Shun reality TV but binge on news? Don’t be fooled

It’s quite possible to get addicted to stuff that seems edifying and intellectual, as well as to brainless nonsense

Throughout history, people who like to think of themselves as high-minded have sneered at the masses, frittering their days away on “mindless entertainment”. The definition of “mindless” keeps changing: not so long ago, novels were considered a frivolous indulgence; then broadcasting took their place, and novel-reading became something that high-minded people did. For years, I told myself I wasn’t like the Average Person who watched four hours of TV a day (my average must be more like 15 minutes), because I was doing something much more brainy: surfing the internet. Recently, largely thanks to social media, it’s become impossible to ignore the fact that this is often mindless, too. So now, on my more self-disciplined days, I stay off social media, and feel slightly superior about it. And what do I do instead, since I’m far too smart to waste my life on rubbish. Now, I listen to podcasts.

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