Some of you may already know that I’m extremely fond of CGP Grey and his informational YouTube videos. Well, last week, he posted a video that essentially summarizes what I’ve been trying to do with this blog series.
I want to emphasize that I don’t view this as a don’t-do-this-ever list. For those of us that are part of the tech-in-our-pockets generation, it is inevitable that we do or have been part of at least a few of these habits. If you’re anything like me, then being told one-sidedly “Don’t ever do this” feels annoying, narrow-minded, and unhelpful in the extreme.
So I’m sharing this not as instructions, but as a self-awareness session. Whether or not we follow the advice, I think it’s useful to know how these things affect us. For instance, I understand the value of a regular sleep schedule, and not sleeping right after staring at a screen; however, there are times when I’ve been writing all day and I’m on a roll, so I write until I have to sleep, and then wake up, grab coffee, and go straight back to the screen. In these cases, I understand the effect this might have on my psyche, but I also prioritize my writing.
I sent this video to a friend and he sent me back a frowny face: he felt like the video was highlighting everything he was doing wrong in life. So I want to emphasize that this should not make you feel bad. It doesn’t have to affect the way you live, if you don’t want it to. But I believe we should all know the effect our habits may have on our psyches, and the rest of our lives.