Leisure Time
Sunday, October 4, 2009 by Rick
Interesting bit from the lecture: how is new media changing the way we spend our leisure time?
Chris Rojak's point: about a 'pressure' on people to keep up with the increasing workload as a result of an 'information saturated' society, where Rojak believes there is no choice in resisting the pressure to stay competent, credible and relevant
This point interested me as tonight on prime is a documentary called 'Child Genius', http://www.primetv.co.nz/Default.aspx?tabid=93&art_id=3612. The doco is about a serious of children aged 3-13 who are incredibly bright for there ages, due to a never existing schedule of intellectual and physical work. Interestingly most of the children seem to live relatively normal lives, despite there 170 - IQ's.
Marxists argue our leisure time has been used as a successful tool for capitalism, with the active or passive way we spend our leisure time being just a break for us to purchase and rest in order to work for another week producing. Now that our leisure time is now mostly consumed by a pressure to keep competent, credible and relevant, what effect will this full-time workload have on our brains and the way our minds work and evolve, and society as a whole?
will future generations of people produce more and more of these child geniuses due to a culture of never ending intellectual labour? or will this work take a negative effect on the brain, such as increased anxiety issues and depression in society as a result of a lack of real relaxation?
Chris Rojak's point: about a 'pressure' on people to keep up with the increasing workload as a result of an 'information saturated' society, where Rojak believes there is no choice in resisting the pressure to stay competent, credible and relevant
This point interested me as tonight on prime is a documentary called 'Child Genius', http://www.primetv.co.nz/Default.aspx?tabid=93&art_id=3612. The doco is about a serious of children aged 3-13 who are incredibly bright for there ages, due to a never existing schedule of intellectual and physical work. Interestingly most of the children seem to live relatively normal lives, despite there 170 - IQ's.
Marxists argue our leisure time has been used as a successful tool for capitalism, with the active or passive way we spend our leisure time being just a break for us to purchase and rest in order to work for another week producing. Now that our leisure time is now mostly consumed by a pressure to keep competent, credible and relevant, what effect will this full-time workload have on our brains and the way our minds work and evolve, and society as a whole?
will future generations of people produce more and more of these child geniuses due to a culture of never ending intellectual labour? or will this work take a negative effect on the brain, such as increased anxiety issues and depression in society as a result of a lack of real relaxation?