With all the great entertainment these days, how do you find the time?

There is so much great entertainment being created these days. Podcasts, movies, shows (series), cartoons, books / audiobooks, music, comics, games (both boardgames and videogames), live entertainment… etc. My backlog of what I want to watch / listen / play / read / go to just keeps getting longer and longer!

I already listen to most podcasts at 2x (some 3x and others 1x).

The shows and movies I record on TiVo I have the option of watching in quickmode which is 1.3x faster. I usually only watch sports in quickmode though.

TiVo has another feature that lets me watch a half hour shoe in 22-23 minutes… skip mode. quickly skips the commercials.

I listen to podcasts when cleaning, doing dishes, walking the dog, pooping, I even have a bluetooth shower speaker!

How do you find the time to consume the media you want to without neglecting other responsibilities (SO - children - other family - work - sleep - etc.)?

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I listen to 4 podcasts - walking the dog, under the shower, commuting.

I listen to audio books - the same as above, when the podcasts have finished.

I watch 3 YouTube channels (about 40 minutes a week).

We watch about 2-3 hours of TV in the evenings.

And that’s about it. I don’t find much on TV / new films to be worth watching these days. I’ve tried a few series on Amazon Prime, but I generally only watch the first 2 - 3 episodes, before giving up on them.

Edit: I forgot, and First Ring Daily on Thurrott.com, which I watch whilst drinking my coffee in the mornings.

Podcasts and audio books in the car, I commute about 1.5 hours a day to work. I have a few YouTube channels I follow pretty religiously, about 30 minutes a day or so usually in my office while I eat my lunch. Other than that not much really. I try to find time to watch other stuff, and my list on Netflix keeps growing, but usually I don’t get the time. Spouse, house, volunteering commitments, oh and three kids aged 16 down to 10 months old…so…while I don’t get to consume a lot of entertainment, believe me I am consistently entertained :slight_smile:

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While I subscribe to a lot of tech and news podcasts, I don’t think twice about prioritizing some episodes and skipping others. So many podcasters say so little and/or repeat themselves that even 2x I don’t feel is a great use of my time for episodes not addressing something I find of direct interest. I supplement with what I see being picked up on in my follows on Twitter and written output by the podcasts’ creators.

I don’t keep up on scripted shows. I just don’t. The occasional documentary, but again my policy is to prioritize my own interest, not “keeping up”. Comics is not a thing for me either; I lump that into scripted content, though occasionally keep tabs through podcasts. Videogames interest me much more, and for that there’s Twitch for a sense of almost any title out there, plus industry coverage.

Bottom line is my time and mind staying my own is my top priority, so “finding time” really can’t become a problem, because I refuse to let it.

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A lot of good stuff slips through the cracks. For every movie or series we watch on Hulu, Netflix, HBO, and Amazon, there are literally dozens more we never get around to viewing. Also been focusing more on doc-oriented channels/apps like Knowledge (BC public broadcaster, sort of an international PBS on steroids), PBS, Curiosity, etc.

Don’t really listen to podcasts (other than TWiT), only use Youtube as a look-up for music and miscellaneous bits, listen to Audible books while working and doing stuff around the house and at night in the bath, in the crapper, etc. Read A LOT of news (way too much).

I can’t take constant input (I’m an INFP on the Meyers-Briggs scale, if that means anything), so have to take regular breaks from the noise or I get seriously anxious. I try to schedule periods of silence every day (for spiritual practice, mindful chores, whatever) and turn off the devices when needed. (Not saying this to virtue-signal, just to say it’s OK to not be plugged in 24/7, which is the current norm it seems.)

I think I need to start taking these breaks too! being plugged in all the time does get exhausting. The things I think about while in the shower (not listening to podcasts) are things that don’t normally come to mind because I have that constant stimulation of a podcast, audiobook, show… etc…

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OH, I forgot to add my RSS reader… that thing sucks my time away more than tv and podcasts I think… I need to pare down my feeds, or filter them better…

Yeah, we have to allow room for our own thoughts and feelings about things to surface. If you find that your head is constantly filled with other people’s thoughts and opinions gleaned from various media, it’s probably time to cut back or take a break :slight_smile:

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I just found this and thought it was related

Since I don’t commute anymore, I miss out on a lot of podcasts. I listen while cleaning the house or doing yard work.