Smart People's Free Time: Consumption vs Growth Entertainment

When it comes to the free time of smart people, the activities they pursue often reflect their desire for both enjoyment and self-improvement. This article explores the difference between consumption and growth entertainment, highlighting the benefits and drawbacks of each, and offering practical advice on how to optimize one's leisure time.

Introduction to Consumption and Growth Entertainment

Smart people, like anyone else, need their leisure time to recharge and relax. However, how they spend that time can vastly differ. Some might opt for consumption entertainment, which spends time, energy, and money without bringing lasting benefits. Others might choose growth entertainment, which uses these resources effectively to enhance overall personal growth and development.

Understanding Consumption Entertainment

Consumption entertainment includes activities like online games, online dramas, short videos, celebrity gossip, and entertainment variety shows. These activities are designed to be addictive and immediately gratifying, but they offer little or no lasting benefit.

For example, a middle school student who spent five years playing online games to become the leader of the server did indeed gain a sense of achievement, but in reality, this is not a sustainable or fulfilling way to spend one's time. Just like the guy in Brave New World who reads as people and writes as animals, such entertainment can make life meaningless and unfulfilling.

Examples of Consumption Entertainment

Consider a scenario where a student spends hours daily playing online games and watching TikTok videos. Even if they accumulate a top score or watch numerous dramas, these activities do not significantly enhance their personal ability or provide any practical skills. It is akin to wasting time without gaining any meaningful returns.

One critical comment on a video stated, 'You play games with friends for an hour and watch TikTok for two hours. What do you get? You get nothing. Not only are you wasting your time, but you also gain no benefits from these activities.' Such consumption entertainment is essentially a negative growth activity that smart people should avoid.

Signs of Consumption Entertainment

When you find yourself engaging in activities that can be completed simultaneously with other tasks, such as scrolling through social media or watching videos while doing other stuff, you might be indulging in consumption entertainment. For instance, if you can play games on a long train ride or watch dramas while catching up on household chores, it’s likely a sign that your time is being wasted.

Understanding Growth Entertainment

Growth entertainment involves activities that not only consume time, energy, and resources but also provide substantial benefits that can enhance personal development. Examples of such activities include physical exercise, reading, and efficient use of the Internet.

Physical Exercise and Reading

Physical exercise and reading are self-explanatory and widely recognized as beneficial for health and knowledge acquisition. However, these activities can be challenging to incorporate into a busy schedule. For instance, finding time to read a lengthy novel or to hit the gym can be difficult, especially for individuals with demanding work or academic schedules.

Efficient Use of the Internet

However, it is the efficient use of the Internet that can yield the most significant benefits. Online courses, documentaries, and informative articles can provide valuable insights and new knowledge. The key to efficient internet use is to avoid content that is merely designed to be mindless.

Evaluating the Quality of Internet Content

Determining the quality of content on the internet can be subjective, but a practical standard is to look for content that provides a large volume of information. A 30-episode series, for example, will likely provide more meaningful content than a 3-episode series. These longer series require more attention and can be more informative, keeping the viewer engaged and offering substantial learning opportunities.

Identifying Brainpower-Consuming Content

When watching dramas, consider whether the plot can keep you hooked and engaged. A poorly crafted drama with a simple plot is more likely to be a mindless way to kill time. On the other hand, a well-written drama with complex relationships and intricate plots requires more attention and provides more meaningful entertainment. Games like GTA5 and Genshin Impact offer different levels of engagement and learning, similar to online novels versus classic literature.

Practical Tips for Efficient Internet Use

Here are some practical tips to make the most of your internet time:

Use search software and encyclopedias like Wikipedia or Google to learn new information quickly and accurately.

Be selective and focus on content that provides substantial value, such as informative articles, educational videos, and expert opinions.

Avoid multitasking with consumption entertainment; instead, engage fully in growth activities.

Conclusion

Ultimately, smart people should prioritize growth entertainment over consumption entertainment. By doing so, they can maximize their leisure time and simultaneously enhance their personal growth. It is crucial to recognize the difference between activities that provide mindless entertainment and those that offer substantial value and meaningful learning experiences.

Keywords

smart people, free time, consumption entertainment, growth entertainment