Anyone who enjoys films, music, television shows, video games or even books will, no doubt, have come across violent content. Unfortunately, violence is a part of our world, which means it will ultimately be explored in fiction. Thankfully, that latter truth means we get to explore its meaning in a safe environment, add drama and consequence to storylines, and more.
But it’s also true that often, there’s enough difficulty in the world we live in. From the headlines we read daily to the general conflicts we have or are aware of in our personal live, friction is out there, and we all experience it.
For this reason, it might be that you accidentally realize none of your content consumption is divorced from this reality. You may never truly give yourself a “place to relax and escape” by continually consuming aggressive media. From video games set in post-apocalyptic settings to TV shows with mature content to action movies with increasingly violent effects to books that explore hard and sometimes even brutal themes, you may realize that every form of escapism you have has been tied to real hardship.
That doesn’t mean there’s a real problem with this, of course. You enjoy what you’re interested in, be that watching a violent medieval fantasy show, or even fun horror films. But what if you notice this is affecting you a little? What if you’d rather give yourself a sense of peace of comfort, and free yourself from that headspace a little? Well, it could do wonders for your sense of inner peace and mental well-being, and there’s nothing wrong with holding that priority.
Set A Profile with Self-Imposed Parental Controls
Many streaming services offer parental controls for parents, that is a section of the service that may be age-limited and certain content gated or not available at all. For example, you won’t just see limited horror films in the kids’ section of Netflix, you won’t see them advertised at all. These streaming services, quite understandably, assume that parents are adults and should have the ability to view whatever they want.
But what if you make a child’s profile for yourself when you’re feeling a little unsettled and just want to relax? Setting age barriers, say up to the age of 15 or teen, could help you relax and see a fully customized layout of just nice shows. Sure, you can ignore the child shows, and enjoy simple content, like learning about restaurants on food shows, watching gardening shows, and anything else that doesn’t showcase intense conflict. You might even limit certain competition shows due to how intense they can be. This way, if you just want to relax (for example, if you’re under the weather and just want to sleep to a heartwarming show), a profile like this can be handy. It also means no unwanted content will AutoPay.
Use The Parental Guide on Sites Like IMDB
Sites like this have “parent’s guide” sections that let you see what kind of content warnings are in each show. That could be a warning about adult material, exposure to alcohol and substances, or violence. It can also tell you the level of exposure to distressing themes or visual content. So, if you want to see a film but aren’t in the headspace to see anything too challenging, this can be a helpful resource ahead of time.
These services will also spoiler-gate certain content, so you won’t ruin the plot of the media you watch by checking this out. This can be helpful if you want to see a film in the cinema but aren’t sure just how in-depth the mature topics are explored.
Enjoy Relaxing & Classic Video Games
For a long time, video games were charged with a common criticism – that almost all of them involved some form of war or violence. Overcoming enemies in increasingly graphic ways has become somewhat of a mainstay for the medium, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
However, if you’re just looking to relax after a hard day of work, or have encountered loss in your personal life, or if you feel a little softer as of late (don’t worry, it happens to us all), then you might want to stay well clear of the cool shooters or fighting games.
Instead, relaxing classics like Minesweeper (yes, this is quite ironic in theme, but not in actual presented content), digital board games, and farming games like Stardew Valley, all of can allow for you to sink into your chair and relax, knowing that there’s no tension here. Moreover, content that doesn’t take a huge amount of intellectual investment can be refreshing, allowing you to relax and listen to your own music while playing. Speaking of music:
Curate A Peaceful Music Playlist
Of course, music isn’t afraid to tackle hard themes either. Heartbreak, loss, anger, confusion, and even vanity, music has long been known to tackle and express the human condition in more ways than one, and it’s arguably the media format that can move our emotions most of all.
That’s why having a peaceful playlist you can enjoy outside of those themes can be a wonderful place to start. Instrumental acoustic guitar playlists, jazz, bossa nova, classical music (peaceful, not operatic), and singers with calm cadences singing about love is almost always a nice place to begin. Stay away from the modern popular discussion around “diss tracks,” all of that can be fun, but not when you’re just trying to relax.
You might not feel spiritual in the least, and that’s fine, but new-age music can also be wonderful. Often, it combines sounds like whale noises, ocean sounds, rain, gentle bells, strings, and more. It’s simple but layered and allows you to focus more easily. Play it over your speakers and suddenly the room feels more relaxed. If you’re going through a little anxiety, sometimes just having the right playlist can grant you a sense of reprieve.
Limit Screen Time
Sometimes, it’s just good to get away from the screens. Sure, you might need them at work, to manage your mobile banking, to communicate with your friends and family. But what else? Well, you can live without all that interference when you need it. You’re not any less of a worthy citizen if you don’t have five apps constantly serving you breaking headlines about conflict.
Limiting screen time helps you connect with the present so much more. It also enables you to take stock of your surrounding area, be that the friendly owner of the local cafe you talk with during your morning coffee, the calm walk you have with your dog or the paperback you’re reading about local history.
Screen time doesn’t harm you if it’s enjoyed responsibility, but sometimes, you need to disconnect from constant-serve updates. For example, most of us have had the harshest news stories ever served directly to us on a rotating basis since the start of this decade, be that war, pandemics, terrorist attacks, international conflict, and corrosive politics. It’s fine to let that be for a little while.
Read Literature That Challenges You
Sometimes, violence or conflict in storylines isn’t necessarily a bad thing, provided you learn, and it isn’t just for gratitude’s sake. That’s why reading a well-researched book about historical conflicts can be easier to consume and less damaging to our outlook than a film made for entertainment. After all, we teach children about dark periods of history in school, but children are rarely deeply scarred by it.
So, you might enjoy reading classic literature that incorporates those themes well, like classic lit such as Dickens. It’s a nice way to disconnect from the media landscape, feel inspired by the beautiful literature, and feel stimulated by the themes. This shows that conflict can often be enjoyed if its maturely handled and presented.
Create Your Own Art!
Often, people search for the best art to consume, be that finding an artist they love, an author they appreciate, the Netflix show they want to binge. All of that is fine. But what if you created your own art or content?
Sure, you might not shoot your own streaming show anytime soon, but you could get into watercolor painting of your local landscape, or try writing a short story in the evenings, or even just get into journaling.
Sure, you might not get “entertainment out of consumption” like you usually do, but there’s a very stimulating and inspiring sense of comfort when you create your own art. Perhaps you’re tired of the conflict in your media because you’d like to contribute something new, or your view on the world isn’t really being displayed in popular media. You could write a fun little story about an elderly individual attending to their garden, a fictionalized version of something you’re going through in real life, or just immerse yourself in fun poetry and submit it to a competition. Who knows? Maybe someone else will find refuge in what you produce.
With this advice, you’ll be certain to find a nice alternative to the constant consumption of conflict in popular media culture. Sometimes, we all need a break.
