The Streaming Era Ruined Our Free Time. Is It Too Late to Reclaim It?

Authors

Conor M. Kelly, Marquette UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-2021

Publisher

America Press, Inc.

Source Publication

America

Source ISSN

0002-7049

Abstract

During the Covid pandemic, my young children discovered "The Jetsons," thanks to a meme suggesting that the futuristic TV cartoon from the 1960s was "more accurate than expected" (see online yoga, virtual doctor visits, etc.). Television is an intrinsically passive medium, which means it can never generate what psychologists deem an "optimal experience"-the state of enjoyment that emerges when an activity perfectly balances our skills with the challenges of the task at hand. Major changes in the sphere of work, from the living minimum wage advocated by Catholic social teaching to guaranteed vacations and paid parental leave, could give us all more time to spend nurturing our relationships.

Comments

Published version. America : The Jesuit Review, Vol. 224, No. 1 (January 2021). Publisher link. © 2021 America Press Inc. Used with permission.

Recommended Citation

Kelly, Conor M., "The Streaming Era Ruined Our Free Time. Is It Too Late to Reclaim It?" (2021). Theology Faculty Research and Publications. 812.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/theo_fac/812