Not sure what's worse- to comment and disturb you with a notification or not comment and have you think no one is listening 😂 We appreciate you, Danny.

@SketchBookSkool

17 күн бұрын

I appreciate that!

@elenamigaldi7404

15 күн бұрын

Yes!

Im old enough to remember the world before smart phones, internet and social media...I do honestly think our brains are being rewired. It was a freer time. Sometimes I fear my imagination is being eroded by technology without me realising.

@rachelturgeon114

17 күн бұрын

CORRECT.

@sunriseboy4837

14 күн бұрын

Well called. The very visual addiction of the 'thumb contraptions' couldn't be more 'in your face'. Where ever you go, supermarket, shopping mall, gas station, see them driving their cars etc. 'they' are riveted to those bloody contraptions.

@viaxxl

9 күн бұрын

As much I hate the “ohhhhgh, kids these days didnt know how it was without social media and ai 👴👵” , as someone from gen z I have to agree with you on this one. books, tv, all that stupid people complain about could never compare to the beast that is The internet, good and bad

I hate that people only think in snippets now. Have to do “study halls” in retirement and stay off social media to get through all the longer more complex books now.

the immense satisfaction after finishing a 600 page book is second to none. alas I can't find anyone to share it with and talk about it

@BeyondtheTreadmill

17 күн бұрын

I relate so much. I’m sad at how many people don’t read anymore.

@dustyoldhat

16 күн бұрын

@@BeyondtheTreadmill I read every morning with my coffee, it's how I start my day.

@BeyondtheTreadmill

15 күн бұрын

@@dustyoldhat I end my day with a book :)

@jondoh587

15 күн бұрын

Check to see if there is a Silent Book Club in your area. (Yes, it's a thing!) You bring your own book and just read, in the company of other people reading their own books.

@Nancy-tr5fi

15 күн бұрын

I will talk about a good book well read.

Man, you nail the human condition of 2024 with such honesty, it boggles my mind.

@sunnycharacter

17 күн бұрын

@@booksnphilosophy He really is amazing!

@user-wc1jh3os6s

16 күн бұрын

Amen!!!!!

You bring up a good point. I’ve also noticed this pattern/problem with the crafts I once enjoyed. I spend hours a week looking at things people are making or posting on Pinterest or KZread so I somehow think I need to be making all “the stuff”. I recently bought some yarn to make something with granny squares and after I started I just had this let down feeling. I didn’t want to finish what I started. I want to clean out my crafts and just work on one or two hobbies. Maybe then I’d actually have time to start working on art!

@rachelturgeon114

17 күн бұрын

Sounds like a compare and despair reaction that led to feeling anxious about a pastime that should ALWAYS feel rewarding. Pleasure is not a task. Enjoy one or two hobbies and you will relax into them at your own pace. I cut back to music and watercolor and really enjoy my time with both. At least you can identify your interests.

@plan4life

16 күн бұрын

Very relatable!

@lindafarnes486

15 күн бұрын

I crocheted a heap of squares recently. But I was sitting in the garden, keeping my last geriatric hen company. It's nice sitting in the garden with a pet hen.

@juliasmaistrla4407

15 күн бұрын

I love reading and get less and less inspired by soc media n phone..less time on and love reading..love lovelove not wasting my life!!! Art music nature people meditation book.. ah.. if every parent got rid of the tv for starters..my grandkids dont have tv.we talk.draw together..play ukelele ....❤

I just downloaded about 20 books into my kindle for my camping trip. Reading and sketching, walking through dog and watching sunrises and sunsets. No internet for 7 days sounds like a dream.

Reading comments and listening at the same time!!!

@denicase9444

10 күн бұрын

Ha! yes!🤣

I have just finished rereading Lord of the Rings. Which I first read over 40 years ago. It was like visiting an old friend, though more importantly it kick started my reading habit again. Maybe we should all get that old friend off the shelf and settle into discovering an old pleasure.

“Endless skein of overcooked pasta”? Lol! Loved that one! Agreed by the way.

This is one of the reasons I stay away from short form social media. I also think it helps to use a dedicated device for reading books, like a Kindle or a physical copy so my brain knows this is real reading time (and there’s no notifications or temptations a finger flick away).

@Scarshadow666

17 күн бұрын

Agreed! Have been visiting my local library more often to get physical books to catch up on some of the books I'm reading on my Kindle app (or I end up buying them if I really like the book or the libraries around my area don't have the book).

I can’t remember the last time I’ve listened to a video that explained my own thoughts that I couldn’t explain to myself so well…

The good thing is that our brains can be shaped and changed, even when we are old. I'm 46 and read about 250 books a year (or 150.000 pages). I didn't start there, it just developed over time, because I liked it. When you read a lot, you begin to read faster.

@carlaeskelsen

17 күн бұрын

Thank you. I think it's time to archive my FB account, delete my Twitter altogether, and limit myself to fortnightly visits to Instagram, just to keep in touch with my art and paint people. I'm behind on my books. Time to fix that.

@dustyoldhat

16 күн бұрын

At age 46, you're part of the sub-generation that was born between the release of Star Wars and Return of the Jedi - neither Gen X nor Millennial, you're of the generation who experienced an analog childhood and came of age along with the internet itself. The last generation to use mostly land line phones and xerox machines. You entered adulthood right as the millennium began and the towers came down. Your childhood and adulthood had one of the most pronounced demarcations in American history.

The blessings of having been around the block a few times, and having a remembrance of what could be. This is why old people are necessary to our culture and our survival. Danny, you are an extraordinary human being! The things that you share often parallel my own thoughts as an older person who knows life before technology hijacked our brains, our lives, our relationships, our creativity, our health and are even convincing all of us that we are "damaged" and need the latest and the greatest to "fix" us when all we really need to do is unplug and allow ourselves to be what we were created to be and do. Thank you for another dose of sanity!!!❤

glad I’m not the only one

@differenttakethanmost

17 күн бұрын

There’s nearly 8 billion people on the planet, you’re never “the only one” anything 🙃

100% relate to this. I've been saying for a year or more. Scrolling and scanning to get onto the next item has ruined my ability to read beautifully writing passages. Deep, meaty stuff. I'm setting out to see if I can fix this by reading 10-15 minutes at a time.

@rachelturgeon114

17 күн бұрын

You can change this because you are aware of it.

I've noticed that my brain has become unwired from too many 'snippets' of information. I vow to rewire my brain and focus before it's too late.

@dustyoldhat

16 күн бұрын

Your brain hasn't been "unwired" it's been over-wired. You've formed new synaptic connections that channel more dopamine to the parts of your brain that want a reward for learning new information

I got off of most social media a few years ago for this exact reason. There was more work to do afterward to help me focus for longer, but none of that would have been possible if I was still on social media so much.

That ending made me laugh out loud!! 😂 You hit the nail on the head about life as we know it. Re-bel I say! Let’s take back our brains!! Thank you, Danny! ❤

Completely agree. I can't focus on long paragraphs for constantly picking up the phone. I have always been avid reader spending hours at a time immersed in other worlds. Now I am lucky to get through a few pages without distraction. I have been using the Pomodoro method to block 25 minutes of time. That has helped!

@elizabliss6528

17 күн бұрын

Pomodoro tinned tomatoes?? How does that work?? 😳

I find that sitting still with my eyes closed and listening to old folk music or instrumental jazz , has helped to reconnect the circuitry in my brain . I too am an avid reader of internet info , and sometimes I need to just unplug . Thanks for the video .

I appreciate your work, Danny. The reason why I'm trying to sketch again is the same as why I'm gardening, growing my own food, doing DIY projects, and going analog. I know I can create things with my hands. I know I can do things with my hands should the grid fail and devices become state-of-the-art paperweights. I don't want to forget that so I want to say thank you for reminding me :)

It is this phenomenon that is forcing formal language out of professional usage. Emails and conversations are being continuously oversimplified for quick perusal. All the great words I have learned as a voracious reader are shelved with the books I learned them from.

Wow! I so agree with you! I thought it was just me! 🤣

I hear you. I noticed this with myself. It's like I'm in a state of anxiety... Because I've trained myself like a circus monkey to flit through all the social media snippets and maybe immediately give my knee jerk reaction in a comment. Definitely damaged my focus and concentration. I still can read books although they seem laborious and boring as if they don't get to the point fast enough...I tested myself by reading because I thought I was getting dumber and I can still get through a book with no issues. Meditation is harder, my art suffered because whereas before I could paint and make art with myself as a source of creativity, I now find myself consulting a video on what to paint and how to paint. I'm hyper critical of myself because I've taught myself to not rely on myself because of the multitude of personalities and opinions being shot at me through my screen. It's not all doom and gloom... I have learned a lot through the stuff I watch and my critical thinking is still intact.

And also some less than great literature ~ my father was into science fiction so I grew up reading Heinlein, Asimov… plus piles of comic books. Then I discovered women writers ~ not the classics, more sci~fi and fantasy, but from a fem perspective. Now I rarely read books, but I so appreciate how streaming sci~fi and fantasy shows have evolved. What’s cool about watching a series is I don’t have to hold a book and focus my eyes only on the page. I can sketch or fold laundry or whatever while being entertained. And must say I do love texting ~ never did like long phone conversations. In person, or text works best for me! Thank you ~ glad I found you!

You’re so right. I felt that too

Only at a first glance this is a „problem“ with social media etc. On a second glance the question behind it is „what and where is truth, where is the real thing?“ The real thing, the true thing is not in texts. And your tiredness while reading or trying to read is a sign, that deep in you you know this. So, where is it then? Many wise people tell us, it is in us. And we find it, maybe, on a walk through nature or similar. Much love to you! ❤

Exactly what's been going on with me lately. However, I just read Toni Morrison's Beloved for an online book group with my former college students--busy professionals with important stuff to do. None of them finished the book--but I gutted it out and finished what is probably the most difficult book I have ever read--and I was an English professor. I proved to myself that I can still do it--and I'm challenging myself to put down that phone and quit scrolling just to fill the time. I'm hoping that this new-found courage will also get me to pick up my art supplies, too. Thank you so much for being honest and open.

@rachelturgeon114

17 күн бұрын

Beloved is a challenging and beautiful book. Great that you kept with it. You can develop and improve any skill, you only need the DESIRE, and that is what we are facing, an apathetic future choreographed by the voice of ALEXA who has and NEVER will know desire.

@carlaeskelsen

17 күн бұрын

Thank you, Kathy and Rachel. You helped me more than you will ever know.

@kathycarlson7947

17 күн бұрын

@@carlaeskelsen you're so welcome!

How very true. I’m finding it hard to do lengthy reading sessions anymore. My phone or tablet always seem to be looking at me and asking why I’m neglecting them. Maybe it’s time to switch them off.

This is so true! Guess what metric I look at when I'm deciding to watch a KZread video? Yep, the length! If it's longer than about 5 minutes, I always wonder if it's worth my time. I for one, have the attention span of a gnat, sad to say. it didn't use to be that way.

Thank you for a much needed wake up call. I’m going to read Moby Dick again for the 6 th or 7 th time . One of the greatest novels ever written in the English Language. My Mentor once told me that Melville not only showed the world but was able to lift up the edge of the curtain that hides the mechanisms of the Universe and give you a glimpse underneath.

@carlaeskelsen

16 күн бұрын

Okaay…I'll try it one…more…time, keeping your words in mind. *sigh*

I love what you shared today! I wholeheartedly agree! I surely the humans do not forget how to spend time together and have great conversations! These screens demand all of our time if we are not careful!!

I just read some articles about 1960’s in Soviet Latvia (where I’m from) where literature was the way to escape from reality and become free, poets were so to say “the first guys in the village” everybody wanted to meet and be friends with them, so before seeing this video I decided I will join this contra-culture of reading books and grabbed my hard-to-read “the 6th attempt” Proust!🐉🌞🐉 P.S. Pardon my English!🐽🦠🐽

@carlaeskelsen

16 күн бұрын

Your English is great! Congratulations for picking up the Proust again! Best of luck!

As someone once said…’be water my friend…’

Oh, you summed it up so well! Former English teacher here (and lover of 19th century three-volume British novels - and Chaucer). I haven't been able to sit down and focus on a novel _ even a shorter one - for the last several years. My brain does seem to have re-wired itself....

Hi-- You've just perfectly articulated (one of) the reasons I've felt increasingly alienated from friends and the world. I am someone who still revels in all the things you've mentioned are no longer relevant or even tolerated, let alone enjoyed by most people, with that trend intensifying. I should have lived out my life in an epistolary age, rather than the one increasingly geared toward the kind of reading, writing and thinking you've described. And while I haven't yet gotten to the point at which I have the trouble you've described with reading books, I do have that problem in reading longer articles on my laptop, unless they are really keyed to my areas of greatest interest. Thanks for expressing it so well, and with an energy that matches what I, at least, see as the importance of these changes, and the frustration, even fear, they can create. BTW...just a random fact: the way I "met" you was by finding out that you had gotten the illustrator's job for which I was competing-- the Eric Maisel book about writing in Paris. My illustrations seemed to me very similar to yours in line and feel, oddly enough. But yours were so much better that instead of feeling bad about missing the opportunity, I got all excited about your art and ran out to buy your books! I had no business even trying for the job-- I'm not an illustrator, or art professional of any sort; just someone who's always loved to draw and paint, and who'd been asked to illustrate children's books that never got published, but I thought I'd give it a shot-- why not? And I never felt one bit bad about the outcome, thanks to its having led me to discover, first, your art, which I love, love, love-- and then your other creative and educative outlets. So...I'm still stalking you, lol, after all these years, and just wanted to say THANK YOU for everything you draw, write, say...and are!

@SketchBookSkool

17 күн бұрын

Lovely to hear from you! What a serendipitous way to meet.

Lol😂😂😂 Yep. Mine is across the room somewhere on the charger. 😊 With all the texting & faces buried in phones, I often wonder if my friend’s phones have the green slider.

Thank you, Danny. I feel much the same way.

If I could like this one hundred times over I would Danny! Sadly the movie Idiocracy feels increasingly prophetic - we’re giving away so much of the beauty of being human.

I have a similar issue, but it started prior to smart phones as I aged. What I can do and what I have found to be ever more effective than when I did read thick books on hours is listen to a book instead. Every evening I settle down with our youngest and listen to an audiobook.

Thank you for this. I've had the same concerns regarding the effects of technology on us these days. So refreshing to hear your thoughts, which you present with a pleasing turn of phrase sprinkled in here and there. New subscriber!

I struggle too. I have some 100 e-books waiting to be read and can't seem to get started...

Books are better than tv now……

@user-pr8yp6tp5i

17 күн бұрын

🤫 they always were… 🤭

@lynnstlaurent6789

17 күн бұрын

Most of the good limited series are adaptations of books. I love spending a few hours after dinner reading.

@carlaeskelsen

16 күн бұрын

​@@user-pr8yp6tp5i 🎯

@plan4life

16 күн бұрын

Weren’t they always?

I enjoyed your use of the adverb "pell-mell". I'm going to try to use it today.

A couple of years ago I read a book called Stolen Focus by author Johann Hari. He has a whole chapter about how most people are no longer able to focus enough to read an entire book. It’s a sad state of affairs. I can’t imagine my life without books.

@carlaeskelsen

17 күн бұрын

Thanks for the reference. Looking forward to reading it.

“Trite” really is the word to describe the contraction of expression that I see in so many places nowadays. But I do believe that, with enough holdouts feeding the flame in the interim, the state of communication eventually will be glorious after first descending even further into rigid buzz-speak. Oh well, I guess it’s time to buckle up and pack a snack.

Down with SEO and up with arcane words! You are so right and have a beautiful way of expressing it. I have been trying to very deliberately to retrain my brain for long reads in gorgeous language. The thing is I know different and can do this. I worry most about those generations who have only known the snippet and the sound byte…hmm, there is a title in there somewhere😉❤

I’m so glad to know that it’s not just me. I’m using your YIL project as a way to stay off the internet. It’s much more rewarding. 💕

Spot on my thoughts have been exactly the same…. Maybe time to unplug and just be

This is why i make my apps go to sleep on a schedule. Focus mode. Helps alot but i still struggle

I've been feeling the same and have decided to just delete some emails before I even read them. I shall stop watching entertainment and crime videos all evening and replace them with teaching videos eg on guitar playing , languages and painting. Also to read all the hundreds of books in the house. I guess I'll sometimes slip back but it's a fight that's become urgent!

I get overwhelmed with all of the messages. If I let things go for even a couple days it takes a while to get caught back up. By the time I get to my book, I have run out of time. I need a 48 hour day! Lol. My day is like this now because, I have gotten back to doing some Art every day.

Hello, I'm new to your channel, your video about procrastination got me to finally work on my Father's day gift for my dad 😂 I've got a question, but i feel like i gotta give some context(or lore i guess) first. Ok so, as far as i remember, I would draw and write so easily in my middle school to high school years. I had developed this universe with its own many ecosystems, characters, kingdoms, cities. I had created this fictional planet and it's moons, where all of my OCs (original characters) live and their lives all interconnect one way or another and create a bigger story that involves all somehow. And my art and writing were the pillars, the backbones of this world I call my own. It was beautiful, so beautiful. However, things have gotten difficult, I now deal with anxiety and the many ways it manifests as physically symptoms, as well as stress and depression. There's so many things going on. I tried going back to my universe, to rework on my writing, improve it, change things here and there. But when I got to it... I couldn't, I couldn't write as good as I used to, the last page I wrote was when I was 17 (I'm 24 now... notion of time is non-existent with all these issues), and I can see I had a good sense of how to express and describe back then. But I try now, and it feels... like a bootleg copy. It gave me a sense of dread, numbness, frustration, makes me feel I've lost that potential because life decided it was my turn to be the punching bag... I've been watching shows, and there's this thing I do, to somewhat help myself, create AUs (alternate universes) of these shows and insert a character or characters of my own, inspiredto fit in these shows, to try revive that spark that would have me write piles upon piles of pages back when I was in high school... But even that is not helping, I find myself stuck after writing the first 2 pages of an AU, and everywhere I look for advice or examples of writing, it's just full of AI stuff that just misleads and misinforms me. So, my question is... How can I get that spark back? I want to be able to continue the lives of my characters in MY universe, just like I used to.

A brilliant observation.

It's nice that you admit that you have no solution for such a dilemma, you end the video giving in to the Era of fast content that we all indulge, I love you danny

The digital world is definitely doing weird stuff to our brains. I was reading a physical magazine recently and had the urge to try to pinch zoom on an image! 🤣Glad I found your insightful channel... even if it does keep me on the computer a bit longer.

I only have on important notifications, do little on social media (except go on KZread to learn things), never watch short form videos, and do everything to avoid unnecessary distractions (I have ADHD so I don’t need to be distracted anymore than I already am) yet I find I can’t concentrate long enough to read through an entire book anymore like I could in my youth. Even videos; I find myself constantly skipping the boring bits to get to the meat of the video. I have never been so distracted in my entire life. I think one needs to commit to not having a mobile device or computer (and tv for those who still watch it) to really feel present and alive. Unfortunately society makes it very difficult not to have these things.

I admit, I don't have time to read, but I listen to stories on Audible. In my mind, it is about the story, not where it comes from. I listen when I paint or wash the dishes or in the bath. It is the story that counts. But that said, I would miss it if I could not have it any more and probably would not go back to books as I still don't have the time!

I hear you! 😄

Yep. You nailed it.

Yes! That’s me too. But ‘back in the day we had no other option than to read lengthy books. I don’t think we’re going back to that with the plethora of options available to us now. It’s not all bad though.

I’ve committed to getting back into the reading habit I used to have of three books a week… great post, Danny,,,

@dustyoldhat

16 күн бұрын

I thought I was doing good at three books a month. Do you not have a job? Or the need for sleep?

@SandyBanks-vk5dl

14 күн бұрын

@@dustyoldhat I am retired (thankfully) and being 81 I find sleep creeps upon me in the afternoon, but I end up staying up later at night as a result…

Absolutely accurate. I was a voracious reader, and since I got a smartphone I've hardly been able to concentrate. Having gone off Instagram for several months I am finally able to do it again.

I find a digital detox now and then helps. Cal Newport’s books are fantastic on this subject and I recommend checking them out. They’re easy to read and very helpful.

Omg this really resonated with me. Thank you.

You nailed it!

wow Best non intentional ASMR voice ever! :)

I agree,. Great video!

I have ADHD. I read physical fiction books for 1 hour before crawling into bed most nights. It's the non-fiction books that I have trouble making time for during the day.

You’re not alone.

Pandora's box is well & truly open, there's no going back.

Wow your advice and videos are the best❤❤❤❤❤

Well spoken.

this is such a good video, thank you

Great video. I can't even make it through videos all the way these days.

Technology involved in email etc. is the “fast food” of literacy and communication, attention, focus. The arts require tremendous concentration and commitment to be coaxed into existence, regardless of the destination of the completed piece, whether it is your living room or a museum. Art of every genre should be available and promoted in every city and learning environment. Usually the arts are the first programs to be cut. Absolutely tragic. Easier to ask ALEXA or AI to write, think, draw, compose. The arts are what make us HUMAN, I feel so sad for what is coming. Speed does not always mean superior, effort is becoming underrated.We need to value qualities like reflection, and solitude. Turn off the phone. It is only a machine of convenience, not a COMPANION.

@rachelturgeon114

17 күн бұрын

P.S. l love your content and your channel. Thank you. I think about this quite often.

❤Hey DANNY. I will be taking BRIT LIT at our University this fall. It will go up to the Anglo Saxons. Some of it, I've had a long time ago, but the professor is still learning from it, so I can too😊! KATIE❤ KENTUCKY!

Well put!

Very insightful.

I'm going to nail down more reading time/less computer time.

I’m hearing you.

Nice, funny ending.

Maybe it isn’t that words need to be condensed but that they too often lack meaning in the first place. I’d rather the long-form version of who I’m with, where I am, what I’m reading, etc. If there’s a headline but no story, maybe I’ve just found it easier to focus.

IMO, what's killing rich, nuanced conversation and verbal interaction is that ubiquitous, obnoxious, flabby, beige word 'like'. 'I was like ... ' 'It was like - raining' 'She called me and she was like ... ' Well educated, middle-aged people pepper their speech with this ugly 'filler' word.' They don't even know they're doing it because they hear their school- and college-age kids use it like multiple times in, like, every, like, sentence. Rich, descriptive, colourful, enchanting language is languishing. That - rather than our devices - is what is diminishing and greying-out our brains.

There’s something else going onI’m not a Psychiatrist, I’m an ordinary Bloke who works in Industry. A few Years ago, Much to my disgust, My spelling became really bad. I had got used to the red wriggly line correcting it. Even worse is I realised that My emails were written as if I was speaking to the recipient. Here’s the remedy. If I’m writing to someone who appreciates I’m educated and civilised, I type my email. Walk away for 20 minutes and read it a second time. Any misspellings I look up in a book called a Dictionary. I often rewrite half of what I threw down on the screen. I then ignore it for another half hour. Now here’s the Magic part. I print it off and read it ink on paper. I’m amazed at how crude my tappings (Dear Reader I’m old enough to precede computers and everything was hand written or typed on a Mechanical device. Corrections were most time consuming). It takes all Day but the re-education is worth it. I very strongly suspect reading a book on a screen will have the same negative effect.

How do I spell ADHD? P-H-O-N-E. You are completely right . I'm a bit sorry to have left this comment. Thanks.

If you think it's bad for people our age, imagine the younger generations who have never known a world without social media or smartphones. At least we have some muscle memory for focused and sustained thinking. They're lost from birth with no anchor.

Phone Poisoning

I think this is not a "what if" but something thing that has already occurred and is now cemented into our lives. Who knows what the end game will be....🤷‍♀

Hi Danny! I subscribed to the podcast but you haven't posted any new episode for over a year. Have you abandoned it? I liked to listen to you while I drew!

Yes, just yes. Nice and short? We need less to have more... Birdy

That ánd I have adhd. No wonder I can’t read a book anymore 🙊

This. 100%

I'm so impatient these days I listen to some videos at nearly twice the speed! I'm sure that's not good for you. Maybe it's the FOMO thing... Even thinking about drawing these days, I feel I can't do it fast enough and dont have the patience to slow down...in case I miss something on my phone 😢

@rachelturgeon114

17 күн бұрын

The only thing you will miss on your phone is the time you could have spent thinking about something more important to you, and you can decide what that is, and how much time that is worth to you.

I think it's called digital dementia.

Yes, so much that we read nowadays is superficial. Let's take breaks from that and dig into some real literature. Let the mind rest into a good, juicy book that actually has pages. Yummy.

💯👉🏻📚✨