overwhelmed trying to keep up with culture

do you ever feel this way? i feel this way constantly. i'm drowning in hundreds of games, thousands of movies and tv shows. there are too many classics, too many must-plays and must-sees and i'm dumping so much money into things i'll probably never get to and i just can't keep up. social media is also contributing to this feeling. i don't do twitter and facebook is dead to me and i just don't understand why this is what ppl care about now.

i like all these things but at the end of the day, they aren't that fulfilling and make me feel rather empty. idk, i'm just in that kinda mood today...

I feel the same way as you. You're not alone. I wouldn't say "culture' but I would say basically the internet and stimulus from computers.

I recommend stepping away. Try doing it more and more. Personally I do this like say I won't look at my phone or go out without my phone at all for a while and it's a nice break. The constant connections we have now are distractions and aren't always positive. I understand the feeling. These days I notice I am so used to multitasking I also become addicted in a way to having something to look at or listen to. I hate feeling like I'm wasting any time.

If you know something in your routine is wrong then make a change. That's my advice. Even a little bit of time away is a good start. Try a new hobby (something outside or physical) or do something you've always wanted. I personally like to workout or do something outside. I know I play basketball with a lot of my time away. I also make an effort to step away from distractions when I need to be productive because I know how I can get sidetracked.

I know what you mean, but I truly love having so many options for entertainment. And if anything, you can always step away and go outside.

@artisanbreads: cool man, thanks for the non-internet answer. nice to read something level headed, non-combative, positive...something you said...multitasking...man that feeling is terrible.

I largely never know what's going on outside of gaming so am usually pleasantly surprised when a big movie comes out of nowhere and I get to enjoy it, the same with TV shows. The only thing that really makes me feel out of touch with culture is the fact I haven't had a phone since 2003, and even then I never used it so when I saw people texting at ridiculous speeds I felt like I was out of the loop. Now the same is happening on touch devices, people seem to be so fast at typing on that little keyboard, what with their clickity-click sound effects and the rest of it. I'm hoping the same happens with touch phones as what happened with clickity phones so I'm not so far behind the curve, HAHA. Rapscallions I tell you.

The thing that does bother me is when people casually bring up current news like everyone already knows about it, when in reality it was only seemingly big in the very small circle they are surrounded by either on Twitter or Facebook or Reddit or NeoGAF or YouTube or Tumblr or MySpace or Grinder or Tinder or OKCupid or Hot-or-Not or FaceParty. I only know what is happening amongst the people I subscribe to on YouTube and they are all Japanese girls who play old games so please, provide some background and context to whatever is setting your little world on fire instead of assuming everyone already knows the score.

Have you ever thought that culture is just a way to study humanity; like a scientific experiment that's been going on for millennia?

any more and easier access to great content is a great thing.

but you have to sit back and relize wont be able to see it all and just enjoy the ride

So... you don't even have a plain ol' telephone that you just plug into the wall?

I don't really keep up with culture. I wasn't even that concerned with it growing up. Actually, I'm probably a little more interested in it now than I was when I was fifteen. Weird, huh? Still, extremely popular stuff that basically everyone is supposed to have heard of passes me by, especially music. I wish I had a nickel for every time someone said "you haven't heard that song?" or "you haven't heard of *insert artist name*?".

I'm not necessarily interested in a lot of obscure stuff, really, it's more like the genres or mediums I'm interested in aren't really that popular in the grand scheme of things. Back to music, I mostly listen to metal - Death, In Flames, Opeth, I've been looking into Converge recently, and so on and so forth. Once you're into that sort of thing, those bands are pretty much on top of the pile, but death metal and... OK, Converge is metalcore, but not really the metalcore that these kids with their gauges and their Devil Wears Prada t-shirts listen to. Anyway, back to my point, I'm not exhausted with pop culture, it's more like I look at it and it changes all the time and keeping up with it would take more time and energy than it's worth. I just like the things I like, whether it was just released or released fifty years ago.

Video games are the exception to this rule - being a frequenter of a video game forum, I tend to have a pretty good idea of what's going on and when it's going on. Also, I tend to dabble in a little bit of everything, so I don't actually finish most of the things I buy.

@believer258 said:

I do, but the only people who phone it are telemarketers so I never answer it.

If you never answer it, then how do you know that the only people who call it are telemarketers?

@believer258: I can tell by the types of numbers they call from, they are business numbers.

In terms of available information from the mid 90s to now is like going from the soup kitchen to an all you can eat buffet, you gotta learn to pick and choose.

Take a break from the internet rat race, don't spend all your non-working time there. Remember, if you have a half decent job, your limiting resource has become time, not money.

Too much stuff out there to be entertained by, and most of it I inherently don't care about since I'm not really into mainstream media. I just stick to playing some games, some people that I follow on YouTube, and maybe watch a new anime show once every other year.

The hard fact is that you cannot keep up with all of it. Not even a fraction of it, even. It bothers me a whole lot as well, the realisation I will never be able to experience everything I want to experience before my life is over.

Because I'm indecisive by nature the opulence of choice also has a paralysing effect on me.

I had a similar realization a while back, after I kept hearing about all of these "must-play, amazing, cannot-miss" games, TV shows, and movies that come out faster than anyone can keep up. Social media and podcasts both really contributed to that, and I've learned to stay a little more even-keeled when faced with new-release hype after being burned a few times on things that I really didn't think lived up to the praise. If something is even remotely good, it's suddenly "the best thing ever," until next week's game/movie/show is the real best thing ever, and so on.

I basically don't keep up with current TV or movies at all anymore, and I only play games that I'm reasonably certain that I'm interested in. I'm done with dropping $60 on "well, I might be into this, I'm not sure, but there's lots of hype" game releases, too. There's always the chance that I'll miss out on something that I would've enjoyed, but who cares? That's life.

@liquiddragon: Yeah I gave up trying to keep up with everything. I check this site now and then to see if there's buzz about a game, otherwise I'd have no idea what's out there. Mad Max is the last in theatre movie I've watched, I think I watch maybe 3 movies a year in theatre, pretty much only the biggest and best movies will get me into a seat. I like facebook for the certain media posters on there, sometimes use it for seeing what friends are doing. Twitter is a garbage hole of information, so much negativity spews out of there, people using it as a soapbox so they can satisfy their narcissism. The only time I go on it is if I see something funny referred by a forum or something.

My solution is to only use the internet if I have absolutely nothing else to do, but I've intentionally filled my life with hobbies and activities that will get me outside. People make fun because I'm just now getting into riding motorcycles but it is honestly the best remedy for this malaise that the internet creates. Nothing is more freeing than hopping on a motorcycle, picking a random destination and taking the most roundabout way of getting there. There's nothing that can bother you because you have to stay focused on what you're doing. Other than that I've joined a few bands so I can play my trumpet and sometimes go to meetups about different subjects I'm interested in. All these things are great for shaking off that feeling you get when you spend too much time on the internet.

TLDR: I would recommend you pick up your local newspaper find a local event you think you might enjoy and just get outside, the sunshine alone will be a nice change.

@cale: Not having a mobile phone for that period of time sounds freeing in a way, as someone who texts fairly regularly with people I still have this weird thing of sometimes hating it. I realize it can be faster then calling someone up but when I look around and see everything looking down, tip-tapping away on their little devices and barely acknowledging the world in front of them or the people inhabit it, it feels weird cause sometimes I'm guilty of it as well and it all just feels like a huge waste of time. For all the cool things these smart phones do, I feel they come with just as many pitfalls. I also don't know how common it is but I also get group chat text messages regularly from people I've never fucking met. The last week I've had three people talk over a dispute about some kind of neighborhood argument over who owns "really" owns some dock at a marina near my house. Long story short, I kinda sorta hate smart phones I guess?

I also generally don't keep up with most pop culture, I don't really watch TV and what I do watch I wait for netflix/hulu or some other kind of streaming service to get it. Fury Road was the first movie I went and saw at the theaters in about five years and mostly use said streaming services to watch stuff that interests me. For music I mostly find what I like by what seems to be pure happenstance and go through cycles of genres based on mood. Some bands like Dog Fashion Disco remain constants in terms of being regular listens but I've been listening to DFD since I was 13 when I was listening to metal almost exclusively but they managed to have staying power with me.

Games are really the only thing I've stayed on top of but since it's the way I like to spend the bulk of my free time, I guess that's not surprising. I have gotten out of the habit of trying to stay current with the hottest latest though. Sure, it sucks to not be apart of that week one conversation but I noticed that when I tried to stay current I would get swamped with stuff and not beat a lot of games which bothered me more. Now it's mostly just buying the stuff day one that I know I really, really want like Fallout 4 and waiting on other stuff when it's a bit cheaper or I've cleared out a gut of games. You can't play everything that you want of course but trying to keep current made me pass over gems like Nier I had sitting in my cabinet for years and now it's one of my favorite games in recent memory.

At the end of the day though, maybe you just need a break and step back from some of this stuff. Try out a different hobby or watch/play/read the stuff you do have that you haven't experienced yet and know that it's okay to not keep up with everything. We have such a small amount of time on this earth that fretting about not experiencing everything is an exercise in futility and can drive you mad. Try to slow down and breathe and just realize why your into this stuff anyway, to have fun/relax and know that it's okay if you don't see, hear, or read everything. Cause nobody can. Maybe try going on walks or just being outside too, I've started walking my dog in the evenings around the neighborhood and find the break from any electronic stimuli has already done me some good. I also immediately felt better in general when I cut social media out of my life, getting rid of Facebook and staying away from it did wonders for me. Facebook only amplified that trying to keep up and always wanting to see "what's up" feeling.

Trying to absorb everything all at once is fighting a losing battle, we've all been there. You don't have to be a part of every "zeitgeist" out there despite what hyperbolic social media and message boards would have you believe.

Pick your battles, place value on your free time and get picky about how you spend it, it makes your choices more meaningful. You enjoy all these things but which are your favorites? What are you most curious about? I try to check myself often, am I actually having fun or am I just slogging through this for the sake of being in the know? Don't get me wrong, following a hot new release with your fellow audience can be fun in itself, but overdoing it can wear on you and lend to that feeling of emptiness you described.

A lot of people get stressed out about playing or watching something just to have a say, and then all they do with that is use it to bicker on forums while spending even more time and energy getting angry. In the end entertainment is about enjoying yourself, and while we can gain perspective on many different things through these experiences, there are also plenty of other ways toward personal enrichment.

It's all in the attitudes people have about it. If it's all "how do you not know about X?!" then it becomes such a bummer. It should be more like this:

Sometimes it feels like everybody else has more time than I do. Finding time to exercise, find a new career, attend family obligations and enjoy the things I actually like doing is simply impossible to do in a balanced way.

Even though I don't really like movies, TV or books I can't even keep up with games and they're my biggest interest. Even if you tried conquering just one you never could, so don't feel bad.

@liquiddragon: I think part of your problem comes from lack of critical thinking. You should try to keep up with the areas of culture and objects you like, not everything. Narrow down your preferences, and work from what you really like and want to things that are less interesting to you, and go at a sensible pace, with your sanity and well being in mind. And don't be obsessive about it. Go naturally. Otherwise you will just feel overwhelmed, as in the world a million or so new products of entertainment are released everyday.

For me it is quite simple. There are not a lot areas I like in culture. So it's easy to keep up. And when I hear a thing for the first time I try at least to accept it naturally.

Advertising fuels word of mouth which fuels advertising which fuels word of mouth which fuels advertising.

Quit giving a shit m8.

I've grown to like the meta-level of critical discourse surrounding my interests. Call it Stockholm syndrome but I can't even imagine playing games, watching tv series and films or reading books without also following the reception. Talking about it with friends or on the internet, reading or watching reviews, interpretations and all that.

It enhances the experience for me. And it automatically filters the content for me.

That's just one of the wonders of getting old. I'm always amazed that the giant bomb crew have managed to stay up on the latest in thing while most people in their age brackets would just look puzzled when you mention so and so. I know when I was told my Hawaiian dragon Ball shirt was no longer a thing I sorta flipped.

I dismiss stuff pretty easily and even then my to-watch, to-listen, to-play lists don't stop growing.

It's a waking nightmare!

The stages of getting older: learning what is there, trying to keep up, acceptance that this is not possible

You will never know, let alone understand, all the art and culture that exists on the planet. You will never know every person who lives or lived on the planet and you will not understand them. There will always be something and someone somewhere that you do not know and cannot know. There will be dialogues you will be incapable of contributing to and more that you are oblivious to. There will exist all this and more after you die and you will know and understand none of it.

I was expecting a thread about culture, not about there being too many games or films.

As someone who loves reading about and experiencing foreign cultures, yes I get overwhelmed, and it's kind of the point. It's great.

I don't do shit and i feel like i have no time for anything. It also gets annoying when people tell me to watch something i haven't and it goes on this huge list of stuff that i'll probably never get around to. Also makes me feel inadequate as fuck.

Maybe too much of an aside but i wish those couple of people at work woukd quit asking me about witcher 3 as i shamefully havent gone back to it for a few weeks now.

At least when humanity crumbles people will finally stop making shit and there'll be a chance to catch up.

I try to keep up with stuff within specific themes, and only try to have the most general sense of other stuff. There is and has always been way too much stuff to try to keep up with everything. It's not like it's a new phenomenon either, the only difference now from 150 years ago is that it's easier to have some amount of understanding of the scope of all the stuff we don't know.

Plus the tools have improved and things take way less time to be made, and there is more diversity to entertainment.

I tried keeping up with the world in my teens but gave up by the time I hit 25. Now almost 30 I just don't care as much anymore. =) What's the expression...I'm trying to be in the world but not of it? Yeah I think that is it. Hurrah for being a hermit crab!

I know what you mean, not to sound like a dick but I used to bee like that, then I got a Job. Seriously, finding a productive activity you are passionate about alleviate that feeling.

Then you'll enjoy entertainment as entertainment, not as a burden. I think about it as sex, it is awesome right? now imagine you have to be doing it 24/7... yikes, it becomes a torture, now you hate it.

balance is cool

I only pay attention to games mostly, and occasionally dabble in what's going on with cartoons and anime. Don't care about movies, most TV shows, music, what necklace one of the Kardashians was wearing, what rapper a is saying about rapper b... etc. So... as far as the entertainment culture goes I'm not really overwhelmed. Actually, at times, it feels the opposite, where I'm not getting enough.

I agree with the "go outside" option in the sense that if you feel overwhelmed, you should just take a step back for a bit and focus on something else.

I mean, it's still a thing.

Learning to let go, give something new a shot, knowing what you like and, most importantly, "outsourcing" your cultural feelers is something you get a feeling for as time goes on.

For instance, I discovered that I don't really care that much for fantasy settings outside of games; listening to Spotify Radio is an ok way to discover music; Alex has a similar taste in movies and music; Drew has an interest in historical stuff that I can (sometimes) get behind; I like the way Austin thinks about things and that makes me curious about the stuff he talks about; Brad and Jason share my taste in games. And so on.

And most of all: it's fine to be a spectator sometimes. You don't have to join in all the time. Just hang back, grab some popcorn and enjoy the scene that is playing out in front of you. Just be sure to chase those pesky kids off your lawn when you've had enough.

What I've found is that you'll find out about the important stuff to you and remember it whilst forgetting all the little things that seem largely irrelevant to your personal interests. You can't know it all because there is a lot of knowledge which you could potentially learn but only a very tiny section of that is likely to match with your interests.