The internet is a utopia of entertainment. With the monumental amount of articles, videos, and avenues to consume content, it’s pretty difficult to feel bored with a strong Wi-Fi connection. However, despite such an incredible amount of ways to entertain ourselves, there’s something to be said about the phrase “less is more.”
You see, I’ve found myself experiencing a sort of “content exhaustion” over the past few years. Between the amount of TV shows I try catch up on, channels I subscribe to on YouTube, and podcasts I listen to, I’ve found it difficult (and even oddly stressful) to keep up-to-date when it comes to entertainment. Consider this: in 2015, there were 409 scripted original series, nearly double that of 2009. Unless you’re content sticking to King of Queens reruns, you’re going to have a heck of a time keeping up on the golden age of television.
Additionally, the ever-growing flood of content has created another problem: the disappearance of water cooler talk. As somebody that doesn’t watch Game Of Thrones, Twin Peaks, or House Of Cards, I’m out of the loop when it comes to a lot of mainstream shows. (That’s right, I don’t watch any of those shows. Yes, I know I should.)
But perhaps you’re one of those cord-cutting millennials they talk about in articles that forgoes the traditional entertainment avenues. Well, you can always try to keep up on Netflix (where the amount of original shows is doubling this year), Hulu (which has had over 68,000 hours of content available), and YouTube (where 3 hours of content are uploaded every minute). Much less complicated than regular old television.
I’m by no means saying it’s a bad thing to get all this content, especially with the amount that is completely free. However, I think we can all agree that what’s supposed to be a relaxing part of the day has become almost stressful. As a pop culture fanatic, becoming a full-blown entertainment expert has become more difficult than ever. Maybe I’ll become a shredded cheese expert. Let me see if that’s taken…DANGIT!