Hello Internet.
Today we are going to talk about being a lifelong learner. I didn’t always consider myself to be this way, and (ironically) I didn’t get into the act of being a lifelong learner by learning about it beforehand. It all started for me in, what I call, the ‘Stupification’ of television that began around the mid 2000s. Niche cable channels (Discovery, History, Weather channels, etc.) began dipping down into the lowest common denominator of society in search of any eyeballs they could attract with shiny graphics and bright colors. This led to a financial analysis that caused me to adjust my entertainment priorities.
The year was 2009. Economic despair ran rampant. Storms were being chased in a large metal turtle, but icebergs were not yet being hunted. I had just purchased my first home, and like many running the “Amazing Race” of life, I wanted to be a “Survivor” (but not watch any of that garbage). I sat down to examine my budget and realized that one of the largest slices of the pie was cable television. This begged the question: “Do I really need that?” In my analytical way, I went to my DVR and wrote down the list of all the shows I was recording. Turns out I was watching WAY too much television. Of those shows, about 70% of them were from the over-the-air broadcast stations anyway. I could record over-the-air shows, buy the cable shows on DVD, and save around $700 per year. [Hint: I never bought a single season box set of any show and saved another $350]
So what, Steven? You just abandoned your favorite cable shows and sports? Well yeah, and here’s why. Content will always be consumed in the cheapest and most convenient way by people who are cheap and lazy eh, efficient. As far as television shows went, it was just cheaper and more convenient to find shows on broadcast that I thought might be interesting. Turns out, the shows that were the most interesting were the ones where my mind was engaged and I was learning something (even if that something had no practical use in my life). Soaking up knowledge became an obsession. I got to the point that I couldn’t waste time in the car listening to the same songs over and over again, so I picked up podcasts to listen to on my commute.
In 2015, technology would change the way I would consume information. Nvidia came out with their Shield Android TV set top box. This put all types of content into one place. It let me watch recorded shows off my DVR, listen to music and podcasts, watch Netflix documentaries, and not least of all it had a Youtube app! Don’t get me wrong, there is worthless inaccurate trash on Youtube (mostly about politics). There is also a large number of subject matter caretakers that are passionate about the field they cover. There is a channel on any number of subjects: Flying, sailing, wine and beer making, video gaming, technology, liquifying metals at high temperatures. Anything you can be interested in and want to learn more about is there.
As I said earlier, convenience is key. If all of that content wasn’t right there all in one device, if you had to switch back and forth between multiple places, you’d be far less likely to explore new things.And that’s the takeaway, you have to be an explorer of your world.
This won’t be a traditional conclusion. A blog about lifelong learning shouldn’t have a proper end because there is really no end to lifelong learning. I’ll always be adding to this journey, and that’s the excitement of it all. There are things and hobbies that I’m interested in that I wouldn’t have given a second thought about just a few years ago.
Steve Out!