Getting the gist vs. Truly getting the story

couple eating popcorn together while sitting on a sofa

Do you use your phone while watching TV? How is it working out for you? I was talking to someone about just this recently. We had watched a movie together, and they were using their phone throughout, although whenever I asked them if they were following the story, they said they were. Then, a few days later, I brought up the themes of the movie and talked about how the characters reflected them, and it sounds as if the person I was talking to only really got the main gist, not the details like I did, as expected.

I'm not saying this to sound pretentious, I know it is, but I just want to point out that since I started to put my phone down to charge at 6pm each night, I have noticed a greater appreciation for film and books that feels like it did when I was much younger. It may not feel like it at the time, it may feel like getting the gist is fine for you, but I want to say that your experience just intensifies exponentially when you fully invest your attention in it. Not only do you gain more from the experience, but I think you also choose the books or films more carefully, you choose something that you are more than certain you will enjoy, and overall the experience is better. Just my two cents.

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