Why I need to watch more television

Popular culture is in a way like food. We consume it on a daily basis and often we need an understanding of it, at some level, in order to carry on conversations with our peers, colleagues, friends and random people we meet. We don’t necessarily have to consume an inordinate amount, but we must eat a little for fear of being left out of the conversation. These days, I feel a little left out!

During my childhood and teenage years, there were specific television programs I eagerly anticipated all week long, shows that were special events on certain nights of the week. Like most children/teens in Canada, I spent a fair amount of time propped up in front of the ole boob tube.

As I got older and moved on to university, I found that I was spending more time away from home or at least a television. Instead of watching TV, I was socializing with friends at coffee shops and later bars. We would sit around and listen to music and talk as opposed to watching television.

In my early twenties, post-university, I became a college student, studying 3D graphics and design. I spent every free moment I had creating 3D models and learning about game development. There was no time or even interest in watching television (Aside from season one of “Survivor” which I loved!).

Post-college life involved me working very long hours at a game development studio. I worked a lot and did freelance 3D design on the side. I did have some time for television, but by that time had become a full-fledged tech geek! My roommate had a satellite dish and we would spend evenings, when not working, drinking beer and watching Tech TV (I loved the show “The Screen Savers”.).



Soon after that I found myself living in South Korea, working as an English teacher. I had cable television, but most channels were of course Korean. I did however start watching more television again. I didn’t have a computer during my first year in Korea so had little Internet access (after years as a tech-gek I was purposely going “anti-tech”). I would watch AFN (American Forces Network) a television channel run by the American military for U.S. service personnel in Korea. I was able to watch American sitcoms (Fraiser seemed to be on at least three times a night, seven nights a week) and shows like David Letterman. It was sort of refreshing.

Soon enough I was busier and busier at night with my social life, Tae Kwon Do classes and travel that I would rarely watch TV. That continued for the rest of my time in Korea.

I made the move back to Canada and then to Japan with my wife. By the time I was in Japan I was a full-fledged, hard-core You Tube video blogger. I ate, breathed and lived You Tube. I was having so much fun making videos, watching others’ videos and communicating with the hundreds of people emailing me and commenting on my videos. I simply had no time for watching Canadian/American or any other television! When I got home from work or had any free time, I was plunked down in front of You Tube. I really loved it, but I wasn’t consuming the culture that so many others were.

I started to notice over time that I was missing certain cultural references. I am a massive fan of the daily radio show from Canada called Q. It is a culture and arts show. Often they would make references to shows such as Mad Men, Dexter, or 30 Rock and I had never seen any of these shows.

Although I’ve never been a big television viewer, missing these cultural references is a little troubling for me. I realize that I don’t want to consume too much pop culture that way, but some would be good for me I think. By consuming a modest amount of popular culture from Canada or America I would at least feel a little more included in some conversations. I would feel a little more “with it” I suppose.

Now on the other hand, I think it is a healthy thing that I’ve never been faced with an episode of Jersey Shore or some of the crappier fare, pop culture has to offer back home. I honestly can’t afford to lose any more brain cells, the kind that might face extinction by having too much reality TV pointed in their direction.

When people ask me, “Do you watch TV?” I can honestly say “No.” Do I say that because I am a cultural elitist? There’s not chance of me ever being that! I am pretty damn blue-collar when it comes to most things. I’ll take a cold beer in a pub any day over a glass of wine in a fine restaurant. I am a meat and potatoes guy in the true sense of the term. I haven’t watched TV for years because I have been doing other things. Now, I can honestly sit back and say that I would like to watch some television. I would like to at least know a little more about contemporary pop culture.

The irony is that I have been so wired into social media for the past few years that you would think I would know more about the cultural landscape than many. I find myself in quite the opposite position though.

Time to watch some TV.

I need to eat a little more pop culture!


You can follow more of my thoughts on TWITTER: @jlandkev (Japan-Land Kevin)

Social Media Burnout

Things haven’t been good lately. A self-admitted social media addict, I have been involved in it, (social media) in one way or another for many years. I wrote my first blog in the late 1990’s while a student in Canada (all html in Notepad). I was studying 3D graphics and later worked in the game development industry during and post “Internet Bubble” breaking.

I left tech completely and set off for Asia. I quit my job as a 3D artist at a company and gave up my freelance contracts and became a teacher. My first year in Korea was a complete about face from technology. I had loved it so much, but it quickly led to my “burn out” in 2001. That was my first tech melt down so to speak.

That first year in Korea I didn’t even have a computer or even a cell phone. I would email my parents once or twice a week from a computer in the staff room at school. I would occasionally call people on the telephone, but normally, I would just “pop” by my friends’ apartments to see what they were up to and vice versa. That year was filled with work, martial arts training, drinking with friends, travel and general adventure.

Fast forward to 2006. That's the year I discovered You Tube. I had a Japanese girlfriend in Korea (now my wife) and we would watch videos about Japan. I opened up an account so I could email people like tokyocooney with questions about Japan.

Soon after that I purchased my first video camera. I bought a Sony Handycam at Emart in Busan, South Korea. I started making crappy videos and editing them in Windows Moviemaker. Months later I would move back to Canada, but the You Tube hobby continued.

By the time I moved to Japan a little more than three years ago, I was downright obsessed with You Tube and vlogging. I was all about building community, socializing and interacting with fellow bloggers and having a great time. Things got to the point where I had thousands of subscribers, received dozens of emails every week (often asking the same questions continuously) and started to find it hard to keep up with things.

My love of You Tube continued and in early 2009 I became a You Tube partner. In 2010 I had a chance to visit the Google campus in Tokyo when I was there for the Tokyo Marathon and met many amazing fellow vloggers.

By 2010 I was juggling several blogs, two You Tube channels, had become very active on Twitter and was doing numerous collaboration videos. It was a lot to handle. Did I mention I had a full time and very demanding job as a teacher and was a husband?

By mid 2010 I was a new father and things changed a lot more. I had far less time to sit in front of a computer maintaining my “social media empire.”

My interest in You Tube began to diminish a lot during 2010 and more so this year. The simple amount of time needed to maintain what I had created was simply too much. I was spending up to and above twenty hours a week parked in front of my computer working on You Tube and the community around it (that was before my son came along). I was no longer watching movies or television shows. I was no longer reading books. Everything was about maintaining my community and working on my You Tube success. I was taking things far too seriously.

Recently, I have also started to explore other areas of interest. I am now more interested in writing than shooting and editing videos. I realize I will never be a “superstar” or “professional” You Tuber and would rather channel my energy into more traditional blogging and writing. I also have some other literary projects I am interested in starting this year. My marathon running and charity work have also eaten into that “You Tube time.”

For the first time, I notice that You Tube causes me more anxiety than joy. I have met some incredible people through this social media network over the years, made a little money and have had a lot of fun, but it is now time to take a little break. I will of course pop videos up from time to time about my charity work, projects I am involved in and when I have vacation time, maybe a little more. My involvement won’t in any way what it once was.

I’m not disappearing by any means of course. I am still alive and very well on Twitter and I plan to focus a lot more on my blogging. I will be writing more than before and trying my hat at more traditional writing as well.

Long story short, when something you do stops being fun, it’s time to start doing something else.

I’m still going to be around and in a big way. I’ll just be around in a different way!


You can follow me on Twitter: @jlandkev