I May Have Ruined My Mum’s Attention Span
Seeking entertainment, finding late-nights and misinformation.
My mum is a 60-plus-year-old retiree.
Digital minimalism came naturally to her. Having been around before the internet, smartphones, and personal computers, most of her life does not revolve around tech. She’s okay with it and often taunts that in her next life (if there’d be one) she’ll be a tech badarse. And she’s adorable.
The few technologies my mum uses serve only for her entertainment. Before now, she had no reason to seek digital entertainment. This was back when the whole family still lived together and my dad was still with us.
Things changed. Daddy died of Parkinson’s in 2018, and my siblings and I have moved out.
To complicate things for my mum, all these happened after we moved to a serene neighborhood where residents care more about minding their business than knowing the name of their next-door neighbor. Boredom kicks in now more than before, hence her need for digital fun.
She watches cable TV a lot. Long-form video content like home movies and the news were her favourites. She’s glued every night, before bed, and all through the weekend.
