One thing that I’ve often thought about is how our generation is the first to experience full immersion in the technological media world from childhood to adulthood. If you were born in the 80s or later, you’re among the first generation of kids to grow up in the media-centered world of cable TV, video games, video rentals, and most importantly, the Internet. Anime is one among many fandoms that have been able to flourish because of this sudden proliferation of technology we’ve seen come about in just a couple of decades…
If you spend a good amount of time on the Internet every day, especially for us anime fans who tend to have “nerdish” hobbies in general, I’m sure much of our time is comprised of stuff like this: one minute we find a new online game to obsess over, the next we’ll discover a new anime series streaming online that we just have to watch, while the next we’ll start reading a new book or manga series that we can’t put down. Oh, that new web comic series sounds good, I need to start reading that! Wow, I just love this person’s podcasts, I’ll make sure to check out all their new ones. This is a great forum I just discovered, I need to keep posting…I think you get the idea. Basically what I’m saying is that everyday we’re bombarded with new media works and their respective fandoms to “become part of,” never having enough time for each because new works and always coming out while old ones we haven’t gotten to yet are waiting.
Once we get started on one, we discover a new one and have to budget our time for the overwhelming amount of things we want to read, do, play, and watch. Just look at all the games you can play on Facebook or other web sites, not even counting the thousands of regular console video games. Then think of the thousands of anime series available for you to watch or rewatch, not even counting the millions of regular TV shows and movies you might want to check out. Then think of all the interesting web sites, blogs, YouTube users, and Internet personalities you discover all the time and try to follow on Twitter, subscribe to their mailing list, like their Facebook page, or shove their RSS into your feed until you become totally overwhelmed…and to think that not even a fraction of all this stuff had any semblance of existence 50 years ago.
What I’m trying to get at is that ours is the first generation who, thanks to the Internet mostly, has enough access to media indulgences to last a lifetime or more. With young people these days growing up in such a world, it seems like the old concept of “children play” and “adults work” is changing. Just look at all the online and video games available not necessarily for children, like the many MMORPGs and mature-rated video games. Anime is slowly but steadily pushing the concept that animation doesn’t have to be just kid-friendly stuff. Again, 50 years ago it was unheard of for anyone in their 20s or older (especially women) to indulge in “games” and “cartoons.” But I feel like our media-centered society of today is changing that, anime and video games being a part of it. The age that kids start freely using the Internet is getting younger and younger, and since the Internet is not something you just stop using when you grow up, a lot of that early influence they get from the media will carry over into adulthood, for better or worse.
So how does one decide what fandoms to indulge in when there’s such an overwhelming amount to choose from? Well, I always go by the rule of how much time and money I’ll spend on something being directly proportional to how much I personally enjoy it. So although I like video games very much and am always told by friends to play this game and that game, I know that anime is what I enjoy more so that will always take priority before video games. But then I’m loyal to the Pokemon games, so if a new one comes out, that will get priority over perhaps starting a new anime series. There’s plenty of anime series I haven’t seen yet, but sometimes I get in the mood to rewatch an old favorite instead, so I’ll do the latter because it gives me the most enjoyment. For me it’s doing what gives me the most pleasure at that time, since enjoyment is really what all these things are about. But I also try and give due time to physical, real-world activities too. I make an effort to not turn into one of those people whose smartphones seem to have literally grown attached to their hand.
As I talked about in a previous post about growing old with anime, it will be very interesting to see the first generation of senior citizens who have spent their whole life in the indulgent Internet world of today. I know that certainly not everything that’s come out of this media obsessed society is good, but I can surely say that what it means for our generation will be unlike anything before. With anime as my main driving force, I can only look ahead to what the Internet has in store for the coming years.
Lol, I remember the gradual introduction of the computer into my life in the late 90s. I have no idea what I used to do at home before I had a computer but I got my first computer game (Croc) around the turn of the millenium and never looked back. And thanks to the internet, not only do I still play games, I’ve also discovered anime, so now I have TWO digital mediums that I’m passionate about. Can’t complain about that!
On the other hand, it’s kind of a shame that even little kids have smartphones nowadays. Maybe I’m just old-fashioned but I still feel that kids should be playing in the ‘physical world’ before they eventually become obligated to spend time in the ‘digital world’. Childhood obesity is on the rise and I’m pretty sure sitting in front of the computer all day doesn’t do that any favors.
Since I didn’t get my first computer with Internet until I was already a teenager in 2001, I spent most of childhood playing video games and renting movies and cartoons on VHS from video rental stores XD Of course I watched a lot of TV too despite not having cable channels.
I agree that children should play in the “real” world more than the “digital.” Adults can’t really do the former like kids do, so childhood should be spent with an adequate amount of time outside playing games. A lot of adult jobs involve sitting all day so you should try and be as physically active as you can while you have the time and energy as a child XD
This post reminds me how I’m so similar and different from my generation.
I have had a PC of some kind since I was around 4 or 5, I roam the internet daily and it has become almost a kind of second home, I play video games regularly (albeit less so the further I get into college and the further I delve into the internet). I also rarely watch television or movies since hardly anything interests me in these areas.
However, I have stuck with outdated tech for long stretches of time; I still have a landline phone and do not own a cellphone or smartphone, I didn’t have internet access in my home until I was 11 1/2 and didn’t upgrade from dial-up to DSL until five years ago, I got my first console when I was thirteen and have only had one other since then, I have a 5-year-old computer with Windows Vista and owned a computer with Windows 98 for 7 1/2 years prior to that. Nowadays, I just don’t have the money or drive to make upgrades all the time.
Furthermore, my attitude towards certain tech leans in a decidedly practical, self-serving direction; To use two examples, I have never owned a smartphone since I don’t have a lifestyle that I believe justifies ownership of one and mostly use the internet for research and less so for socializing – most of the latter is because my recreation often revolves around organizing and making sense of information.
In short, I guess it can be said that – judging by this entry and some books I’ve read about this generation – I am similar to my generation in that I have been heavily exposed to technology from an early age and have used it to occupy a lot of different areas of my life, but differ in terms of my use of [more] contemporary technology and my primary uses of tech in general.
Very interesting. While I’m not as extreme as you in these regards, I’m similar in the fact that I’ve been surrounded by the Internet since my teenage years but I was “behind the times” in certain things. For example, I didn’t get Internet until 2001, didn’t get high-speed Internet until 2006, and it’s only been a few months since we finally installed wireless Internet in the house. As for the smartphone, the main reason my mom wanted to get me one (since she doesn’t know how to use one herself) is for the GPS navigation and the perks of always having the Internet available. But one thing I haven’t gotten into and don’t plan to is an obsession with texting. I still don’t text and I communicate with my friends through email and phone. Another thing is I also enjoy playing old-school video games more often then starting new, modern games XD
So while it usually takes me a while to get caught up on all the modern conveniences, I get there eventually but there are some I prefer to do without (like the texting).
It’s a great age to grow up :) Internet is a wonderful invention, and really helps people with less wide-spread hobbies. I have access to anime that I could never even dream of back in the early 90s. So it will be interesting to see what happens to us in our old age. I hope I’ll still be interneting, and playing online, and watching anime and doing all sort of fun stuff. I’m also sure, that we will be “obsolete”, and all the teenagers at that time will see us as completely outdated.
I do agree with the previous poster, that children should have more contact with real people. It is probably fine for us “older” people, since we already established our real life circles, and the internet is a good way to keep in touch with them. I’m also old fashioned, and I do not believe that you can really know someone by interacting with them over the internet. You need to meet them in person, talk to them, interact with them, before you can get to know someone. So the internet age does bring a lot of good things, making the world smaller, but also makes it less personal and more anonymous. We probably won’t see all the negative impact just yet, but in a couple of generations, things may be quite different…
I agree that the Internet is a wonderful invention – in moderation I would say ;) Like you said in your second paragraph, “seeing is still believing” and we can’t truly know someone until we’re with them in person. But the Internet can still foster great friendships, knowledge, and of course, let us have a staggering amount of hobbies we could never have dreamed of before. As long as the Internet doesn’t dictate our entire world view, it’s a great thing. I just hope it doesn’t get too out of hand in future generations.
Yeah, I’m struggling with the time thing. It’s so hard to play all the games you want, read all the manga you want, and watch all the anime you want and still have time for other things. For me, I’m trying to cut back on what I buy now, so that I can finish what I start (mostly a gaming problem because games tend to last a lot longer); and I’m trying to be less lenient on anime/manga that bore me. I’ve rarely dropped stuff before, but I’m starting to change that as I don’t want to waste any of my precious time on stuff that isn’t really keeping me interested. I’ve basically stopped watching regular tv and movies because I simply cannot fit them into my schedule anymore. Ah well, there is rarely anything good nowadays.
I also cut out regular TV and movies from my life except for a few choice things. Not that I watched much of them since I became an anime fan 10+ years ago ;) But yeah, I don’t play as many games or read as much manga as I used to in recent years because I have to budget my time, and since anime is what I love most, that gets top priority. While I still rarely drop anime, I’ve also become more picky with anime than I was before and will drop things that totally bore me.
I actually think about this a lot! It’s a fascinating subject, and I’m divided between being a little envious of those who grew up with the Internet and access to any information they want with a few touches of the screen of a smartphone and happy I can remember a time before that.
Of course, fandoms have existed for a very long time – before the net people bought a lot of magazines, joined clubs and went to conventions. Arguably going to the theatre was a form of fandom…or even the coliseum. But indubitably the world is a very different place and the fact that there are young adults now who can’t remember a time before the Internet is bizarre…I wonder if living a life writing blogs and asking relationship advice means people make fewer silly mistakes!
I can see by your blog(s) that you watch a ton of anime and general animation, as well as play video games, read manga, and do other things…it’s great that you’ve managed to budget your time for all that XD Like you said, fandoms have been around for a long time but it’s only recently that we have access to practically any of them thanks to the Internet, so it’s hard not to get overwhelmed. I’m personally glad I can remember a time before the Internet and haven’t developed the smartphone/texting dependency so many young people and even adults have nowadays. While I would say I’m sort of Internet-dependent, my eyes don’t have to be glued to a screen all the time like I see a lot of people doing. I just hope we don’t end up like the people in Wall-E in the future ^^,,,
Great post. Technology is a great way to bring people not only closer to their hobbies, but to the people who enjoy their same hobbies. But the more aspects of anime fandom you can find (forums, blogs, etc.), the easier it is to get distracted from actually watching anime and reading manga. It’s funny how much the aspects of one’s anime fandom can spill over into real-life, too. For example, many anime fans go to anime conventions and eat japanese food because of their love of anime. My friends got into lolita and gal fashion because of anime, and many fans love to cosplay.
The Internet is indeed a great way to bring people together since it’s not bound by physical distance. We can talk to anyone anywhere in the world and thus find many people who share our hobbies. It’s also true that because of this ease of interaction with so many people all over the place, all kinds of ways of expressing one’s hobbies have cropped up, which leaves less time to actually indulge in the hobby itself, as you pointed out with anime ;) We just gotta find the right balance and go with the branches of the hobby that give us the most pleasure.