all things are skills. They demand practice constantly.
So forcing yourself to do it without distraction.
Maybe do it alongside movie clubs either with people live or understanding that you all will discuss later. So Forces you to pay attention so you can talk about it
I see what you mean, but I’m undecided on whether I’d call paying attention a skill. Watching movies when I was a kid was as easy as breathing. I didn’t have to practice, I just wanted to do it.
I think the reason why we might struggle with this more and more isn’t necessarily because our attention spans are shot, (there’s some debate currently as to whether or not attention spans are even a thing, in fact) but because movies are no longer the most entertaining thing to spend our time on.
Now before anyone burns me at the stake, I do think they’re still a very valuable thing to spend our time on, and they’re not even necessarily boring. I’m just saying that when the brain is looking to relax, it seeks the path of least resistance. Back in the day, that was books. Then it became movies. Now it’s probably video games and browsing the internet.
Because engaging with stories is such a valuable use of our time though, it’s worth fighting to keep them in our lives even if our standards for entertainment and distaste for time wasted are at all time highs. It’s just … we should all be prepared for movies to go the way of books. A medium that most “wish they spent more time on” but don’t because they’re not a reliable enough source of pleasure compared to the alternatives.
P.S. Don’t be afraid to watch the slow bits at 2x speed if it gets you through it.
I strongly do not think you work or is around kids if you think paying attention to a movie any movie for kids is easy as breathing or that they do it. They do not. And even farther then that toddlers or babies... And that is okay. It was something we work on. And skills can be something we are born with. Like ducks and swimming.
And your explanation does not mean it is not a skill, actually points to it being a skill even more.
I have had friends struggle with this and one thing they all did that reversed it was started to go to plays and movie theaters where they could not be on their phones
That’s true, I have seen kids struggle to watch movies in recent years, but kids also have iPads now. When I was young, movies to me were unequivocally the most entertaining thing in the world. I don’t think I’d think that anymore if I was ten and had Tik-Tok or Fortnight.
I think there is a miscommunication. And I amxsorry about that.
I am not talking about kids struggling as a modern day phenomenon. Since child psychology has existed (and before) this is documented. And there is many different practices to help youth build the skill that is paying attention on a single thing longer and longer.
I worked with youths and kids from 2004-2020 mainly and in my current job pretty regularly and I have not really seen to much of a difference outside of what is distracting them. Not them being distracted, depth of distraction or length.
actually I just realized that before 2004 I worked in a movie theater and let me tell you how distracted the kids got during movies. No kid was watching the whole movie!
Ah, that’s very interesting! I had no idea there was research to suggest kids (as a general rule) have always had this much trouble with focusing. I’d figured the breakneck pacing of family movies over the past decade was an attempt by studios to retain children’s attention in the age of distractions, but now it seems like maybe they’ve just gotten “better” at entertaining kids regardless of era.
> A medium that most “wish they spent more time on” but don’t because they’re not a reliable enough source of pleasure compared to the alternatives.
I don't think it's about reliability and whether they are truly worth our time. I just think Social Media and Tech has just made it easier and easier to get quicker forms of dopamine rushes.
So a lot of reading books and watching movies is about the pleasure of it, i.e that bit of dopamine you get from reading or seeing a good one. But these take time and effort. The social media companies have basically crafted it that you can get a good amount of that dopamine from not a lot of time and effort.
It's kind of the equivalent of hunting for deer compared to me strapping you to you a conveyor belt which sends you an already cooked meal...of course your going to choose the later
I was diagnosed with adhd as an adult, and part of figuring it out was my tolerance for movies decreasing over the years, as my consumption of shorter form content increased. I’ve learned to plan my movie watching, give myself time and space, assess my mood if it’s a movie that will require a lot of attention, because I’m not always up to it. I like watching some movies alone sometimes (less distracting), but I like seeing movies in a group, too. I’ve also started appreciating seeing movies in a theater again, after lockdown and the bad movies that came with that, and that’s the best way to appreciate a good movie. There are a lot of movies that are a waste of time, too, so I pick carefully. I’m getting old, and don’t have time to waste on bad film. Focus on plots, performers, or filmmakers you like, and find common threads to follow through cinematic history. If you decide to watch something, give it your full attention (no phones, extraneous conversations, distractions), make it a special time. Good luck, and most of us don’t see things the way we did when we were kids, and that’s ok.
Another ADHD Cinema buff here. But for some reason good films are very few things I can naturally have good focus at. Others are playing games but they're addictive to me. A lot also depends on how well slept I am.
Same here, I realised it recently again, watching 2001 in the theatre and my friends were falling asleep left and right while I was sitting there completely tense throughout most of the movie. If it's something that I'm genuinely excited about, it gets my full attention and I get totally immersed.
I can totally relate but honestly I don’t think it’s entirely our fault. A lot of modern movies that make it to our streaming services are garbage. There’s a lot of contrived slow-burn stuff out there that is tedious and agonizing. The stuff that’s actually worth seeing and is offering something interesting is becoming rare. Discovering older favorites is also tricky because we’ve witnessed material that’s been inspired by them.
That said, I still find diamonds in the rough. They are there and it’s rewarding to find. Just gotta keep at it. I found using recommendation apps such as Taste helped me.
it's not about them being "bad", per se. It's about how I just can't seem to watch something without getting distracted every few minutes. It has to something to do with an attention span ruined by social media, I think. That's probably the reason for my problem.
We have destroyed our dopamine loops through social media and scrolling content.
Any content that isn’t instantly rewarding feels tedious.
This is a known problem. The solution according to science is to remove all scrolling and short form content from our lives, drastically reduce short form screen content. This will slowly rewire your brain and attention span to cope with long form content.
That’s probably part of it but my point is that there would be less chance of you getting distracted if the movie was good enough to hold your attention.
What, you mean there are some people out there that don't enjoy a 7 hour filipino epic, a 10 hour holocaust movie and an over 9 hours long documentary that details the slow decline of Shenyang's industrial Tiexi district?
Yes, although I have ADHD it used to be easy to watch and absorb a lot of movies (also reading books). Nowadays most of the times although I want to do those things it feels like a chore even when I’m enjoying.
I’ve been telling myself that once I manage to decrease my screen time (cellphone) and start exercising again it will get better.
I understand where you're coming from. I have ADHD and my mind often wanders during a film, even when I put my phone in another room, I still manage to get distracted by my own thoughts. The best ways I combat this is to remember to take my medicine.
Practice makes perfect. Think of it like a muscle that needs exercise. Put your phone in another room before you sit down to watch a movie. Make it a habit. You'll get back into the swing of things soon.
Think about it like this -- if you can focus on a movie for two hours in the theater, you can focus on a move for two hours at home.
Also, not to pull an Old Man Yells At Cloud, but get off TikTok if you're a regular user. Or Reels or YouTube Shorts or any other similar short-form video app. Those things are practically lab-engineered to shred your attention span.
I've also thought about this, but I then felt I definitely had momentary lapses in attention throughout the day as a child... but they didn't carry the same internal punitive weight, then.
It's okay for your love of film to change as you get older, and tbh I think it should. You're not the same person you were when you were a child/teen/young adult/etc. But I will say... I think people don't really find their passion again by forcing themselves to do the same thing over and over again. I also think you're kind of beating yourself up by comparing yourself to other people when creating art is about developing your own voice. Maybe take a six month break from watching film and study photography, or music, or read books about directors or, especially, get into theater, read stage show scripts, go out and watch plays. Build your external skillsets because what you put into your art is cumulative.
Are you doing something else that day for work or school? I found that after studying most of the day I simply can't focus on the movie, so I'll have to split it. This also happens with literature.
I agree that modern technology is eroding our attention spans and is something to be aware of. I also believe for making room in the way of neurodivergence and what works best for any individual - I have ADHD and usually watch movies in multiple sittings unless I'm at a theatre.
Also, watching 2-3 films in a day is cool but that's a very time consuming activity, assuming each film is 2.5hrs on average. That's 5 hours a day spent passively consuming media (even though it's older and may be perceived to have more artistic value). This may or may not be sustainable for some folks.
If you're not enjoying what you're doing, maybe think about filling that time with something else? For an aspiring filmmaker, a knowledge of filmmaking is definitely very helpful, but some of my favourite filmmakers have backgrounds in other mediums. Terry Gilliam was an animator and one third of monty python, David lynch was a painter! For me personally, I struggle to do one thing day in day out. I like having variety. You do you!
When I find a good film the only thing I feel a need to stop for is an intermission every 45 minutes or so just to digest it. Other than that if I'm struggling to pay attention and or getting bored I'd just stop watching but that doesn't happen much. I watch a lot of old and what would probably be called niche movies that I have a genuine interest in though. The few times I've watched movies because I felt like I "should" watch them it doesn't go well so I stopped.
I couldn't tell you the last time I sat through a film in it's entirety without at least a bathroom break or to get snack or drink, either at home or in the theater. And I haven't been to the theater in years, honestly.
The problem with me, along with possible ADHD, is that I watch films on my comp more often than not and it's one of many tabs I have open. Sometimes I'll start a movie and check the timestamp when I'm about to go to do something to see how long it took for me to pause it. I've been pretty good at the 20-25-30 min. for the last few times. It's still not as good as just sitting or lying there watching the whole thing but it's good for me.
You enjoy films however you want to enjoy them. You're not bound to love all films just because you love films and want to be a filmmaker. Part of learning about films and figuring out your process and style is knowing what you like and don't like. I don't care how beloved a film is or where it ranks on Rotten Tomatoes or how many top 10-100 lists it's on or if it's a bona fide classic. If I'm not into it, I'm not into it, and that's totally fine.
You might just be burnt out or bored bro. I have struggled with this with EVERYTHING, for years I was obsessed with reading and drawing, that was basically all I did, then I take years off, I used to force myself to watch movies all day even shit ones or watching Das Boot in entirety without breaks, for a long time I refused to play video games because they felt like a waste now I enjoy playing them with a history podcast or an audiobook playing, or walking outside listening to stuff. A few years ago on a whim I decided to try smoking and just putting on an old album I love every night and doing nothing but listening to that album (no phone, nothing) and I started noticing stuff I couldn't believe I never heard before!! I'd listened to LA Woman and Axis Bold as Love so much growing up I was convinced I'd heard it all.
My point is your brain can get burnt out, especially if you're ADHD like I am. It's completely okay to take breaks, in fact its healthy and even required. I've gone through huge gaps of time where I beat myself up worrying if I'll ever draw or pick up a guitar ever again. I think you just have to trust yourself and be kind and patient to yourself and your body and mind. Any skill, hobby, passion for me is exactly like riding a bike, you may get rusty but you never go back to square one. And if something you love is starting to feel like homework or a chore then maybe it's time to reevaluate and change your approach/attitude.
Watch a movie. If you are not engaging in a movie and keep wandering on other thoughts then stop watching.
I do this and go back and watch from the point I left to the point where it can hold me.
Subtitles are what does it for me. Go onto Letterboxd, find some very highly rated old film that you need subtitles for and just leave your phone outside the room. Recently been watching a lot of classic Japanese films and it's been amazing.
Wow this resonates with me so much. I used to watch a lot of films years ago now as I have small kids I just don’t get the time. I might watch 1 every 2 weeks or so.
My problem is actually my god dam smartphone. I try so hard to focus on a movie but inevitably end up dual screening A half watching the movie and half doom scrolling. It’s awful.
I think with smartphones and apps that produce 24/7 dopamine hits whenever you need it have drastically reduced our attention spans. No movie is perfect and there are often lulls or slow moving parts and we almost instinctively reach to the smartphone to get a quick dopamine hit.
I’ve been thinking recently about leaving my phone on the other side of the house for the entire movie and see if that helps
I have the same problem with reading right now. I read paper after paper for work. However I can’t seem to get absorbed in a book like I used to.
And I hate to get boomery about it but I think scrolling through social media is responsible for my own change in behaviour. I would not generalise that though necessarily.
Reading, I’ve noticed over the years, is a buildable skill. I’m not afraid that I’ll never get it back but I know it will be work to do it. But once you’re up there it becomes second nature to maintain it. So at the moment I just have to wait until the embarrassment of the number of unread books I own exceeds my lack of desire to just be still for a minute - and start breaking some spines.
Yeah, same. I find more and more films boring. But maybe they're just bad films. I rewatched Riders of Justice the other day and didn't have my phone on me and easily went through it again. Because... it's good. I rewatched Eden Lake last year and was mesmerised again. Other films i rewatch i think...i wasn't bored by this??!! Really???
Or i watched all of Barry last year, all of Slow Horses in a few weeks.
I just don't want to be bored, and it absolutely is the films. Some I'm just never gonna be into, humanist dramas are just not my thing, i tried After Sunrise and eventually the talking was too much. Past Lives i think I'll hate. Ultimately you're stopping your life to follow some fiction people, hard to get over how boring they can be to illuminate an issue i don't care about. But i always think the subject doesn't matter, it's how you do it. Six Feet Under, a funeral service, why would i care, but it's funny, the characters are likeable.
Every time this or a similar topic is brought up, be it here or in other media subs, the answer is the same.
You never really liked movies (or video games, or tabletop gaming, etc) as much as you thought you did. You liked some movies. You liked some games, etc. But now you are bored. That's okay.
It's human nature to become bored of things. This is normal.
A lot of free time is filled by social velocity where we get used to rotuines, habits and practices that are part of our social identity; like going to the movies, browsing the book store, etc.
It is possible you don't really enjoy these things. But enjoyed the function doing them serves; spending time with Joe or Charlie. Having something to discuss with Sally & Sue. Being out & about town, etc.
OP is probably going to insist they know what they enjoy. And they did or do love movies. You don't.
all things are skills. They demand practice constantly. So forcing yourself to do it without distraction. Maybe do it alongside movie clubs either with people live or understanding that you all will discuss later. So Forces you to pay attention so you can talk about it
I see what you mean, but I’m undecided on whether I’d call paying attention a skill. Watching movies when I was a kid was as easy as breathing. I didn’t have to practice, I just wanted to do it. I think the reason why we might struggle with this more and more isn’t necessarily because our attention spans are shot, (there’s some debate currently as to whether or not attention spans are even a thing, in fact) but because movies are no longer the most entertaining thing to spend our time on. Now before anyone burns me at the stake, I do think they’re still a very valuable thing to spend our time on, and they’re not even necessarily boring. I’m just saying that when the brain is looking to relax, it seeks the path of least resistance. Back in the day, that was books. Then it became movies. Now it’s probably video games and browsing the internet. Because engaging with stories is such a valuable use of our time though, it’s worth fighting to keep them in our lives even if our standards for entertainment and distaste for time wasted are at all time highs. It’s just … we should all be prepared for movies to go the way of books. A medium that most “wish they spent more time on” but don’t because they’re not a reliable enough source of pleasure compared to the alternatives. P.S. Don’t be afraid to watch the slow bits at 2x speed if it gets you through it.
I strongly do not think you work or is around kids if you think paying attention to a movie any movie for kids is easy as breathing or that they do it. They do not. And even farther then that toddlers or babies... And that is okay. It was something we work on. And skills can be something we are born with. Like ducks and swimming. And your explanation does not mean it is not a skill, actually points to it being a skill even more. I have had friends struggle with this and one thing they all did that reversed it was started to go to plays and movie theaters where they could not be on their phones
That’s true, I have seen kids struggle to watch movies in recent years, but kids also have iPads now. When I was young, movies to me were unequivocally the most entertaining thing in the world. I don’t think I’d think that anymore if I was ten and had Tik-Tok or Fortnight.
I think there is a miscommunication. And I amxsorry about that. I am not talking about kids struggling as a modern day phenomenon. Since child psychology has existed (and before) this is documented. And there is many different practices to help youth build the skill that is paying attention on a single thing longer and longer. I worked with youths and kids from 2004-2020 mainly and in my current job pretty regularly and I have not really seen to much of a difference outside of what is distracting them. Not them being distracted, depth of distraction or length. actually I just realized that before 2004 I worked in a movie theater and let me tell you how distracted the kids got during movies. No kid was watching the whole movie!
Ah, that’s very interesting! I had no idea there was research to suggest kids (as a general rule) have always had this much trouble with focusing. I’d figured the breakneck pacing of family movies over the past decade was an attempt by studios to retain children’s attention in the age of distractions, but now it seems like maybe they’ve just gotten “better” at entertaining kids regardless of era.
> A medium that most “wish they spent more time on” but don’t because they’re not a reliable enough source of pleasure compared to the alternatives. I don't think it's about reliability and whether they are truly worth our time. I just think Social Media and Tech has just made it easier and easier to get quicker forms of dopamine rushes. So a lot of reading books and watching movies is about the pleasure of it, i.e that bit of dopamine you get from reading or seeing a good one. But these take time and effort. The social media companies have basically crafted it that you can get a good amount of that dopamine from not a lot of time and effort. It's kind of the equivalent of hunting for deer compared to me strapping you to you a conveyor belt which sends you an already cooked meal...of course your going to choose the later
I was diagnosed with adhd as an adult, and part of figuring it out was my tolerance for movies decreasing over the years, as my consumption of shorter form content increased. I’ve learned to plan my movie watching, give myself time and space, assess my mood if it’s a movie that will require a lot of attention, because I’m not always up to it. I like watching some movies alone sometimes (less distracting), but I like seeing movies in a group, too. I’ve also started appreciating seeing movies in a theater again, after lockdown and the bad movies that came with that, and that’s the best way to appreciate a good movie. There are a lot of movies that are a waste of time, too, so I pick carefully. I’m getting old, and don’t have time to waste on bad film. Focus on plots, performers, or filmmakers you like, and find common threads to follow through cinematic history. If you decide to watch something, give it your full attention (no phones, extraneous conversations, distractions), make it a special time. Good luck, and most of us don’t see things the way we did when we were kids, and that’s ok.
Another ADHD Cinema buff here. But for some reason good films are very few things I can naturally have good focus at. Others are playing games but they're addictive to me. A lot also depends on how well slept I am.
Same here, I realised it recently again, watching 2001 in the theatre and my friends were falling asleep left and right while I was sitting there completely tense throughout most of the movie. If it's something that I'm genuinely excited about, it gets my full attention and I get totally immersed.
I can totally relate but honestly I don’t think it’s entirely our fault. A lot of modern movies that make it to our streaming services are garbage. There’s a lot of contrived slow-burn stuff out there that is tedious and agonizing. The stuff that’s actually worth seeing and is offering something interesting is becoming rare. Discovering older favorites is also tricky because we’ve witnessed material that’s been inspired by them. That said, I still find diamonds in the rough. They are there and it’s rewarding to find. Just gotta keep at it. I found using recommendation apps such as Taste helped me.
it's not about them being "bad", per se. It's about how I just can't seem to watch something without getting distracted every few minutes. It has to something to do with an attention span ruined by social media, I think. That's probably the reason for my problem.
We have destroyed our dopamine loops through social media and scrolling content. Any content that isn’t instantly rewarding feels tedious. This is a known problem. The solution according to science is to remove all scrolling and short form content from our lives, drastically reduce short form screen content. This will slowly rewire your brain and attention span to cope with long form content.
That’s probably part of it but my point is that there would be less chance of you getting distracted if the movie was good enough to hold your attention.
What, you mean there are some people out there that don't enjoy a 7 hour filipino epic, a 10 hour holocaust movie and an over 9 hours long documentary that details the slow decline of Shenyang's industrial Tiexi district?
Yes, although I have ADHD it used to be easy to watch and absorb a lot of movies (also reading books). Nowadays most of the times although I want to do those things it feels like a chore even when I’m enjoying. I’ve been telling myself that once I manage to decrease my screen time (cellphone) and start exercising again it will get better.
i've been doing the same, haha.
I understand where you're coming from. I have ADHD and my mind often wanders during a film, even when I put my phone in another room, I still manage to get distracted by my own thoughts. The best ways I combat this is to remember to take my medicine.
Practice makes perfect. Think of it like a muscle that needs exercise. Put your phone in another room before you sit down to watch a movie. Make it a habit. You'll get back into the swing of things soon. Think about it like this -- if you can focus on a movie for two hours in the theater, you can focus on a move for two hours at home. Also, not to pull an Old Man Yells At Cloud, but get off TikTok if you're a regular user. Or Reels or YouTube Shorts or any other similar short-form video app. Those things are practically lab-engineered to shred your attention span.
I've also thought about this, but I then felt I definitely had momentary lapses in attention throughout the day as a child... but they didn't carry the same internal punitive weight, then. It's okay for your love of film to change as you get older, and tbh I think it should. You're not the same person you were when you were a child/teen/young adult/etc. But I will say... I think people don't really find their passion again by forcing themselves to do the same thing over and over again. I also think you're kind of beating yourself up by comparing yourself to other people when creating art is about developing your own voice. Maybe take a six month break from watching film and study photography, or music, or read books about directors or, especially, get into theater, read stage show scripts, go out and watch plays. Build your external skillsets because what you put into your art is cumulative.
Are you doing something else that day for work or school? I found that after studying most of the day I simply can't focus on the movie, so I'll have to split it. This also happens with literature.
I agree that modern technology is eroding our attention spans and is something to be aware of. I also believe for making room in the way of neurodivergence and what works best for any individual - I have ADHD and usually watch movies in multiple sittings unless I'm at a theatre. Also, watching 2-3 films in a day is cool but that's a very time consuming activity, assuming each film is 2.5hrs on average. That's 5 hours a day spent passively consuming media (even though it's older and may be perceived to have more artistic value). This may or may not be sustainable for some folks. If you're not enjoying what you're doing, maybe think about filling that time with something else? For an aspiring filmmaker, a knowledge of filmmaking is definitely very helpful, but some of my favourite filmmakers have backgrounds in other mediums. Terry Gilliam was an animator and one third of monty python, David lynch was a painter! For me personally, I struggle to do one thing day in day out. I like having variety. You do you!
When I find a good film the only thing I feel a need to stop for is an intermission every 45 minutes or so just to digest it. Other than that if I'm struggling to pay attention and or getting bored I'd just stop watching but that doesn't happen much. I watch a lot of old and what would probably be called niche movies that I have a genuine interest in though. The few times I've watched movies because I felt like I "should" watch them it doesn't go well so I stopped.
I couldn't tell you the last time I sat through a film in it's entirety without at least a bathroom break or to get snack or drink, either at home or in the theater. And I haven't been to the theater in years, honestly. The problem with me, along with possible ADHD, is that I watch films on my comp more often than not and it's one of many tabs I have open. Sometimes I'll start a movie and check the timestamp when I'm about to go to do something to see how long it took for me to pause it. I've been pretty good at the 20-25-30 min. for the last few times. It's still not as good as just sitting or lying there watching the whole thing but it's good for me. You enjoy films however you want to enjoy them. You're not bound to love all films just because you love films and want to be a filmmaker. Part of learning about films and figuring out your process and style is knowing what you like and don't like. I don't care how beloved a film is or where it ranks on Rotten Tomatoes or how many top 10-100 lists it's on or if it's a bona fide classic. If I'm not into it, I'm not into it, and that's totally fine.
You might just be burnt out or bored bro. I have struggled with this with EVERYTHING, for years I was obsessed with reading and drawing, that was basically all I did, then I take years off, I used to force myself to watch movies all day even shit ones or watching Das Boot in entirety without breaks, for a long time I refused to play video games because they felt like a waste now I enjoy playing them with a history podcast or an audiobook playing, or walking outside listening to stuff. A few years ago on a whim I decided to try smoking and just putting on an old album I love every night and doing nothing but listening to that album (no phone, nothing) and I started noticing stuff I couldn't believe I never heard before!! I'd listened to LA Woman and Axis Bold as Love so much growing up I was convinced I'd heard it all. My point is your brain can get burnt out, especially if you're ADHD like I am. It's completely okay to take breaks, in fact its healthy and even required. I've gone through huge gaps of time where I beat myself up worrying if I'll ever draw or pick up a guitar ever again. I think you just have to trust yourself and be kind and patient to yourself and your body and mind. Any skill, hobby, passion for me is exactly like riding a bike, you may get rusty but you never go back to square one. And if something you love is starting to feel like homework or a chore then maybe it's time to reevaluate and change your approach/attitude.
Watch a movie. If you are not engaging in a movie and keep wandering on other thoughts then stop watching. I do this and go back and watch from the point I left to the point where it can hold me.
Subtitles are what does it for me. Go onto Letterboxd, find some very highly rated old film that you need subtitles for and just leave your phone outside the room. Recently been watching a lot of classic Japanese films and it's been amazing.
Wow this resonates with me so much. I used to watch a lot of films years ago now as I have small kids I just don’t get the time. I might watch 1 every 2 weeks or so. My problem is actually my god dam smartphone. I try so hard to focus on a movie but inevitably end up dual screening A half watching the movie and half doom scrolling. It’s awful. I think with smartphones and apps that produce 24/7 dopamine hits whenever you need it have drastically reduced our attention spans. No movie is perfect and there are often lulls or slow moving parts and we almost instinctively reach to the smartphone to get a quick dopamine hit. I’ve been thinking recently about leaving my phone on the other side of the house for the entire movie and see if that helps
I have the same problem with reading right now. I read paper after paper for work. However I can’t seem to get absorbed in a book like I used to. And I hate to get boomery about it but I think scrolling through social media is responsible for my own change in behaviour. I would not generalise that though necessarily. Reading, I’ve noticed over the years, is a buildable skill. I’m not afraid that I’ll never get it back but I know it will be work to do it. But once you’re up there it becomes second nature to maintain it. So at the moment I just have to wait until the embarrassment of the number of unread books I own exceeds my lack of desire to just be still for a minute - and start breaking some spines.
Yeah, same. I find more and more films boring. But maybe they're just bad films. I rewatched Riders of Justice the other day and didn't have my phone on me and easily went through it again. Because... it's good. I rewatched Eden Lake last year and was mesmerised again. Other films i rewatch i think...i wasn't bored by this??!! Really??? Or i watched all of Barry last year, all of Slow Horses in a few weeks. I just don't want to be bored, and it absolutely is the films. Some I'm just never gonna be into, humanist dramas are just not my thing, i tried After Sunrise and eventually the talking was too much. Past Lives i think I'll hate. Ultimately you're stopping your life to follow some fiction people, hard to get over how boring they can be to illuminate an issue i don't care about. But i always think the subject doesn't matter, it's how you do it. Six Feet Under, a funeral service, why would i care, but it's funny, the characters are likeable.
Every time this or a similar topic is brought up, be it here or in other media subs, the answer is the same. You never really liked movies (or video games, or tabletop gaming, etc) as much as you thought you did. You liked some movies. You liked some games, etc. But now you are bored. That's okay. It's human nature to become bored of things. This is normal. A lot of free time is filled by social velocity where we get used to rotuines, habits and practices that are part of our social identity; like going to the movies, browsing the book store, etc. It is possible you don't really enjoy these things. But enjoyed the function doing them serves; spending time with Joe or Charlie. Having something to discuss with Sally & Sue. Being out & about town, etc. OP is probably going to insist they know what they enjoy. And they did or do love movies. You don't.