Curate Media: Week of July 11

What?
Limit your intake of streaming videos (YouTube, Netflix, and the like) to five hours or less this week.

Why?
Humans are created for stories, which root themselves deeply into our hearts. We slowly begin to view the world according to the stories we absorb. Resisting the constant stream of addictive media forces us to curate what we watch. Curating stories with an eye towards spiritual formation means that we seek stories that uphold beauty, that teach us to love justice, and that turn us to community.

(The Common Rule, adapted)

How?

Decide first what days you will watch media. On the other days, choose a few activities you can do when you would normally sit in front of a screen. (Consider some activities you can do alone and some with others.) Alternatively, set aside only thirty minutes to an hour each day to watch a documentary, show, or video.

Before the week begins, do a little research and create a little catalogue of shows or movies that uphold beauty, teach us to love justice, or turn us to community. Then, during your media time, pick something from your catalogue. Resist the urge to scroll.

You might consider adding sports and news to this practice in addition to streaming videos if you find yourself constantly before these media sources.

Commit with another person to practice this discipline and hold each other accountable.