Consider Community

Emerald Coast Theatre Company held a Junior Thespians showcase in the spring. My niece was performing with the group, and I never miss a chance to see her on stage. But the performance resonated with me on more than just the familial level.

The teenagers showcased a one-act play that depicted a disruptive audience during an offstage performance of Hamlet. The scene opens with an introduction to the unseen Hamlet production from the play’s presenter. He kindly implores the “audience” to turn off their phones and keep their attention on the Shakespearean production.

Of course, they do not, and chaos and hilarity ensue.

The real audience, myself and other family and friends of the young actors, are left in stitches laughing at the absurdity of the pseudo-audience members eating spaghetti from a plastic bag or engaging in “talkxting” while Hamlet occurs offstage. (Different from talk-to-text, this “talkxter” speaks out loud while texting with her fingers, just for the heck of it.)

With each disruptive occurrence, the play’s presenter becomes more perturbed, as do other “audience” members, creating further disruption.

The one-act is condemning audience behavior in the best comedic way.

More than hearty laughs, our doppelganger audience left us with a message that resonated loud and clear:

Pay attention!

It’s true, our attention spans have shrunk in recent years.

This is widely attributed to the increased use of digital devices and the internet. Most of us use a computer, laptop or smartphone for work in some capacity. And as soon as we clock out and switch to entertainment, social media and streaming platforms consume our evenings.

Gloria Mark, attention-span researcher and professor at the University of California, found in a 2003 study that attention spans lasted no more than 2½ minutes before a consumer switched screens or tasks. In a more recent study, Mark found that the number had decreased to 47 seconds.

We are constantly connected and simultaneously disconnected.

It seems the more options we have, the more we crave the next thing. But what’s leaving us so hungry, so dissatisfied?

This oversaturation of content has fostered boredom. Options are so plentiful that it becomes a chore to select something of value. Too, homebody habits picked up during the pandemic have been exacerbated by recent economic inflation. It doesn’t often feel worthwhile to spend an evening out.

As consumers, we are left with one advantage — the luxury of being picky. Choosing intentionally is the answer. But how do we choose?

I believe we’re lacking one main ingredient to assuage our cravings: human connection.

There’s nothing quite like a live show to pull an audience in — so long as they refrain from “talkxting” and bagged spaghetti. Lucky for us, our entertainment scene is lively along the Emerald Coast. Live music is a regular occurrence at local joints up and down our beaches and among our downtowns. Festivals and events happen year-round. And theater performances are easily accessible with community theater productions occurring in Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, Miramar Beach and beyond.

So, next time boredom strikes you to your core as you’re sifting through infinite online content, consider some offline connection.

Consider your community.

Live well,

Paige Aigret, Editor
paigret@rowlandpublishing.com