Rediscovering Simplicity in a World Oversaturated with Content

Time to sound like our grandparents, but do you remember the good old days? Back when the internet and smartphones were a luxury and not a necessity. Millennials and the older Gen Z were fortunate enough to experience life before technology took over our lives. We had the opportunity to grow up without being too reliant on our gadgets, yet we were also able to witness and adapt to the tech advancements as we grew up. 

The Lost Art of Boredom

Kids today will never know the true meaning of boredom. Now, why would anyone want to be bored? Hear me out. Boredom bred creativity. We spent countless hours daydreaming and inventing games out of thin air as kids. 

Growing up, my sister and I spent our summers immersing ourselves in the wizarding world of Harry Potter, revisiting the books we loved over and over again. On quiet days, we would build forts out of pillows and blankets to engage in epic battles against imaginary enemies with our army of teddy bears by our side. We would create unique backstories and personalities for our teddy bears, placing them in a world of our own creation.  Our boredom often led us to create stories and explore various art forms. 

Now, with a never-ending stream of content at our fingertips and the doom-scrolling, creativity isn’t what it used to be. 

Daydreaming

Libraries in Our Pockets, Yet Nothing Feels Special

Remember the feeling of looking forward to the weekend and hitting the nearest Blockbuster with your parents to rent movies? Or saving up to buy that one CD from your favourite artist and listen to them until you memorize the lyrics? Those were the memories that we forever cherish if we were ever so lucky to experience them.  

To this day, I can quote the Lord of the Rings trilogy because of how many times I’ve watched them. Quoting Arnold Schwarzenegger or Homer Simpson in everyday conversations was normal. We re-watched what we had because services like Netflix didn’t exist. It was also amazing how we could connect with people our age by referencing and quoting something. I used to make friends who liked Star Wars by quoting the movies randomly in conversations. It was a great icebreaker and helped me bond with other fans. However, I feel like this trend is slowly burning out, which is a shame because it’s a fun way to connect with people who share the same interests. But it’s tough to do things like that now when trends start and die out overnight. 

I also remember that when I bought an album, I would listen to it to the point where I knew all the lyrics and got sick of it. Got my $20 worth, that’s for sure. With services like Spotify now, I tend to move on to the next album before fully appreciating the current one. I barely remember the tunes or lyrics of most of the songs I’ve listened to. It’s a trap that many of us fall into - the mindset of always looking for the next best thing. 

We have all the libraries of movies and music in our pockets nowadays, yet nothing feels special. Pop culture is becoming a blur, where trends are born and die overnight, leaving little behind to define our times.

Forgetting to Stop and Smell the Flowers

In our quest to capture everything through the lens of our smartphones, we're forgetting to experience life itself. Events become something to be recorded, not lived. Influencers go to a popular spot for a photo and do not bother to look up to take in the view. There’s a difference between being somewhere and actually being there.

I was in Japan last year for a One Piece live performance. They made everyone put their phones away, and it seemed like a strange request in this day and age. However, I realized at that moment what we were all missing; it shows respect to the stage actors, and you absorb more and just be in the moment. With no phones to distract us, we were able to absorb more of the performance and appreciate every aspect of it. This made it possible for me to walk away with the event sticking in my mind long-term than if I were just there to capture videos for my content. After that event, I found myself taking my phone out less and absorbing the country's beauty.

The world is beautiful, filled with moments and views that deserve our full attention, not just a fraction of it through a screen.

Cat smelling flowers

From LAN Parties to Lonely Online Adventures

Gaming used to be a communal event. Dragging your PC to a friend's house for a LAN party was a rite of passage. Gathering around the arcade machines to watch and couch co-op was all the rage. It was fun, and a connection was shared between friends, complete with pizza and Red Bulls. Don’t forget all the shouting and farting. Then came the age where we still game together, but apart. We connected online but missed out on the in-person feeling; yes, even the farts added to that nostalgic feeling. 

Growing up, owning a game was extra special. We did have a Steam library full of games at our beck and call. As kids, my sister and I had a Super Nintendo with a total of eight games. We can play Donkey Kong with our eyes closed now; it just tells you how many times we’ve played those games on repeat. Being able to couch co-op was special, despite fighting over who could be player one. All this came from a combination of boredom and not having access to a whole game library. As for today, I have so many games in my Steam library, and I haven’t even touched 95% of them. Most are one-player or have to be played online. 

Nowadays, my spouse and I are always looking for couch co-op games again so we can play together, but there aren’t many choices compared to one-player games. Studios need to bring back more couch co-op games and, dare I say, shorter games instead of open world all the time. 

Connected Yet Disconnected

In today’s world, as connected as we are as a race, we are as disconnected as ever. The simplicity of life seems like a distant memory, but it's not out of reach. It's about finding balance, cherishing the moments that matter, and remembering that sometimes, the best way to connect is to disconnect.