When the Computer Monitor Becomes an Egg

[Photo by Annie Spratt at Unsplash]


You may recall the story about a famous cake mix. Although the mix could have been made so that all that was needed was to add water, mix, and then bake, it was found that people actually preferred having to add an egg (or two) to the mixture because doing so enhanced the cooking experience. It increased the amount of effort and that was good because adding the egg permitted the individual to say that he or she had baked a cake.

Wink.

I wonder if computer monitors have a similar psychology. Whereas watching a television screen is closely associated with mindless entertainment, a person in front of a computer monitor is presumed to be working.

Such "work" may consist of as much mindless entertainment as two or three sitcoms might provide, but it doesn't have the stigma of TV watching. 

It has a cover story.

Consider the likely reaction to the following responses:

"What are you doing this afternoon?"

Response A; "I'm going to be in front of a computer screen."

Response B: "I'm going to be in front of a television."

So the key question is not the type of screen, but what's on it. 

Sometimes, the computer monitor is an egg.