Videophilia and Pool

[JAM]

There has been a lot of discussion about how the electronic media is taking over our culture, resulting in less time going out, whether it be nature walks in the woods or playing pool at the local pool room.

How many hours a day do you spend on video games, watching videos on the Internet, AzBilliards Discussion, other forums, activities on the Internet in general like reading the morning news?

When I was a child, we spent much more time outside playing than kids do today. The digital age has in some ways changed our lives for the better, but it has also hurt in other areas, like developing life and work skills as well as social activity. Pool is a *great* social game, allowing the participants to interact with each other, recreating with old friends as well as making new friends.

I see people today staring at their BlackBerries, iPhones, iPads, et cetera, out in public. They have no eye contact with anyone around them. There is no social interaction.

This is a blind poll, so lurkers can feel free to vote!

How many hours do you spend on electronic media of some sort of another?

 

[Mitchxout]

What poll? :scratchhead:

 

[JAM]

What poll? :scratchhead:

Tee-hee. You-all are quick on the trigger. :thumbup:

 

[nateobot]

 

[Pushout]

I agree about the social interaction of the game of pool. We just got back from a trip to Binghamton, New York to see the relatives and, of course, my old pool playing buddies. Seeing and talking to all those old friends {and some of them are real old} was great. I don't miss the area but I sure do miss the people!

 

[JAM]

I agree about the social interaction of the game of pool. We just got back from a trip to Binghamton, New York to see the relatives and, of course, my old pool playing buddies. Seeing and talking to all those old friends {and some of them are real old} was great. I don't miss the area but I sure do miss the people!

That is *exactly* what I am talking about.

In today's world, those who do not go out and enjoy playing pool at the local hangout, there is kind of an extinction of these kinds of experiences with today's youth.

In terms of a marketing standpoint for pool, this would be one area to target, how pool is beneficial for social skill development, good sportsmanship, and getting away from the doggone electronic media for hours at a time.

When is the last time anyone here took a walk in the woods and listened to the leaves blow, enjoyed nature, et cetera? We're so busy with our lives glued to electronic media, whether it's movies, TV, computer, or even the Ustreams on the weekend sweating the pool matches. :embarrassed2:

 

[wahoo bob]

JAM , I usually check e-mails, read forums (AZ & OnePocket.org) in the morning and then have lunch, start adult beverages and shot pool til 10m and call it a night. The economy has retired alot of us building contractors.
Best Regards,
Bob

 

[JAM]

JAM , I usually check e-mails, read forums (AZ & OnePocket.org) in the morning and then have lunch, start adult beverages and shot pool til 10m and call it a night. The economy has retired alot of us building contractors.
Best Regards,
Bob

At least you're still playing pool on a regular basis. Good for you.

I guess the reason there aren't many votes on this poll is that there's only a few of us reading this forum frequently during the day! :thumbup:

 

[DRW]

Probably average 8 hours a week, unless good tournaments are streamed over the weekend. Might be double those times.:grin:

 

[Baby PacMan]

I spend a lot of time here online. For me, it was a changing of the guard. I don't watch cable TV (there is no cable in my house). We have that over the air TV (free), but that's about it. I watch maybe an hour of TV a week. Now that TV time is replaced by internet time.

Which for me, it is much better. TV feeds people crap, the internet is educational. Hell, NPR is almost like an adult school, there is much to lean there. But also, there is an endless supply of information about any topic.
Internet is much smarter for you than TV.

 

[JAM]

I spend a lot of time here online. For me, it was a changing of the guard. I don't watch cable TV (there is no cable in my house). We have that over the air TV (free), but that's about it. I watch maybe an hour of TV a week. Now that TV time is replaced by internet time.

Which for me, it is much better. TV feeds people crap, the internet is educational. Hell, NPR is almost like an adult school, there is much to lean there. But also, there is an endless supply of information about any topic.
Internet is much smarter for you than TV.

That's a great point.

I spend 10-plus hours, off and on, the Internet each day. Since I need to be "connected" for my job, it is too easy for me to take a peek while I'm struggling to get through my day.

My job is extremely pressurized. I am always racing against the clock, and coming on this forum or my industry forum gives me a brief break.

I was trying to relay to my partner what my work day was like. Imagine having your tournament match begin at 10 a.m., and you woke up late. It's 10:05, and you're on the clock. If you don't get there within the next few minutes, you're forfeited. That's my workday, each and every day, 24/7.

When I'm done work, I like to watch TV. I have my favorite shows this year: Justified, American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, NCIS, NCIS Los Angeles, Chicago Code, The Good Wife, The Event, and Law and Order L.A.

Several times a year, we lose power due to weather happenings in my area. It's amazing how bummed out we all are with no electricity and being "connected" to the Internet.

 

[Pushout]

Not to hijack the thread, but one of the things I noticed was that there were no young players at all, in either of the two rooms I visited. In the larger room there were never more than three tables going and the only time there was a crowd was for a dart tournament. The smaller room, five or six tables, there were more people there but nobody, and I mean nobody, was under 50. There were 16 guys there the first time I was there, only two or three tables going. And out of the 16 only two had jobs, the rest, including me, were retired or on disability. And, some of them were only rail birds.

 

[JAM]

Not to hijack the thread, but one of the things I noticed was that there were no young players at all, in either of the two rooms I visited. In the larger room there were never more than three tables going and the only time there was a crowd was for a dart tournament. The smaller room, five or six tables, there were more people there but nobody, and I mean nobody, was under 50. There were 16 guys there the first time I was there, only two or three tables going. And out of the 16 only two had jobs, the rest, including me, were retired or on disability. And, some of them were only rail birds.

This is *exactly* what I mean. I believe it is related to the technology age of electronic media. Young folk would rather be electronically connected to socialize. How many times have you seen kids texting each other? These young'ns today think e-mail is old-fashioned. :embarrassed2:

 

[JustPlay]

When was the last time a local pool room took out a print ad, tv commercial or a internet ad? I spend time in two places and I have never seen one with todays technologies, each room owner should have text ads, web ads, twitter accounts with information on current or upcomming action in their room, promotions..facebook....etc...

We may spend time on the internet just surfing, but some of us actually use it for productivity and its just part of our active day....and if you play pool and surf the net, local room and pool event planners should take advantage of it....

 

[Maniac]

I spend about 2-3 hours a day on AZBilliards forums (I logon about 3-4 times throughout the day). Doesn't seem to be over-doing it considering I'm retired. I still have a lot of time on my hands on any given day.

I rarely watch television and NEVER play video games. I don't even have what they call a "smart" phone. Most people chuckle when they see my cellphone. It's a dinosaur (like me )!!!

Maniac