Martian Notes

I was flabbergasted when I learned what “tittytainment” is.

The frustrated population of the world could be kept happy with a mixture of numbing entertainment and adequate food. … The world model of the future follows the formula 20 to 80. The one-fifth society is brewing in which the excluded will be immobilized with “tittytainment” — The Global Trap

What a shocking idea to control people’s minds？ What is more shocking is that it could even be spoken outright as a national or international strategy. My shockingness revealed my innocence and naivety, holding too much faith in the seemingly universal truth of equity, equality and justice. I was appalled to find out that there is another more universal rule of “20/80”. The world is controlled by the elite few, while the majority are useless pawns.

As a hyper sensitive being, I was inclined to test the theory of “tittytainment” myself. When I am either clicking at my keyboard or swiping at my phone, am I engaged with numbing entertainment? How can I tell whether I am numb or not? Do I belong with the “excluded” group？The way to counter those addictive, handy, low-cost entertainments is to exercise a high level of self restraint. Say no to one more cheesecake, and turn away from excessive screen time. The public health doctrine is an antidote to “tittytainment”, i.e. healthy diet, active lifestyle and mental wellbeing.

Things are always easier said than done. I may be determined to change myself, nonetheless it is a daunting task to transform others. How about a friend enjoying a couple of hours of gaming after a day’s work, or numbing his or her mind? Realistically, I noticed a rampant addiction among the middle-aged, like my parents, who obviously spend too much time on short-video streaming platforms, such as tik-tok. These apps are not like social media platforms enabling virtual connections, and what the middle-aged, not-so-digital-savvy population are hooked up with, is apps that are constantly streaming short videos based on watching history. Hundreds, or thousands of videos lasting several minutes were watched daily, adding up to a worrying total of wasted hours. What my parents have not realized is that those apps affect their concentration, making them harder to focus at work or in life, especially for a duration much longer than that of trending videos. They cut down sociable hours, appealing distracted, disinterested and alientated. As they are obviously not the underaged group that catch attention publicly for gaming disorders, their binge watching is much less noticed, even by themselves.

I cannot deny that moderate “tittytainment” does offer joie de vivre, considering the stressful life thrown upon most of the 80%. It is a conundrum to fulfil the life tasks as a working pawn and also keep the mind busy even in leisure hours, otherwise they would not be called leisure hours. Maybe there is need to develop reacreations that engage with our brains, or “wittytainment”. Who knows that there won’t be untapped business potentials.