What’s the most useful thing you’ve done today? We have a lot more free time than our ancestors did. In Colonial times people worked from dawn until dusk every day. During the industrial revolution, factory workers logged nearly 70 hours per week. In modern times we work around 40 hours per week, and in some European countries, they’ve moved to 35 hours. It’s illegal in Italy to work more than 48 hours a week.1 We don’t have to spend all of our waking hours struggling to survive, so what are we doing with all of that free time?
I spend some of my free time on family activities, some on working out, and a fair portion on social media, TV, and video games. A Nielsen study2 in 2018 found that American adults are spending 11 hours per day consuming media. During the pandemic, we streamed media an average of 8 hours per day.3 As someone who enjoys chilling, I have to argue that this is way too much. Our minds and bodies are not engaged. We’re sitting on our cans like zombies, not connected with what it means to be human. It’s a form of hedonism, and it is draining our souls.
I was at an arcade, dominating some ski ball when I noticed a guy my age at a slot machine. It was dark in the arcade, but the glow from all of the games lit everything up with eerie, unnatural colors. I watched this grown man, gazing vacantly at the digital screen, playing slots. Pay, push button, stare. Pay, push button, stare. His face was illuminated by the bright blue of the display, washed out and emotionless like a corpse. Chills went up my spine as I imagined a dystopian future where our humanity was sapped by machines and we became addled soulless beings. Like that guy. Pay, push button, stare.
Folks, based on the studies I cited above, we’re already there and it is getting worse. Futurists predict that automation will give us even more free time than we already have. There’s talk of a universal basic income (UBI) to help those who are displaced from their jobs because of technological advances. What happens when we don’t need to work to survive? Where will we find purpose and meaning in life? If current trends are any indication we’ll fill our time by binge-watching all 9 seasons of The Office, again, for the 4th time.
I’ve found myself slipping into this consumer-centric life since the pandemic began. I used to work 50 hours a week and I was involved in all 3 of my kids’ activities, from sports to music. Now I’m working 40 hours a week, two of my kids are in college, and we’re still working our way out of virus-induced lockdowns. I have free hours to fill. This is a privileged place to be. I recognize that and I want to do something meaningful with that privilege. It is too easy to fill those hours by staying up late watching sports and playing video games. Sometimes I am that that zombie slot machine player. Pay, push button, stare.
I don’t want to be that guy so I decided to pick a few things to work on and to set some realistic goals. For example, I’m going to write a blog every week for the rest of 2021. I’ve got a schedule for getting Dad’s book completed. I’m sitting down with my brother to do our podcast more regularly. These are easy and obtainable goals that add some purpose to my hours.
I’m not just focusing on new projects though. As the lockdowns end, maybe we just need to reconnect with people. We now have family over for brunch every Sunday after church. Lianne goes on regular walks with new friends. We started meeting up with a local running club. One of the things that automation will never replace is relationships. Let’s strengthen them.
We should also stay engaged with our faith. Religion, in its purest form, gives us a deeper perspective about life and helps us cultivate meaning. When we see the world through the eyes of a loving God, we see His heart for others. Life is precious and we are connected with every living thing. We can find purpose in helping others and in caring for God’s creation.
Western society may be moving toward useless frivolities, but we don’t have to follow along. We can enjoy our free time without becoming consumed by consumption. Instead, we can put our free time to use by finding new tasks and new goals, we can foster relationships, and we can serve God by serving the world around us.