Your Entertainment Spans

[Lisnaholic]

...because "attention spans" sounds like I'm probing for psychological weaknesses, which is def not the case.

This thread is a response to a discussion that Trollheart and I were having about Tales Of Topographic Oceans: it's a double album which he listened to from start to finish, but I would never do that with any double album. Most often about 30 mins listening to one artist is sufficient for me to want a change - either to a different artist, or to a different activity. Obviously, that would change with a concert, a music documentary or some such.

Outside of music, I noticed this the other day: the movie Schindler's List is about 3 hours long, and I enjoyed it full-length when I first discovered it. Now it's on Netflix and I'm watching it in about 20 minute segments Maybe because it's no longer new to me.

Anyway, I'd be curious to hear about how other people ration out their attention when their only motive is to enjoy a bit of media. 

[Psy-Fi]

I usually listen to albums from start to finish. Sometimes I'll skip past a song if it's not holding my attention.

I usually watch movies from start to finish in one sitting. Once in a while I might break a movie up into 2 or 3 segments over 2 or 3 days but If I wait longer that 2 or 3 days to finish watching it, I usually end up forgetting about it.

[Marie Monday]

it depends on state of mind and circumstance, but in principle, if the music/film/whatever is good enough, my attention span is pretty much unlimited. A lot of my favourite films happen to be very long too: Fanny and Alexander, Seven Samurai, Love Exposure, Boyhood... idk if that's a coincidence. In general I find it easy to do things for hours on end, I'm just meditative and phlegmatic I guess. It suits me, I prefer to take things in one go. Reading is an exception, of course, but I also tend to have a lot of patience with cumbersome and long books.

[SGR]

I'm just [...] phlegmatic I guess.

Have you considered discussing that with your doctor? 

[Marie Monday]

I feel like any doctor who would take phlegmatitude seriously as a complaint would prescribe leeches or some shit

[Lisnaholic]

Have you considered discussing that with your doctor? 

^

I feel like any doctor who would take phlegmatitude seriously as a complaint would prescribe leeches or some shit

^

Of course there are so many variables, the question could never turn up on a legit survey. To state the obvious, the biggest variable is how much you are enjoying the program or whatever. I have, for example, binge-watched some Netflix series: maybe three episodes in one sitting.

I usually listen to albums from start to finish. Sometimes I'll skip past a song if it's not holding my attention.

I usually watch movies from start to finish in one sitting. Once in a while I might break a movie up into 2 or 3 segments over 2 or 3 days but If I wait longer that 2 or 3 days to finish watching it, I usually end up forgetting about it.

^ Yep! Very similar for me regarding movies, Psy-Fi - and with the cd format I sometimes found myself listening to a whole album complete: tricked into it because we no longer had to get up physically and turn the vinyl over, if anyone remembers such a primitive practise.