I clicked play on the video and immediately opened up two tabs on my browser as the audio played through. One to check the midterm description for this class and one for email. In the first 18 seconds the guy in the video as if speaking to me, dares us to “not open a new tab and let this play in the back ground”, but to sit still and simply watch the video. I clicked back on the tab and quickly scrubbed forward to see if there would be something interesting happen in the little thumbnail but there wasn’t, just his face. So I let the video play. He continues to challenge us to simply watch the video! I hear vibration sound and check my phone, nothing, it was the video. At one point it even freezes for 10 seconds and I checked to make sure the video was working or loaded. That too was part of it. And like that I realized I’m a part of the game and he’s playing me like a puppet.

Our reading this week on Moral Panic tended to emphasis the physical dangers and treats of predators and bullies. But I think another panic that adults have is the concern for immediate gratification and shortening attention span. This is something I have felt about children, however this video made me realize I’m just as guilty. The time-saving tools that we have adopted to make our lives more efficient, are little tricks like checking the progress bar thumbnails on a youtube video for interesting clips, or opening a new tab and simply listening to the video. These same tips I believe are also adopted on social media as a filter and way to validate of certain people and profiles we encounter.

“re-gain control of the one truly un-renewable resource in life, your time.”

But in that same desire we are getting lost. Overall, as a generation we feel that our time is precious and little tricks to squeeze the most into our day is mind-numbingly habitual. But it gets to the point where a 10 second freeze in a video creates stress, because it seems out of our control. I think another very real Moral Panic is the struggle to enjoy the little things in life.