On Jan. 1, I decided that I wanted to pick a new years resolution, but not the normal resolution that you end up giving up on a month in, like giving up sugar or working out everyday.
No, I wanted to take something I already enjoyed and find a way to use it to better myself. Being a girl in college, it’s no surprise that I am super addicted to my phone. It is almost always on me, and if it’s not, it’s never by choice. Recently, I realized I was unable to watch a full movie without looking at my phone, and I was somewhat appalled with myself. I love movies, and I love watching movies, but I could barely stay focused, and I had no doubt it was linked to the fact I had been using my phone more.
Research from PubMed Central suggests that content on our phones is decreasing our attention spans, and even claims that attention spans have decreased by over a minute in just eight years. So, when picking my New Years Resolution, I knew what I wanted to do.
I decided to watch one movie a day, without using my phone, in order to help increase my attention span.
I am 26 days in, and I have to say, it has been working wonders. I enjoy movies of all genres, but my specialty is in comedy and horror movies.
The first film I watched was, “Shiva Baby,” a film coming in at one hour and 17 minutes, starring Rachel Sennott as a college senior who has an awful day involving her ex, her lover, and her lover’s wife while at a Shiva. I went into this thinking it was going to be a fun, lighthearted film, but I was very wrong. The entire 77 minutes is uncomfortable and grating, and you feel yourself also about to vomit from stressful solidarity with the main character. Although this film stressed me out to absolutely no end, I was captivated, and I also looked at my phone once to check the time. I gave it an 8/10!
Another film, or trilogy, I watched was the original Star Wars trilogy. I never watched, “Star Wars” growing up, and I was never interested in it. However, while on the Early Bird’s Word, (the radio morning show on 88.9 WRDL that I co-host) we came up with a segment involving me watching one Star Wars movie a week and giving my review during “First Watch Friday.”
After finishing the original trilogy this week, I have to say, I understand the hype! I relinquish all the bad things I said about Star Wars in ignorance. I especially loved a lot of the characters and costume design, and the Mos Eisley Cantina showcased some of my favorite puppetry and costume design potentially of all time. Unfortunately, as disgusting as he looked, I also have to give Jabba’s Palace its flowers. The Rancor looked amazing and it genuinely made my jaw drop. My favorite film of the three, if you’re curious, was, “The Empire Strikes Back,” which I gave an 8/10.
Now, being 26 days in, I have to be honest. It has already helped my attention span a lot more than I expected. I no longer have to take breaks every five minutes while doing a task, and I find myself listening in class better.
