Screen addiction

[MrFigg]

I know this gets talked about a lot in the media and well everywhere else but I’m starting to feel a decline in my physical and mental wellbeing due to excess screentime and need to do something about it. Basically...I’m on my telephone the whole time. The dopamine kick when a like appears on Instagram for a song I’ve put out. Or the constant checking of threads I’ve replied to in ReasonTalk to see if there’s been any developments. Looking in the Propellerheads shop to see if there’s any new releases or deals. Seriously...telephone in the hand all the time. The only time I’m not looking at it is when I open my pc and start messing about in Reason. Nothing happens there either these days. Just messing about. My arms and shoulders are sore from phone/ mouse action and I’m feeling depressed and tired.
Last summer I decided to train Nei Kung 4. 30 every morning, eat healthy, read, run and other stuff. Telephone time to bare minimum. Felt great. Then I hurt my arm and everything went to hell.
Anyway...now I’ve written a lot so all that said, tomorrow I’m stopping. Internet three times a day max (to start with). Phone calls and sms excepted. Reason opened when an idea comes for a song.
This in no way is a damnation of screen time. Everyone is different. At the moment though I am not managing so well.
I’ve not got the energy to start now but if I wake up tomorrow and avoid picking up my phone directly then I’ll be fine. Strong will when I’ve decided something.
That’s it. Thanks for reading. .

[Loque]

Guess you know the irony if you write that here...

[MrFigg]

Guess you know the irony if you write that here...

Yep. I said that. Starting tomorrow.
We won’t be seeing so much of each other now but you’ll be in my thoughts :):) ha ha :):)

[plaamook]

I bet he's checking this thread though...

[plaamook]

Reason opened when an idea comes for a song.

This one I don't get though. Everyone is different for sure but many time's I've germinated ideas when I have no idea what I'm doing. Experimentation is pretty important to how I roll.

[MrFigg]

I bet he's checking this thread though...

Yep...of course. Ha ha Can’t go cold turkey on ReasonTalk :). But yesterday I took it down to once a day instead of 100 times a day or whenever I had a spare minute. Read a book whenever I felt the urge to pick up the phone unnecessarily instead. So that’s progress in my eyes.

[MrFigg]

Reason opened when an idea comes for a song.

This one I don't get though. Everyone is different for sure but many time's I've germinated ideas when I have no idea what I'm doing. Experimentation is pretty important to how I roll.

I maybe didn’t explain that bit so well. Too often I find myself switching on Reason and just browsing patches, messing with effects, jamming with myself, doing a beat or whatever. That’s fine. Music is my hobby and I enjoy it. Thing is, even when I come up with “good stuff” and have worked for a couple of hours I switch off and don’t even save it because I know I’m not going to do anything with it. Next time I opened Reason I’m just going to do the same thing. I (like many) have about a million 8 bar songs lying there. So that’s more what I should have said. Open Reason when I’m intent on actually doing something properly. At least until I’ve got out of the habit of not completing stuff.

[plaamook]

This one I don't get though. Everyone is different for sure but many time's I've germinated ideas when I have no idea what I'm doing. Experimentation is pretty important to how I roll.

I maybe didn’t explain that bit so well. Too often I find myself switching on Reason and just browsing patches, messing with effects, jamming with myself, doing a beat or whatever. That’s fine. Music is my hobby and I enjoy it. Thing is, even when I come up with “good stuff” and have worked for a couple of hours I switch off and don’t even save it because I know I’m not going to do anything with it. Next time I opened Reason I’m just going to do the same thing. I (like many) have about a million 8 bar songs lying there. So that’s more what I should have said. Open Reason when I’m intent on actually doing something properly. At least until I’ve got out of the habit of not completing stuff.

Hmm...
You released anything yet? Or just got a body of work tegether that you feel is 80-90% done?

[MrFigg]

I maybe didn’t explain that bit so well. Too often I find myself switching on Reason and just browsing patches, messing with effects, jamming with myself, doing a beat or whatever. That’s fine. Music is my hobby and I enjoy it. Thing is, even when I come up with “good stuff” and have worked for a couple of hours I switch off and don’t even save it because I know I’m not going to do anything with it. Next time I opened Reason I’m just going to do the same thing. I (like many) have about a million 8 bar songs lying there. So that’s more what I should have said. Open Reason when I’m intent on actually doing something properly. At least until I’ve got out of the habit of not completing stuff.

Hmm...
You released anything yet? Or just got a body of work tegether that you feel is 80-90% done?

Nah...to be honest, like I said, for me it's never been about getting my music out there. I do it for fun. Hence...8 bar songs and many hours without saving.
I've done some music which appeared in films and on radio and that was pretty fun.
I also did some Mongolian and Tibetan throat singing for a yet to be released animation
That's my cv.

[Marco Raaphorst]

It helps when you delete all the Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp shit.

Stop push alerts.

Play an instrument instead of picking up your phone. Think about what is important all the time.

[MrFigg]

It helps when you delete all the Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp shit.

Stop push alerts.

Play an instrument instead of picking up your phone. Think about what is important all the time.

Thanks for the tips man. Yeah...i deleted FB nearly 3 years ago. Was on it all the time. Was s relief for a while But Now im in om RT and Propshop the whole time.
Ive got a guitar in nearly every room in the house so I do pick up them as I go from room to room. A good portion of my time at home is taken up playing.
I’ve swapped out reading/ mindlessly surfing the Internet for some great books I’ve been sitting on a while.
I actually swithed push alerts on for email so I wouldn’t keep checking obsessively for mail.
I think it’ll be fine.
Summer is coming. Running. Tai Chi etc.
But again...thanks for writing .

[selig]

I maybe didn’t explain that bit so well. Too often I find myself switching on Reason and just browsing patches, messing with effects, jamming with myself, doing a beat or whatever. That’s fine. Music is my hobby and I enjoy it. Thing is, even when I come up with “good stuff” and have worked for a couple of hours I switch off and don’t even save it because I know I’m not going to do anything with it. Next time I opened Reason I’m just going to do the same thing. I (like many) have about a million 8 bar songs lying there. So that’s more what I should have said. Open Reason when I’m intent on actually doing something properly. At least until I’ve got out of the habit of not completing stuff.

Not clear if you don’t save anything or if you have a million ideas saved - but either way, there are tons of folks who sit at a piano or pick up a guitar every day and just play, not recording or “saving” anything.

For those folks it’s about the journey, the experience, the release. There is no destination, and IMO there does not need to be for one to get something from the simple act of making music for oneself.

I do the same thing, just playing and not saving. It’s only when I feel I have something worth saving that I save - and even then I have lot’s of 8 bar ideas laying around.

To that end, I’m trying to pitch some of those ideas to TV folks, who don’t want complete songs and need things more in the 2 min range. Still, you have to tack an intro/outro on the thing, but it’s interesting how your perspective can change when you change your goals - suddenly the 8 bar format begins to look a lot more like a “finished song” when a 2 min (or less) song is your goal!

Either way, here’s to hoping for more joy in your musical life!


Sent from some crappy device using Tapatalk

[MrFigg]

Not clear if you don’t save anything or if you have a million ideas saved - but either way, there are tons of folks who sit at a piano or pick up a guitar every day and just play, not recording or “saving” anything.

For those folks it’s about the journey, the experience, the release. There is no destination, and IMO there does not need to be for one to get something from the simple act of making music for oneself.

I do the same thing, just playing and not saving. It’s only when I feel I have something worth saving that I save - and even then I have lot’s of 8 bar ideas laying around.

To that end, I’m trying to pitch some of those ideas to TV folks, who don’t want complete songs and need things more in the 2 min range. Still, you have to tack an intro/outro on the thing, but it’s interesting how your perspective can change when you change your goals - suddenly the 8 bar format begins to look a lot more like a “finished song” when a 2 min (or less) song is your goal!

Either way, here’s to hoping for more joy in your musical life!


Sent from some crappy device using Tapatalk

Absolutely. This thread was actually supposed to be more about the amount of time I spend staring unnecessarily at screens.
Here’s a thread I wrote a while back which repeats your sentiments. I think you actually said then that you did the same as me (That is, play recreationally)

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7508459

The idea of using the 8 bar songs for jingles and interludes etc is actually a pretty good one. I’ll start digging in my hard drive. Cheers .

[selig]

Absolutely. This thread was actually supposed to be more about the amount of time I spend staring unnecessarily at screens.
Here’s a thread I wrote a while back which repeats your sentiments. I think you actually said then that you did the same as me (That is, play recreationally)

Point taken - I’m guessing this thread was more of venting/sharing than looking for conversation/dialog?



Sent from some crappy device using Tapatalk

[plaamook]

For those folks it’s about the journey, the experience, the release. There is no destination, and IMO there does not need to be for one to get something from the simple act of making music for oneself.

I do the same thing, just playing and not saving. It’s only when I feel I have something worth saving that I save - and even then I have lot’s of 8 bar ideas laying around.

Yeah. That's how you play a computer!
Looking at it, the last album I released has a project folder of 71Gb!!! That's a lot of loops and textures that were all part of a process that became 7 tracks. Or 8. Can't remember.

[bxbrkrz]

I know this gets talked about a lot in the media and well everywhere else but I’m starting to feel a decline in my physical and mental wellbeing due to excess screentime and need to do something about it. Basically...I’m on my telephone the whole time. The dopamine kick when a like appears on Instagram for a song I’ve put out. Or the constant checking of threads I’ve replied to in ReasonTalk to see if there’s been any developments. Looking in the Propellerheads shop to see if there’s any new releases or deals. Seriously...telephone in the hand all the time. The only time I’m not looking at it is when I open my pc and start messing about in Reason. Nothing happens there either these days. Just messing about. My arms and shoulders are sore from phone/ mouse action and I’m feeling depressed and tired.
Last summer I decided to train Nei Kung 4. 30 every morning, eat healthy, read, run and other stuff. Telephone time to bare minimum. Felt great. Then I hurt my arm and everything went to hell.
Anyway...now I’ve written a lot so all that said, tomorrow I’m stopping. Internet three times a day max (to start with). Phone calls and sms excepted. Reason opened when an idea comes for a song.
This in no way is a damnation of screen time. Everyone is different. At the moment though I am not managing so well.
I’ve not got the energy to start now but if I wake up tomorrow and avoid picking up my phone directly then I’ll be fine. Strong will when I’ve decided something.
That’s it. Thanks for reading. .

More and more people get it. It is not easy, but the hardest step is the first one you take.
Take it easy, the majority of humans (in the 'developed' world) don't even know they are addicted.
I see statistics about the younger generation using Facebook less and less. Then you see they are switching to Instagram (still owned by Facebook) instead.
Their screens is still ON. Still addicted.
I am not too optimistic about this future, but there is hope if they can stay off the internet grid a few minutes a day.