I've blogged about solitude before. It's become a quotidian part of my existence. I've come to terms with the idea that spending an evening alone on a Saturday night is not always a bad thing. In fact at times it gives me a sense of peace. I rather feel that kind of comfort than the crestfallen experiences that I've had in the past, simply because I felt I had to be social to feel content. However, tonight is the exception to the rule---my nerdy girl rule that is. I had planned my Saturday evening focusing on writing my novel. I also planned on finishing up the last chapters of a fictional novel that I am reading. However, both tasks took a back seat to YouTube tonight.
Have you ever found yourself watching a video on YouTube that led to a cascade of several other associative videos and you look up at your clock and noticed you've been streaming videos over the internet for the last 4 hours?
If I am the only one alone here, than perhaps I need to take a detailed assessment of the way I spend time with myself. Or perhaps its not me, but its the habit-forming content of it all. One video leads to a second video, which later leads to a third video, and then you decide to run a search for a fourth video, which led to an embedded comment about a fifth video, and next thing you know your eyes have dried up a little from staring at your computer screen non-stop for several hours.
Why is YouTube so damned addictive?
I remember a few years ago, during the 2008 election year, I had a mild case of insomnia. I turned on my trusty laptop to help induce slumber by streaming content on YouTube. I started by watching the Democratic primary debates and saw Barack and Hilary go head-to-head on their political discourse. This video led me to a video about the Republican primaries and I saw the same videos featuring a more conservative Mitt Romney contend with John McCain. That video led me to a video about Ann Coulter being "owned" on some network news show. That video led me to yet another video about Bill O'Reilly's opinion about the Kennedy administration. Finally that video led me to a video about the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
Next thing I know, I'm watching videos about John F Kennedy conspiracy theories and Marylin Monroe murder conspiracies theories.
How the hell did I get here?
This is what I refer to as the YouTube Effect.
It's easy to succumb to the YouTube Effect, and anyone is vulnerable to its results. It may impact you in a less dramatic way than it has for me, but I can almost guarantee that anyone who has ever watched a video on YouTube has fallen into a weaved world of video links and images and found themselves incredulously questioning where they began in the first place. It's almost like a mind game.
Damn you YouTube for sabotaging a night of productivity for me.
There's always tomorrow.
:::Sigh:::
