Three Rules For Consuming Media
I was overwhelmed with the number of movies, TV shows, internet videos, and video games there are available to consume. These rules helped.
Rule #1 If it’s not supposed to be good, then don’t consume it.
If you’re wondering, “should I watch the new netflix series that is rated 49/100 on metacritic?”
Then the answer is no. You wouldn’t go to the two star restaurant when there are better options so why would you make the equivalent of that bad decision with media?
It’s as simple as that. Sure you’re putting a lot of faith in reviews but you put your faith in reviews elsewhere (Yelp, Goodreads, AirBnB etc…), so why shouldn’t you trust the reviews of and have high standards for the thing you do for likely 4+ hours a week?
Find out where your bar of quality is (it should at least be over 50 on metacritic, or choose IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes and set the bar there, whatever you prefer) and then stick to it. The higher the bar the better off you’ll be.
Rule #2 If it’s supposed to be great, but is not within your usual interests, then give it a try.
If you find yourself watching an objectively bad marvel movie because musicals “aren’t your thing” then get over yourself and just watch Hamilton, already! You’ll be better off having made that decision.
By consuming excellent content in a variety of genres you are on track to becoming a more well rounded person, plus you’ll have avoided wasting two hours of your life.
Rule #3 If it makes you laugh, it’s worth it.
Finally, don’t deprive yourself of something that makes you laugh just because it’s not motivating you to make a startup or whatever.
Laughter is good for you. I’ve watched Curb Your Enthusiasm like three times all the way through and I will never regret that.
Also, watch Derry Girls, it’s great.
