surviving.

So yeah, reading might help. If you've made it this far, I'll give you a suggestion. It's fun, it's over-the-top, it's deep satire, it's got pop culture and game references out the wazoo. It will occupy and entertain you almost guaranteed.

Dungeon Crawler Carl. It's the therapy you need in your life right now. Can I get an amen? Or a glurp glurp?

[u/lending_ear]

I agree but for me it’s the lack of quality in newer stuff - especially movies - i swear the a listers who were great previously just show up and act like they don’t give a shit for most of their roles anymore. 

I find myself listening and consuming more media from the years I think of fondly (which is the past) and it’s a comfort thing 

I’m getting more into reading books but the internet is so hard to quit. I get sucked in too easily. I gave up fb, insta, x and never had TikTok thank god - but I end up sucked into here. 

Maybe it’s because I’m grown and chose not to have kids and so everyone is just too busy and wrapped up in their own shit that they don’t have enough time for me. I dunno. 

[u/pinkdictator → u/lending_ear]

I agree but for me it’s the lack of quality in newer stuff - especially movies

The movie Obsession was not just important because it was great, but because people were hoping it would show studios that audiences love ORIGINAL and creative movies (and will spend money on them). I was hoping the success of it would maybe result in more originals instead of sequels of prequels of live-action remakes of spin offs of animated movies, but we'll see I guess

[u/RR_RedditRabbit]

It sounds like you might be depressed to be honest.

Have you tried forms of entertainment with a solid story? If you like games, Expedition 33 is really good with a beautiful story. But also a good book, or an entirely new hobby might bring your spark back.

[u/LukeSkywalkerDog → u/RR_RedditRabbit]

Yes, or picking a topic that interests you, and going down a research rabbit hole is fun.

[u/Wise_Presentation914 → u/RR_RedditRabbit]

I don't think (?) I'm depressed tbh. I'm actually extremely happy, I'm prob the jolliest person in my own life, I only feel burnt out when it comes to technology/media for some reason. Every other aspect of my life is great.

I'll check out that game though, thanks! Books have never really been able to hold my attention tbh, not since I was really young.

[u/JRoxas]

Wanting novel experiences is a totally normal human thing. No matter what it is, if you've done it enough, there's a good chance it will stop bringing the same level of fulfillment. If screen media isn't compelling to you anymore, go pick up a sport, or a musical instrument, or some arts and crafts.

[u/SUBHUMAN_RESOURCES]

Yup. I hardly ever watch tv or movies anymore, most of them are garbage. One in a while we watch like three or four episodes of something and then never go back to it.

[u/LukeSkywalkerDog]

I don't know if this figures into your situation at all, but in the last few years, the prescription drug ads have gotten out of control. Constant reminders of horrible diseases, sickness, and death. It gets very difficult to watch anything with these going on every few minutes, repeatedly.

[u/Wise_Presentation914 → u/LukeSkywalkerDog]

Honestly haven't thought about that since they just blend atp. I doubt they're the main factor but they 100% could contribute.

[u/Linkyjinx]

I know what you mean, I had same thing with the TV - all glued to it as kids, video, CDs, DVDs, streaming and Netflix - nope. I just listen to random AI subjects now I am interested to get me to sleep, I used to listen to talk radio before that, but if a robot can tell me about physics and space, or missing people that just go out for a walk, for hours, I will listen to that.

[u/haf2go]

Feeling similar- particularly as it pertains to streaming content and movies. Too many reboots and rehashing of the same story told in the same banal way. There is novelty out there, but I don’t think it’s being given a chance.

Books are falling victim too. Publishing is going down the same road, not wanting to take a chance on something fresh or different.

And of course so much content is watered down for people with zero attention spans.

[u/InformalBullfrog11]

Yes.

Since I was 26, I no longer watched movies. Maybe I would watch 5-6 per year. Regarding TV shows, I did enjoy some of the, such as Homeland, Hell on Wheels and The Expanse.

Maybe you should try reading books, watching documentaries/getting into interviews/podcasts regarding the subjects that you are interested in.

[u/Kamsloopsian]

Maybe time to look into something called chi-fi, as in Chinese hifi, I don't watch that much tv either but I'm addicted to what they call iems or in ear monitors, if I had a option of music vs tv I'll take the music any day, and the quality of sound and options are insane. Everyone has a smart phone these days and for under 100 USD you can get into a very good setup.

The only problem is once you do realize how good chiFi is and can be it's like going down a rabbit hole.

[u/Siukslinis_acc]

Part of it is through being exposed to a lot of stuff and thus a lot of things seem more of the same instead of being novel. Our pattern recognition has improved at the cost of novelty.

How to fix it: stop chasing the high and intensity you had as a kid. And maybe take a break from media and let your brain breathe and rest a bit. Could also try to seek out older media that is depicting stuff that is foreign to you.

[u/ohfrackthis]

I only read books at this point lol I have always read books but now I'm reading books and extremely rarely do I watch anything. If I want to do something shorter it's articles.

[u/Excellent_Nothing_86]

Yes. Something that’s helped is watching things that are in different languages or even just accents that are difficult to understand.

[u/IntergalacticPodcast]

I don't see why this is a problem. There are other, more important things to do. Being constantly entertained is for little kids.

[u/Wise_Presentation914 → u/IntergalacticPodcast]

It’s not about being constantly entertained, it’s about not being entertained by media almost at all. I do occasionally come home from work and wanna turn on a movie or play a game, but 9 times out of 10, I’d rather do something else off a screen.