the right to switch off:

 the right to switch off: when even relaxing becomes work

I wanted to watch a movie.

Nothing particularly complicated. I wanted to sit down, settle in, forget about the world for a little while and lose myself in a story.

Instead, there were advertisements. Two or three minutes before the movie even started, followed by another interruption shortly afterwards.

I muted them. I picked up my phone. I waited.

Eventually, I realised I wasn't watching the movie anymore. I'd lost interest before the story had a chance to take me anywhere.

And I thought, what's the point?

When did watching a movie become another exercise in tolerating interruptions?

I understand advertising. I understand that companies pay for placement, platforms need revenue and businesses want to sell their products.

But understanding something doesn't mean I have to like it.

And it certainly doesn't mean I have to accept it.

when every conversation becomes a lesson

Later, I had a conversation with my sister.

I've noticed a pattern. When I say I don't like something, the response is often an explanation of why it is that way.

If I say something bothers me, I'm told why it happens.

If I say I don't agree, I'm given the reasons I should understand.

It's almost like every conversation becomes a competition to establish who knows more.

But sometimes I'm not asking why something happens. I'm simply telling you how I feel about it.

I know things have changed. I know advertising existed before streaming services. I know the world has always had interruptions.

I said as much.

As I left the room, I added that I find it bad for my mental health. I don't want to spend my leisure time navigating advertisements.

There's a difference between explaining something and listening to someone.

And there's a difference between understanding why something exists and believing it should be acceptable.

forced consumption

It made me think of Pink Floyd's The Wall.

Remember those disturbing classroom scenes? The imagery of children being forced into conformity, their individuality and independent thinking being crushed?

That's how I sometimes feel about modern media.

We're surrounded by things competing for our attention. Advertisements, algorithms, notifications, sponsored content, recommendations and endless streams of information.

We're encouraged to watch, click, respond, share, purchase and participate.

Even when we try to escape for a little while, something wants a piece of our attention.

I'm not suggesting a television commercial is equivalent to the oppression depicted in The Wall. I'm talking about the feeling of having something imposed on you when all you wanted was the freedom to choose.

I want to choose what I watch.

I want to choose what I read.

I want to choose when I participate.

And I want to be able to switch off without feeling that I'm missing something or being targeted by something else.

words, generations and changing people

There was another little conversation about language.

An older friend of mine doesn't like hearing me swear. He remembers that I didn't used to.

Well, I had a four-year-old at one point, and my kid didn't like hearing me swear either. So I kept that language separate.

That's a long story in itself.

But people change. Our circumstances change, our vocabulary changes and sometimes the things we once avoided become part of our everyday language.

Even the words we use are personal. I don't use certain expressions, even if they're perfectly ordinary in another English-speaking household.

Language has history. It has culture. It has associations.

We don't all have to speak the same way.

And we don't all have to live the same way.

perhaps it's time to go offline

I've been thinking about stepping away from social media, perhaps even simplifying my online life considerably.

I've spent years blogging, writing, photographing, creating artwork and sharing observations about people, places and things.

I've enjoyed much of it. I've met people, learned things, documented history and created stories.

But somewhere along the way, being connected started to feel like another obligation.

Algorithms decide what we see. Advertising follows us. Data is collected. Our attention becomes a commodity.

And even conversations can become exhausting when we're constantly expected to explain, justify or defend our preferences.

I don't want to spend the rest of my life fighting for a little peace and quiet.

I don't want to argue about why I don't like advertisements.

I don't want to be lectured about why things are the way they are.

I don't want to have to explain why I sometimes just want to sit quietly and watch a movie.

Perhaps going offline isn't about rejecting the world.

Perhaps it's about finding a way to participate in it without allowing it to consume every available moment.

I still have things to say. I still have stories to tell. I still have art to make.

But I would also like to have a little life that doesn't need to be documented, monetized, advertised or explained.

Sometimes I just want to be.

And that should be enough.

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A question for readers:

When was the last time you did something purely for enjoyment without advertisements, notifications, interruptions or someone demanding your attention?

Do you think we've forgotten how to switch off?

GoingOffline

#DigitalOverload

#AdvertisingEverywhere

#MentalHealthMatters

#TakeBackYourTime

#FreedomOfChoice

#SocialMediaFatigue

#AttentionEconomy

#RightToSwitchOff

#FindingPeace