I have a confession to make: I read far too many articles about the Kardashians.
I’m not a fan of the family, although watching their show can be a mindless way to keep myself entertained. However, I often find myself scrolling through news stories about them, or other celebrities, to kill some time.
Sometimes I read stories about ‘famous’ people and I don’t even know who they are.
In idle moments, it’s all too easy to pick up the iPad, click onto a news website and consume some gossip or a piece of trashy news. It’s something I do all too often.
And it’s not only celebrity fluff; I’ll spend hours flicking through news stories about squabbling politicians, benefit grabbing families and horrible crimes.
This meandering online consumption is one of my worst habits.
When I have a spare stretch of time that I could use for something productive, or even to enjoy a good book, I turn to the internet. I read these articles even though I know that they add nothing to my life. They don’t inspire or uplift me; they leave me with that guilty, sick feeling you get when you’ve eaten too much chocolate and you rue your own gluttony.
I wish I had the willpower to stash the iPad somewhere out of reach so I wouldn’t be tempted. I wish I could be decisive instead of idly clicking one more story.
Oh, how much time I’d have to fill if I could only shake this one habit.
The only positive of this endless sifting through empty news is that sometimes it shakes loose an idea or a theme that I’d like to explore in my writing. Sometimes I uncover a nugget of information that I’m glad to possess.
I’d like to read more intentionally, to de-clutter my mind and fill it with things that I find worthwhile or entertaining.
Perhaps that’s something for the New Year’s resolution list, along with hiding my iPad charger occasionally…