Ask HN: Where do you consume content outside of tech content? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Where do you consume content outside of tech content?

4 pointsgxs7 comments

I hate asking this question because I know it’s fluff, but I’d only be interested in hearing the answer from this audience in particular.

I live about 35 miles outside of SF. I like my home and I venture out into the city once, sometimes twice per week, either to go into the office or catch up with some friend or other. I’m otherwise happy with my home and being home.

I read a lot of tech articles, where probably 60% come from HN. The other 40% are probably things I search for organically out of curiosity, and then on top of that is the tech reading I always end up having to do for work.

As far as tv, I watch a few shows here and there and definitely like watching movies, though I’m always out of ideas.

Otherwise, I’m usually listening to music or going for walks. I used to game a lot, been a while since, but I didn’t like the effects it was having on my health so I quit.

I’ve probably lost you by now so I should have made this the first question, but I feel disconnected from the outside world. I don’t even know if this is a terrible thing or not actually, but I was curious to know what you all do to stay in tune with society beyond tech stuff.

I suspect when I have kids all my time will go there, but in the meantime I’d love some ideas.

I’ve tried for example reading the news, but two things happen. I either get exhausted of constantly having to be on the lookout for bad info or agendas by the author, or the events themselves stress me out. A good, light, neutral source of news would be welcome.

Have never found anywhere reliable for tv or movie recommendations.

I don’t have any hobbies other than some of the deep dives I used to do when I gamed into fine tuning my machines. You’d be surprised how bad the info on YouTube is.

Anyway, if you made it this far, thanks for readin, genuinely curious to know what you smart people do and consume.

I do read the news but only really skim and do so across the spectrum of mainstream news, trying to ignore the really biased stuff (and really it seems like news outlets have a couple of themes they keep hammering that once you're on to them you only have to read the first few words of an article to know what the rest will say).

More productively I read fiction, usually some variant of mystery or police books. I'm going through some (translated) Japanese "golden age" mysteries right now, there are lots and it's a good way to read something light where you still learn a lot.

Whatever interests I have at the time, whether it is science & technology, or something like music & art, where I do a substantial amount of consumption, I found it best to balance it out with an equal or greater amount of production.

I don't like being a consumer at all but you can't avoid a lot of it, so at least if you set your mind to it you can end up being a net producer when you do the math.

TV and films drive me nuts from all the shallow emotional chain yanking. I don't think I'm missing too much.

I'm currently keeping up with the outside world in part by going back to university (doing a PhD part time, with all the reading that that implies) and socialising hard (even though I think that I'm an introvert), and trying to get invested with various start-ups / mentoring / etc.

That’s cool. I’m not antagonizing you here at all, I’m genuinely curious about what people do and how they think.

Do you ever think that being in academia and involved with startups, which on some level have similar vibes, keeps in you in some sort of a bubble?

When people say this about myself I say, yeah and it’s a bubble I like to be in.

But now and then I do wonder if there is something to be had outside of that bubble.

Like I said man, I’m not trolling I’m genuinely interested in what you have to say.

Is it a bubble? Is it two bubbles?

Last night I was out playing a board game in a new venue, then clubbing. Is that another bubble?

I'm off to my first resident music festival later this year, and I hope to quietly contribute to one of the sets, though I am not a musician. Is that a bubble?

I do a bit of volunteering (eg help run a Repair Cafe) and help our local council and the local green/environmental groups talk to one another. Another bubble?

I don't know, but I don't have much FOMO!

I like reading anything concerning Economics, I own a number of books and had a couple magazine subscriptions.

Here is my favorite author, I own almost all of his books:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Bolaño

Reading books, TV shows, a few games, and hobby subreddits. I also like going outside when it’s nice out so I guess you can say I consume nature.

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