Mr. Tinkles at a press conference, in an attempt for world domination. | (Movies Anywhere 2001)
If you think you waste your time when you could be doing something constructive – You are not alone. Scrolling down cute animal-related posts and other memes. Celebrity gossip, Instagram, and other social channels are time vacuums. We have an apparent inclination to repeatedly act in habitual ways. The decisions we take in moments of vulnerability, like during boredom and/or tiredness, become habits. Any feel-good activity can become addictive, easily directing you away from important tasks and relentlessly consuming your time.
Noticed all the cute content circulating the internet? With millions of videos on YouTube, animal video clips are a big thing. From puppy to baby panda alternatives the internet is a ceaseless source of videotaped baby animals doing their thing. It’s a popular break. Watching cute baby animals now and then, if not daily. “Have a Break, Watch a Kitty Kat”
The danger is when wasting time becomes normal.
Quoting Stephen Guise, “I’m pretty sure I started off playing music videos for background music. But according to internet law, given enough time, any self-respecting Youtuber will find cats. That’s because cats are like the internet’s baby – it’s always trying to introduce you to them.”[1] As an internet phenomenon, cats seem to be winning. Cat-related online media[2] has become a pop culture phenomenon,[3] with internet cat personalities like Nala Cat and Henri, Le Chat Noir.[4] So, when faced with a difficult task, distraction becomes easier.[5] Cat/kitten videos then become one of the best options for procrastination. Subsequently, making it increasingly challenging to take tough tasks forward.[6] “The mind likes to wander when it encounters resistance.” Using dopamine, the reward system of our brain is pretty glad when we see pink piglets being cute or billies jumping around. The reward from that video, though, is limited to the time spent viewing it. Compare this to an activity like completing an important project, which carries a lifelong reward of satisfaction.[7]
There’s a big difference between the two.
Things like developing a strong capacity for concentration, solving mathematical problems on a regular basis, and/or staying up to date in your respective industry do not come easy. However, the long term, feel-good rewards are then truly beneficial and worth our time.
You can imagine that the most viewed video on YouTube as of February 2021 is Baby Shark Dance by Pinkfong with 7.91 billion views.[8] No jokes, it’s really catchy. “Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo, Baby shark.” Kids love it, and adults too. Coming back to cats, though dogs are man’s best friend, cats seem to have taken over the internet by a far reach. At least it feels like it. Like Mr. Tinkles from Cats & Dogs (2001) trying to conquer the world. He was quite diabolical. Or, imagine a meme of Mr. Tinkles as Dark Vader with a red lightsaber and black helmet/mask and robes from Star Wars. In fact, we like silly things.
Wasting time is a sensitive topic. Because it carries with it such a strong sense of pleasure and guilt. We catch ourselves spending a lot of time on our mobile phones, when we could be using our time spent for wall sits or connecting with a family member. Yet, we choose to watch a funny duck video five times.
The danger is when wasting time becomes normal.[9]
Technology is addictive. Technology is meant to be addictive. And in a society that is “mobile dependent”, it’s hard to regulate our screen time[10] Ultimately, our phones’ constant connection to the internet, and our constant connection to our phones[11] – Results in us losing out on positive connections.
From a slurry of fail videos to popular cat memes, we have an outstanding capacity to waste time.[12] We get sucked down rabbit holes, effortlessly. Time management is “a combination of what should be common sense but often isn’t”. Quoting A.W. Tozer, “Time has no resurrection”. I think we walk past the point, that time is a resource. Now, finish watching the really cute “Kiss your pet on the head and see their reaction” TikTok challenge, and focus on taking a tough task forward.
References
[1] Guise, Stephen. n.d. “Why We Watch Cat Videos On Youtube (And How They Can Help Us Focus).” Stephen Guise. https://stephenguise.com/why-we-watch-cat-videos-on-youtube/.
[2] Indiana University. 2015. “Not-so-guilty pleasure: Viewing cat videos boosts energy, positive emotions.” ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150616093357.htm.
[3] "Ibid."
[4] "Ibid."
[5] "Ibid." [1]
[6] "Ibid." [2]
[7] "Ibid." [1]
[8] Tankovska, H. 2021. “Most popular YouTube videos based on total global views as of February 2021.” Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/249396/top-youtube-videos-views/.
[9] Culver, Hugh. n.d. “13 shocking facts about how we waste time.” HughCulver. http://hughculver.com/13-shocking-facts-about-how-we-waste-time/.
[10] Whillans, Ashley. 2018. “Spending too much time on your phone? Behavioral science has an app for that.” The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/spending-too-much-time-on-your-phone-behavioral-science-has-an-app-for-that-105025.
[11] "Ibid."
Image
Movies Anywhere. 2001. “Cats & Dogs.” https://moviesanywhere.com/movie/cats-dogs.
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