Anime, a giant waste of time?
Waiting for Code Geass R2 18 to show up? When it doesn’t show up, do you go watch some anime you missed before? Ever stop to think it could be a giant waste of time? It can be hard for some of us to entertain the possibility, the answer to that question sometimes yields profound and important implications. I think it’s important to solve this question because I feel we should all feel confident about what we do with our lives and we should always review it exhaustively.
Is anime a giant waste of time? How to tackle this question? In true philosophical tradition, I will break it up in smaller, more manageable questions. Such as: What constitutes a waste of time? What impact does anime have on my life? What do I want out of life?
First up: the waste of time. How do we usually know when something has been a waste of time? There’s a sense in which we feel an activity has been wasteful when we regret an enterprise. Such as going to a concert, when you didn’t really like who performed. You’re suddenly bummed out and short $300 Then, you can clearly say that it was a waste of time. Also, you can regret the productivity of an enterprise. Such as, this evening watching the Girlicious marathon could have been spent working or studying. There’s a different sort of regret crawling through here. In summary, we know something is waste of time when observing how we feel about it afterward.
Now we’ll observing the different impacts anime can have on our lives. First, and I think this is regrettable, the way we use anime as a distraction from the world. This is more common in Japan where eccentricity and lewdness is largely reserved for television (AKA: the Japanese paradox) . However, we have our fair share of misery here in the west so this could still be an issue. Second, the way anime provides us raw pleasure. This can be important if you put an emphasis on filling your life with pleasure. In this sense, anime would not appear to be a waste at all but almost an existential imperative. Third, the sense in which anime makes us better. Now, what could I mean by that? I mean it in the sense that going through fictive stories can give some life-experience. It may not be the kind of everyday life-experience but it makes us larger, more complete in our experience of life.
What now? Introspection is in order, I’ve done my share, now you have to answer these questions for yourself. Namely: how do you feel after watching anime? Could you be doing something else? Why do you watch anime? How does anime affect you? and What do you gain from anime?
Now, I ask you, is anime a giant waste of time? What do you do to make anime a worthwhile experience?
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There has to be over 50 question marks in there…
It’s as much of a waste of time as almost any other hobby, game, movie, musical album, toy or TV series you follow.
You have fun, and can derive some useful ideas or thoughts from it, but on the whole…yes, it is a waste of time, but does it matter? Only if it affects how you do other things that really matter, like work or study.
Considering there’s only 24 hours in a day, doesn’t every activity affect your performance at work or school?
Maximilian hit the nail on the head. This goes for any hobby in addition to anime, whether it’s music or games or mystery novels. It’s simply however you value the time you spend watching anime.
IcyStorms last blog post..Kawai Eri Passes Away
It’s one heck of an enjoyable waste of time.
That is one cool picture.
I’m actually wallowing in the limbo of laziness because of manga. I’d agree with shirokiryuu, though. It’s one heck of a waste of time.
Michaels last blog post..Pylons of procrastination
Maybe because I’m in some ways almost a NEET -well, I’m actually doing a university degree, but still, I manage to have an incredible amount of free time- I consider my daily life as a constant fight against boredom. Therefore, anime has really met my needs for entertainment, otherwise I would be still getting the same academic results plus would be really bored.
But what a waste of time is is really, really a subjective matter, that often depends on social constructs, on what society says is or is not a waste of time.
For example, this is obviously personal, if I spend an evening watching 3 or 4 animes I don’t consider it a waste of time -unless, obviously, that I had something to do that couldn’t wait-. If I spent the same time playing some computer game, I would consider it a complete waste of time.
Or you can even see it this way. Since I’m learning Japanese, you could say that watching anime could never be considered a waste of time since that way I can learn Japanese. However, for me learning Japanese is a hobby, it’s what I do when I want to relax from what I’m made to study at university. Therefore, is it a hobby? Is it studying? Is it wasting my time? Not? Actually I’m learning Japanese for no particular reason, -in fact, I had meant to learn Japanese even before I became interested in anime-, so the point is that it is really subjective and depends on how you feel
If you feel good about it, it’s not wasting your time. If you regret doing it instead of something else, then it’s something to consider.
Also, and I suppose this is something that has to do with working ethics like those of protestant societies or Japan, I don’t consider that we should, all the time, be doing something “productive”, but rather that we should do enough to meet our goals.
Sergios last blog post..Wikipedia’s cleanliness
Anime is a waste of time? That depends on which anime I watch.
The reason why I started watching anime was because I have too much time in hand, but that was in the past.
I’m busy now, yet I still watch anime.
I’m addicted to it. Aside from that, anime can teach you valuable life lessons as well.
Shounen animes teaches you to never give up, while shoujo animes teach you how to deal with life’s hardships, especially love ones.
The important thing is to enjoy yourself. When you do that, you won’t think of it as a waste of time at all.
Setsukyies last blog post..The Anime Saimoe 2008 - Prelim Round 2 - Group 6 Results / Group 7 List
@Sergio “protestant societies or Japan”
Precisely. In my Catholic culture, we don’t use the term “Procrastination” outside its applications in Psychology. (well, at least, AFAIK)
It’s just as much of a waste as like watching American Idol or something hahaha.
If something I’m waiting for doesn’t show up, I’ll go like clean the apartment or play A18
Hinanos last blog post..Gakkou ja Oshierarenai - 04
I have no other purpose in life other than to watch anime.
@Shin
Watching anime is a purpose?
I watch Criminal Minds or read books when there’s no other anime lols
We all learn valuable lessons from watching anime. I just really can’t think of any right now. -_-
Humanes last blog post..Sekirei - Review So Far…
yes, I sometimes think of anime as a waste of time…. but still, i love watching animes! it is the only time that i can enjoy myself and have fun… it is the only time that i feel happy
@ macdataadvantage
You should try playing music! The elation when pulling off difficult passages is truly remarkable. But it comes with greater effort. Then again, nothing remarkable has ever been readily accessible.
It’s your time to spend. If you feel your time was wasted, then it was wasted, if you don’t, you don. It’s all purely subjective to how you feel your time is best spent.