Bini Dahal

Being always preoccupied with our jobs and social relationships, we are quite unsatisfied with the time we give to ourselves. But the coronavirus pandemic has changed it completely. We have so much free time now that we are unsure of where we should centre our energy on.
For me, watching dramas and television shows was the most relaxing thing ever. I could finish some 20 to 30 episodes in a day, without blinking my eyes. But I have a not-so-good habit of forwarding scenes fast most of the time. It is not easy for you to remain focussed on each and every scene when you are already aware of the gist of the show.
So, in a way, my TV show binging journey was great until the outbreak of the contagion in the country. These days, dramas do not excite me as they used to do before. And one incident proved it all, making me put a complete stop on doing my favourite pastime. One midnight, I was watching a particular Korean drama because the actors were great. However, the plot was not so significant. I had already watched five episodes and was on my way to the sixth. And that episode opened my eyes. All the questions that I had never asked myself before began emerging in my mind.
Everything seemed too unreal for me to continue watching. It’s not like I am not aware of the fictional stories that are popular among people. But at that moment, I was hoping for something real. I asked myself what was so interesting about a character hanging from a building, jumping from one storey to another and being so smart and witty that you feel his IQ is more than 200. My mind answered itself saying, “You had been foolish all this time”. And I couldn't agree more.
Now most of people who are drama lovers may want to differ from me. I understand it completely. But I feel dramas tend to take us deep into the world of imagination, making it difficult for us to come back to reality. It is too addictive. While people could feel light and happy by looking at the screen and the characters, taking complete refuge is very bad. Real world is so different and difficult that we need to understand it properly. So these days, watching documentaries on various issues has become my new favourite pastime.
There are social problems everywhere. People are sick, infected with virus diseases and suffering from one problem or the other. Making people aware of these matters is very important. We lack knowledge of many things today. For example, a simple general knowledge question can make us stutter and become point blank. Yet, our confidence may go up all at once if we are asked the name of the actor or actress who portrays a character in a drama.
We cannot deny the fact that dramas have not taught us good things. Learning about new cultures, even getting new perspectives about many things has helped us much. But it’s the addiction that can worsen everything. And once you come out, you may feel you have been corrupting your brain with a lot of superfluous fictional things!