Addiction To Entertainment.

[West]

Hello!

Goal of this post: Share a case about addiction to entertainment such as Youtube-videos, podcasts, movies, series and video games, and try to find ways to personally overcome it.

My backstory:

Age and gender: 21, male

Interests: Astronomy, physics, meditation, music \m/, reading manga

I started playing video games when I was like 4. I started playing Runescape around age 10; probably the game that has taken the most of my time. I've always had a passion for studying nature (especially outer space), but I didn't focus much on it because the games kept me occupied. Bought my own gamer PC at age 14 after having watched my brother play on his own for years. This allowed me to play the latest first-person-shooters, and without time limits.

I played a lot through high school. I also got into watching Youtube, series and anime. Some of those shows have hundreds of episodes; you just never run out of things to watch. I got good grades because of an inner ambition behind all the crap, but I never had something like a purpose to focus the ambition towards. After high school I was enrolled in the military, so I was forced to stop playing games and I also stopped watching Youtube and series. This was a good detox. After the military I thought I was rid of my addictions, but they came back very soon during the summer. Last fall I started studying physics at uni, and after a 'mid-life'-crisis before the exams I went through Leo's life purpose course and found that my life purpose was astrophysics. I thought I was all set after I found out what I love to do, but the craving for entertainment has crept back several times since.

(End of backstory)

Almost every weekend this semester I have found myself resisting studying, while having intense cravings for entertainment. I didn't think much about it until I realized a couple of weeks ago that this isn't how it's supposed to be. I want a simple and happy life. My general mission in life is to increase my base level of happiness and peace of mind, and I know in my head what the most effective ways are to accomplish this.

• Meditate and pursue truth.
• Take massive action towards my life purpose.
• Live according to my values.

The only problem is that oftentimes I don't do it. Especially during the holidays when the pressure is low, I waste my time on entertainment. 

Suggestions on how to overcome addiction to entertainment:

My suggestions are focused on creating a positive force towards your life purpose, not just to create a vacuum by only removing the addiction.

• Meditate and do self-inquiry.
• Write out a sheet with your top values, your purpose in life and your top goals of the year. Read it every day, after you wake up and before you go to bed.
• Choose your top role models and visualize what they would do in your place. Would they be watching the latest funny Youtube-clips, or would they be too busy taking action?
• Surround yourself with the right people, find a community that want to grow themselves. This forum is excellent for this.

As for meditation experience, I have meditated at minimum 10 minutes a day on most days for the past 2 years or so. Around 1 year ago I began non-duality inquiry. What I'm trying now is to participate in this forum and meditate more. 10 minutes of meditation a day is very little; I will bump it up to 60 minutes starting tomorrow.

Some insights and behavioral patterns

• Meditation is by far the most effective way to increase the base level of happiness.
• The happiest periods of my life have been when I meditated the most and focused on my work.
• Entertainment creates a momentary high of happiness, but leaves your base level of happiness lower than it was before.
• On days that are focused on work I meditate more. This may be because of the lower stimulus and focus that is required for studying. I need more rest. These days are the days when I feel most fulfilled, at peace and alive.
• Despite experiencing a high base level of happiness and knowing the points above logically, I have still repeatedly been lured in by entertainment. This often snowballs into a binge session that leaves me feeling like utter shit when it ends.
• When the cravings are at their very strongest, I actually don't want to quit my addiction. All I want is the next fix. I have yet to find a good way to get out of this state once I'm in it without relapsing.

I had a relapse yesterday and played a video game because I had huge resistance towards studying. In fact, this past week (Easter break) has been a big relapse. Earlier today I put a timer for 10 minutes and forced myself to sit down and study some electromagnetism. It was fun, and it felt great! I felt interested and alive after that short study session. It's just so fucking weird that I can feel so much resistance towards something I love so much. I want to structure my life so that I actually do my work every day, no matter what it takes.

 

PS: For other people who need help quitting video games, you can visit the Game Quitters forum (and check out Cam's videos):

http://forum.gamequitters.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTbbu5C5sq9VStQD2gvIN_g

[philosogi]

You can do it!!

Most people have some sort of addiction (shopping, eating, caffeine, drinking, complaining, etc.....). You're on your way to overcoming it because you're aware of it. It's not easy; don't expect it to be easy. It doesn't seem like you've really committed though. Remember, the only person you're accountable to is yourself. You're only bargaining with yourself. 

Some ideas are coming to me:

• I find one way to avoid binge-watching shows is to just not starting to watch a series in the first place.
• Another way is to become poor so that you are forced to use your wits to live. 
• Choose to live a basic lifestyle without luxuries such as a gaming computer. Give your gaming computer to a less fortunate person (like a kid really interested in coding but who can't practice due to lack of equipment). Use a basic computer that can run the programs you need for school but is really laggy (sorry) for video games.