Media consumption

[Lumnaya]

This is one of the best first-world “problems” one could hope to have, but there is way too much media, art and entertainment available for anyone to check out everything that seems interesting.

How do you choose what to read, play, listen to, watch…? Do you manage to keep up with new releases? Any sources you like better than others (websites or publications you'd recommend)?

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For art and entertainment, I mostly rely on the bigger user ratings/reviews websites (, , , …); I try to keep a balance between the classics, lesser-known recommendations and random picks. I no longer keep up with the news though, except for music in January when fans publish their “best of the year” lists. I don't keep any backlog.

I have to admit I'm not thorough or consistent when it comes to getting news and articles; I get most of them from mainstream, left-leaning websites (I know right-wingers see different stories… it takes some motivation for me to want to see their side though). There's a philosophy magazine I buy every month, it's very accessible but always offers interesting analyses. I follow science news from time to time.

It does bother me a bit to think of the huge role promotion and advertising play, how many interesting works and stories get ignored, buried in all the crazy competition for people's attention. Of course people only have so much free time, but… the most popular works really are overwhelmingly popular. This is one of the reasons why I pick things at random sometimes (also because it's more fun that way).

[Trifkin]

I like this question! I'm curious about the same thing, especially about where people get their news.

I use the iOS native News app and mostly add by topic (science, books, politics, etc.) but sometimes pick specific sources as well. It isn't perfect, but it works for now.

One of my favorite websites to read in the whole wide world is brainpickings.org. I love the way she writes and I love how in depth she goes with everything she reads and every subject she tackles.

[Archaic Sage]

Entertainment wise, I don't keep up really. There's centuries of entertainment that I've not even heard of so rather than worry about the latest movie, show, Netflix original, book or even video game I consume what I come across when I come across it. If I see a trailer for a film that looks good when I'm at the cinema I might take note but otherwise its very organic these days. Maybe with Zelda being a big exception.

For general news, there's the Android news app which is very good, but I read a lot of left leaning traditional news paper websites like the Guardian and will read and watch the BBC News, which everyone in the UK says is bias against the left or the right which means it's in the middle.

I don't really trust "bloggers" or even the bigger YouTube like Philip De Franco as they're often very wrong about subjects that they're talking about - especially anything outside of the US. Which I think is reflected on the recently renewed US focus on a lot of major blogs etc. I guess there's a real niche for it in US media as it's so polarised whereas in the UK broadcast TV news has to be impartial by law (there's obviously some leaning but not much).

[Lumnaya]