Why are we addicted to entertainment? any psychological explanations?

Taking myself as an example, for a few years now, i feel i have been addicted to entertainment, i always want some form of amusement. I dont watch TV, nor am i into shopping, but i cannot lay off video games or the internet. everyday, i sit for more than 5-6 hours on the computer and occasionally i read a book, but i feel now that my mind is a bit dull. I dont know how to describe that feeling, but i kind of feel hypnotic, i cant even think why i get the feeling of sitting and playing video games or watching movies on the net. I mean i feel like one of those guys sitting on the couch who is brain dead and drool coming out of the side of the mouth. And im pretty sure i am not the only one.

If i compare it to when i was younger, i never watched tv nor did i sit on the computer, so could anyone explain what has happened?

Back to the bigger picture, almost everyone is looking for amusement all the time, is there any psychological explanation or is it just one of those things that the media has conditioned us and our thoughts are not our own.....I have found that Freud's nephew, edward bernays has contributed alot to this. Are there any other central figures that contributed to this "entertainment movement" since the 50s?

Any information would be appreciated

People have been seeking diversions from the tedium of life since the dawn of civilization.
Look at games like chinese "checkers" , Majong sp* ,Chess, mancala ....

I dont think it is anything conspiritorial in mans effort to escape his daily toils...

Now if we are talking about Television "programming" or the media's ability to persuade people that they are missing out on a "must have" product then I think we are on to something here..

I apologize If the true meaning of your thread was lost on me .

~meathead

reply to post by the dacoit


Entertainment is just a Welcomed Break from the Cold Hard Realities of the Life we as individuals have to deal with day after day. It brings a Moment of Amnesia to our Personal Problems , and a Sense of Unity when we all Experience the Joy of it Together as a People .

"Only slaves need entertainment"

Not sure who said that, but our brains are constantly looking for stimuli, some "give in" as they say, and some with hold. All in all, weather you are making a canoe for your tribe, or watching the football game, your boredom will go away as long as you fancy what you are doing.

reply to post by the dacoit


I'm not sure I would describe it as addiction, that's a hard concept to define. I'm not one to call any behavior that someone does a lot an addiction. I think that there has to be some component of irrationality to it; it's an addiction if you do it despite the negative effects that it has on the aspects of your life that you believe are more important. I like this definition because it clearly works for drug addiction, sex addiction, cleptomania, gambling addiction and many other behaviors that ought to be covered by a good definition of addiction, but it's not so broad in scope as to be applicable to brushing your teeth or other trivial behaviors that people do all the time but that obviously shouldn't be in the same catagory as genuine addiction. I'm not saying that there's no such thing as being addicted to video games or the internet, but given that heavy internet and video game use is so common and is for the most part not a source of substantial dysfunction, I think that the addiction classification should be used sparingly.

The effects of electronic media on the brain and behavior is an interesting topic. Check out some of this stuff:
Is Google making us stupid? is an article by Nicholas Carr. This is the work that popularized the issue of the effects of the internet on the brain.

Mind over mass media is an impressive response to the concerns raised by Carr. It's by a Harvard psychologist and was published in the New York Times.

The internet: is it changing the way we think? provides an overview of the central features of the issue, and includes a collection of expert opinions.

Wikipedia page on the Human impact of Internet use. Manageable in terms of length and complexity but not the best resource.

Wikipedia page on internet addiction. This useful because it's remarkably well cited, the references section provides a large collection of high quality resources on the topic.

If you really think you have a problem, or are just curious, here are some resources for internet and video game addiction:
The Center for Internet Addiction
Video game addiction

(Let's appreciate the irony of the Internet Addiction web page. . .)

I am reminded of some discussions with Terrence McKenna concerning the idea of "novelty." We humans are constantly in search of stimuli and new experiences. This could be for entertainment or on a deeper level, an instinctual way to make the most of our world and perhaps gain some type of survival or advantage knowledge. I think play and comfort as well as scouting for answers come into play with pursuing novelty.

Addiction? Well I guess the constant pursuit of new and stimulating things could be taken to excessive levels, like when it impedes on one's responsibilities, but I also think it is part of our survival mode, for we must know as much as possible about our environment to thrive in it.

There is also the distraction factor, sometimes we want to be distracted from reality, increasingly so with today's doom and gloom reality. Idle time can allow reality to uncomfortably penetrate into our lives, so we seek distractions, probably both consciously and unconsciously.

Now, I also believe that within some of the delivery vehicles of novelty, such as TV and vid games there is a literal and physical application of addictive technology too, such as neurolinguistic programming:
www.abovetopsecret.com... - Neuro -Programming

McKenna


Peace,
spec

reply to post by speculativeoptimist


Great post! The idea that we are addicted to entertainment and celebrities is covered extensively in the documentary; Starsuckers. I am continually plugging it, as it honestly the most honest view of the media I have ever seen. Please find detials here or please serch for it! There will be no greater thing you can do tomorrow than watch this video! (OK maybe there are a lot, but if you are going to be stuck at home, then it is worth watching!)

STARSUCKERS THREAD

It's not so much psychological as it is neurological. Entertainment triggers endorphins and seratonin in your brain that cause an elevated mood, excitement or contentment.