I listened to an episode from the podcast On the Media called The Case for Boredom. Before diving into its content, though, I'd just like to say how much I love podcasts. We might consider podcasts to be a form of "new media," though I think of them as a new take on old media: radio shows. Podcasts are the same thing, but recorded with new technology and presented on a different platform. I think it's so cool that radio is still holding up after decades and decades of evolving technology. Podcasts leave quite a bit up to the imagination of the listener especially when it is presenting a narrative. I find this very refreshing in a society where we want to be spoon-fed everything. Podcasts also function as documentary; a way to present information and shed light on less-often considered topics. I like that often they encourage interactivity, usually including some kind of invite for listeners at the end of the podcast. Additionally, web sites are created to be companions to these podcasts, and people can be actively engaged in some cause or topic instead of just passively listening. I look forward to seeing where podcasts go in the future.

On the Media in particular looks deeper into the effects of media on our lives, which is something I think about on the daily. I am amazed at how quickly technology has advanced in just the past 22 years, my lifetime. I chose to listen to this episode based on its title: The Case for Boredom. Boredom is something I have been dealing with lately. It's not that I'm not busy or don't have enough things to occupy my time, because I most definitely do. Honestly, I find myself bored doing even necessary tasks. It's a strange feeling I haven't really had before now. This episode struck my interest because of how much I have recently said the phrase, "I'm bored." I thought for sure this would give me the answer I was looking for of how to not be bored anymore and to find more purpose in what I'm doing. It was kind of the opposite though.

This podcast was all about embracing boredom! It described how people in this day and age aren't bored anymore. Why? Because the moment we find ourselves starting to get bored, we immediately turn to technology, specifically our phones. We don't leave ourselves any time for alone time with our own thoughts or daydreaming, we are more interested in snapchatting our friends about how bored we are or beating the next level of candy crush. The podcasters interviewed a couple of different scholarly individuals on the subject of boredom (boredom can be studied?!) who stated that we are at our most creative when we are bored. Of course! This has proven to be true so many times in my life. In 2015 though, we are surrounded with so much technology and our minds go there instead of into their own worlds.

While this wasn't what I was expecting to hear in the podcast, it did help me realize where I was erring. When I am bored, I do turn to my phone. If I am bored with the paper am writing, I'll periodically take breaks to see who's tweeting or to listen to the noon pacific playlist. I have distraction at my fingertips. On my mission, there was almost no distraction. I had a phone, but all it could do was text and call. The only music I heard was what street performers were playing on their accordions out on the street below our apartment complex. I could only use the internet once a week, and only for emailing home. I couldn't even use headphones when I was on a 3 hour train ride. I had a lot of time alone with my own thoughts. I mean A LOT. And I have to say, during that year and a half I was probably the most creative I have ever been. I drew pictures and painted. I learned how to cook and invented new recipes all the time. I thought of potential business ideas. I made plans and patterns for clothes I was going to make when I had access to a sewing machine again. I wrote stories and made collages and learned new languages. I couldn't believe how much differently my brain was functioning, and I was so excited when it came time for me to come home because I was going to actually realize all of these ideas I had formed.

But when I came home, I got an iPhone 6 instead.

I don't feel that same level of creativity I enjoyed for so long because I now I had new distractions and new duties. I became bored in a non-productive way. This podcast helped me make that connection. Though it didn't give me the answer I was expecting, it gave me a different and maybe a more helpful one! We need to embrace boredom and not go immediately to technology. We'll facilitate our own ideas and feel much more fulfilled.

The Case for Boredom served as kind of an introduction to this project called Bored and Brilliant, which invites people to consider the effects technology is having on their lives. It also issues challenges weekly to listeners that will aid in starting them thinking creatively. I feel like this is one thing that this generation really needs, and I'm all for it. I want to start following this podcast because I have already seen a difference in my thought pattern and boredom level since listening to just this episode a few days ago.

This podcast works for me because it was presented in an interesting manner. You may think that talking about boredom would be, well, boring, but it was so insightful and inspiring for me. I also think the invites are effective in getting audiences excited about acting and interacting. If a podcast can get people to think in a new way and maybe even to act on their own, it's a success.

            I personally do notice fonts and typefaces when I am out and about. More than anything, I notice when I dislike a font on an advertisement, and I tend not to notice if the font looks nice. In the broll, they showed just how much is typed in Helvetica, and most of the instances I had never noticed. The entire subway system in New York City has its signs typed in Helvetica. Target uses Helvetica. Apple uses Helvetica. The documentary definitely shed light on the widespread scope of this typeface, and gave me (and likely other viewers) a much greater appreciation of good typefaces like Helvetica. I even find myself now noticing when signs and logos are using Helvetica. If that were the only byproduct of watching this film, I would consider it a success. But I also consider it a huge accomplishment, from a filmmaker's standpoint especially, that the director succeeded in making a difficult film. It’s compelling though it’s subject matter might not necessarily be considered captivating at first, and even second and third, glance.