An Experiment, Updated

[ecosophia]

Earlier this month I posted a few words here about a curious effect I'd discovered -- that sharp points of iron or steel seem to have the same power to dispel addiction to television, the internet, and cell phones that they traditionally had on faery glamour.  I wasn't expecting anything like the passionate response I got -- that entry got more comments than anything else I've posted here, including the very lengthy debate over the inept attempt at anti-Trump sorcery I critiqued a month ago, and a great many people agreed to give it a try. 

At this point some of the results are in, and I've been able to draw some tentative conclusions and draft a hypothesis on which further experimentation can be based: 

1) The effect seems to be real, and not just a matter of the placebo effect. Quite a few readers have reported immediate effects, not only on themselves, but on people who had no idea that the experiment was being tried, and who suddenly lost interest in television. 

2) The effect isn't guaranteed. Not everyone noted effects. In particular, when someone else in the household was using television, the internet, or their phone as a drug to avoid dealing with personal problems, that person's addiction was pretty reliably not affected by the presence of sharp iron. 

3) The effect can generate opposition. In a significant minority of cases, people who weren't in on the experiment found the sharp iron objects and removed them, even when there was no obvious reason to do so. 

My hypothesis is as follows: we're dealing with a genuine effect here, but the glamour it appears to counter is only one of the factors in the phenomenon of television addiction. Some people watch television or use other electronic media obsessively for personal reasons unrelated to the glamour. There may also be other variables that influence whether a sharp iron point will decrease the hold electronic media has on people.

At this point, I'm going to propose a few changes to the experimental protocol. First, if you have housemates who aren't in on the experiment, use an X-acto knife blade or a steel pin taped to the underside of the television, internet router, or other object, rather than a knife -- the knives are too visible, and can get noticed and removed. Second, try to assess whether your housemates' addiction to electronic media may be a way they use to avoid major issues, and keep that in mind when assessing your options. Other than that, if you feel inspired to join the experiment, give it a shot and see what results you get. 

Comments

What comes after

[syfen]

Archdruid,

I suppose this is a good lead in to a question I wanted to ask. What comes after you've freed the person from the glamour? Something needs to fill the gaping void left by digital obsession. Are we supposed to help the ex-cons find something meaningful to fill their new lives?

Regards,

Syfen

Re: What comes after

[ecosophia]

That depends on the nature of your relationship with them, but it would be courteous, at least, to help them find other activities, and to take part in those if that seems appropriate.

Re: What comes after

[(Anonymous)]

Yes Syfen, exactly! It was immediately clear that my wife needed more of my attention with the TV off. The effect was clear and immediate but if I wasn't available to talk about her day or the kids and grandchildren she would spool up the box and watch soaps or Gilmore girls reruns. The TV filled her need for family interaction.
Now we sit on the porch and talk or read books together. I'm ashamed to say, I was content to let the TV babysit while I did what I wanted.