A Steady Diet of Potato Chips

My wife and I had one of those discussions yesterday. (We really need to get back on the podcasting trail.) She revealed, not for the first time, that she was concerned about my daily internet intake. She made some good points. Many of the podcasts I listen to are labeled “Explicit” and earn every inch of that tag. I also read a lot of blogs and websites on a daily basis, the largest part of which aren’t exactly edifying spiritually, intellectually, or otherwise. To put it mildly I am constantly filling my brain with the mental equivalent of Pringles. That needs to change.

So with that in mind I need to set some guidelines for myself. I’m not going on a podcast/internet famine. I think that would be fatal at this point. It will be more of a fast, cutting back to what I consider the bare necessities. The podcasts and websites that get pruned may not be gone forever. Like any fast, at the end I plan on getting back to having some “fun foods” in the stream. There will be ones that don’t get added back though.

The purpose of the fast is to get perspective and find out what content has been toxic. There are podcasts that I listen to whose content I might have found shocking or disturbing to the point where I wouldn’t have stayed subscribed to them if I had happened on them months or years ago. The hard part will be that these podcasts will likely include people I am big fans of or whose content I enjoy on some level.

Of course the fun thing will be finding more content that is thought provoking, positive, and healthy. Hopefully those of you that know me realize that the above doesn’t just mean stuff that I agree with. I think a certain amount of disagreement is healthy.

So in light of this I’d like your feedback on what things you won’t listen to/read, in general, and why. I’d also like to here about what you do listen to that you consider to be good roughage and full of vitamins.

  • One last thing, I am also trying to shift my focus from being a consumer into being a producer. In others words, I am looking at what I can give or what I can be instead of looking at what I can take or what I can do.
    For example, I enjoy games. I tell people that I enjoy board games and RPGs. A guy at the church I attend has actually made two board games and gone to GenCon and other Cons. He wants to collaborate, but really just needs support. So instead of reading every single blog that is part of the RPG Bloggers network and keeping up with every thread on BGDF, I focus on those that are useful to his game ideas.
    I have my own ideas, but I prefer a game system called Microlite20. M20 really only has one source, but most of what I do is invent new settings.
    Those two things alone severly limit what I can keep up with - RSS feeds from a handful of sites and one forum. On slow days, I can listen to a podcast, but most of them talk about things I am not interested in (like 4e D&D;, Wargames, miniatures). If I could, I would Twitter and Facebook certain folks and keep up with them.
    For another example, I want to give my kids good devotionals on Tuesday nights. We have a children's Bible, but I have so much bad theology in my head, it is almost impossible to create want I would consider a healthy devotional. AFter searching a few children's sites, I settled on using a lectionary. Why? it provides worship helps that I can use for my wife and I. Plus, she can take those ideas and do something creative for the kids. Added on new RSS feed, got what I wanted to give.
    Sermons over. Hope that helps.
  • Anonymous
    @ Pink - Yeah I could stand to use a similar set of rules. Fox makes my pressure rise (as does most network/non-local news).
    "If it separates me from my wife or children, it is gone. If it makes me really angry, it is gone."
    Good rule of thumb.
  • Anonymous
    @ Rock - Thanks for the link!
  • Scott
    @Hereticfred - Yeah the amount of time is also an issue. And what you're saying about your daughter and what she should be allowed to see vs what you're allowing yourself to see makes a certain amount of sense depending on how old your daughter is and what the content is. I could see certain things being okay for one and not the other and other things being no good for either. Like you say, constant evaluation is good.
  • Scott
    @ Sid I don't think that's a cop out at all. The amount of violence or sexuality that offends is very subjective. I find what sets you off interesting. For me it's more about the gratuity I think.
  • YMMV, just telling you what my filter is.
    I have friends that point out the graphic violence in the Bible. Judges 4:17-21, for example. What I tell them is that real life is violent, so I do myself no favors by hiding in a cave somewhere and piping in sunshine.
    Still, for me personally, there are things I've learned that are not good for me because of the effect on me and those around me.
    1. Cannot listen to So Long by Everlast from the End of Days soundtrack. Guaranteed. Foul. Mood.
    2. Cannot watch horror films as I never forget an image that I've seen.
    3. Cannot see, even in cartoon form, images of children being hurt. For some reason, I imagine my own children being hurt. (Weird.)
    4. Cannot watch cable news programs. It makes me angry to see so-called major networks distort facts and continuing report on stories that are *not* news. Then I end up angry the rest of the day.
    5. Should listen to small doses of "positive, encouraging K-Love". The cynic in me groans, but after a few songs, I'm really ok.
    6. Should read websites like the one Rock posted. It fills my noggin with interesting things instead of OMG! Her and the CHIMP did WHUT?!?!?
    7. Certain content (I'm at work) can create issues between me and my wife unless we read it together.
    There's more, but I hope you get the idea. The impact of certain media (TV, Radio, Video, Interwebs, etc.) determines the filter. If it separates me from my wife or children, it is gone. If it makes me really angry, it is gone.
    Hope that helps.
  • Rock

    http://www.aldaily.com/


    This is a site with many interesting articles.

  • I had a similar talk with my Mrs. She was more concerned with the time spent on podcasts/ internet, than content. I did have one of my daughters asked me why I had a few expicit tags on my podcast lists. That is where conviction and evaluation comes in. Trying to explain to your daughter why it's ok for me and not for her. And in reality, it probably wasn't so good for me.
    While, I don't believe in a clostered, sanitary life is what we are called to. I do believe that a constant evalutation and accountability is needed when consider what we take in.
    Hope God shows you what you need to discover.
    AM
  • This is a bit of a cop-out: it's tough to say but like porn I know it when I see it. Everyone has their own tolerance levels for such things I suppose. For me, the severity is definitely tied to the realism and not the gratuity of the violence. The less real it is, the more difficult it is for me to identify.
  • Scott
    Oh you know I'll be talking about it Sid. Interesting insight on you and violence. What do you consider excessive?
  • That sounds like an interesting project, Scott. Keep us informed on how it goes.
    In general, I won't consume anything with a lot of graphic violence because it's not healthy for me. It's unhealthy for me for a different reason most people expect. It doesn't make me more violent or even desensitize me to violence. Quite the opposite, actually. I identify too strongly with the victims. Too much exposure to violence damages my sense of well-being and creates a general sense of insecurity.
  • Scott

    Thanks Paulette! Welcome to the blog. I appreciate your feedback and it's definitely a personal decision. Which Paulette might you be?


    Thanks John. I'd be interested in knowing who you cut. You can email me (if you even want to say) if you want to keep it private. If not that's cool.

  • Scott,


    I did a similar thing about 6 months ago. I cut 2 podcasts in particular that I felt weren't helping my walk. I even stopped following the podcasters on Twitter. While I do miss the content on occasion, I can certainly say that my walk has improved since I stopped feeding on so much "junk food".

  • Paulette

    Interesting dilemma. I have friends who won't listen to "worldly" music anymore yet I alternate between the local Christian station and M.I.A. (my current fave) or Jack-FM depending on my mood. And I was fine with Harry Potter, but my mom the minister wanted me to toss the books. I tend to draw the line at gratuitous worldliness, such as swearing just to swear and not because it's developing a character or otherwise necessary to the book/movie/song. I forced myself to give up Eminem because of his content, though --not being a hip hop person really--I think he's a brilliant lyricist. That was definitelya an "ouch" moment. Everything else, I just try to feel how it hits my spirit. I think different Christians have different tolerances. What's going to be a roadblock in my Christian walk is not going to necessarily be a roadblock in your Christian walk. I also think that in many ways, we're not stepping up as Christians and providing enough engaging content. I love any sermon that gets me closer to "the glory of God" but I don't want to be preached at every time I watch TV or listen to the radio or read a book. And, as a literary writer, I certainly don't want to read a Christian book, no matter how edifying, if it's poorly written.

  • I had a similar talk with my Mrs. She was more concerned with the time spent on podcasts/ internet, than content. I did have one of my daughters asked me why I had a few expicit tags on my podcast lists. That is where conviction and evaluation comes in. Trying to explain to your daughter why it's ok for me and not for her. And in reality, it probably wasn't so good for me.

    While, I don't believe in a clostered, sanitary life is what we are called to. I do believe that a constant evalutation and accountability is needed when consider what we take in.


    Hope God shows you what you need to discover.


    AM

blog comments powered by Disqus
«
»