I’m working on being “psychologically off-grid” by living minimalist…, shunning social media…, and eschewing pop culture (you know…: obsession with celebrity…, fast fashion…, consumerism…)

BUT…!

It seeps in.

I’m…, tainted by it.

In the same way you get bleach on your dark clothing. A spot here…, a dot there…

It’s like… it’s like…

FECAL MATTER!!

I wondered if anyone else I know was having a similar experience. But since I’m not on social media anymore I couldn’t go on Facebook and post it there.

So, I asked around to find out how others in my circle keep themselves out of a pop culture way. First, I asked, “do you consider yourself to be at all consumed by pop culture, and if so, how do you feel about that?” “Pop culture,” I clarified, “= talking about and caring about celebrities…, compulsive and unconscious consumerism…, fast fashion…, Tiktok trends…, the latest this…, the latest that…, being an expert on things that are actually trivia and have no bearing on your actual life… Like who in the media is dating or married to whom…, who got divorced…, who got cheated on…, and pretty much anything else that might show up on Vapid Jeopardy, but probably won’t be on the Bar Exam.

In case you missed the bias, I was really only interested in those who said no, they weren’t consumed. For those who answered “no; I am not at all consumed by pop culture”… Here are the top 9 recommendations:

1. prayer-and-meditation

2. Dianetic Auditing

3. stay poor / be homeless

4. live off grid in a tiny-house shed

5. don’t have a television

6. stay off the internet

7. join a religious order

8. leave the country more

9. don’t go to prison