--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: With the DVR, I was mostly writing about…" description: "\"With the DVR, I was mostly writing about it as a good thing in giving us the choice of when and how to watch things. But there's what we lose in the ba..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/315/douglas-rushkoff-2188_choices_with-the-dvr-i-was-mostly-writing-about_1543551.png" --- # With the DVR, I was mostly writing about it as a good… ![“With the DVR, I was mostly writing about it as a good thing in giving us the choice of when and how to watch things. But there's what we lose in the bargain, which is the collective spectacle. 'Did you see Jay Leno last night?'” quote by Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/315/douglas-rushkoff-2188_choices_with-the-dvr-i-was-mostly-writing-about_1543551.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/315/douglas-rushkoff-2188_choices_with-the-dvr-i-was-mostly-writing-about_1543551.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/315/douglas-rushkoff-2188_choices_with-the-dvr-i-was-mostly-writing-about_1543551.png) > “With the DVR, I was mostly writing about it as a good thing in giving us the choice of when and how to watch things. But there's what we lose in the bargain, which is the collective spectacle. 'Did you see Jay Leno last night?'” [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. DVR offers flexibility but reduces shared viewing experiences that foster community. **In simple terms:** Convenience vs. collective watching. Key Takeaway Balance personal choice with communal media. Themes media technology community Mood reflective conversational Type cultural social When to use this quote - family movie night - live events - online streaming platforms - social media discussions Key Concepts digital consumption social interaction Questions to Reflect On - What can we do to preserve collective viewing? - Is personal convenience worth losing communal bonds? A Different Perspective Convenience may erode shared cultural moments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Collectives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collectives/) [Dvr Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dvr-writing-5753614/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Good thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-thing/) [Good things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-things/) [Last night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-night/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Leno Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leno-night-5753616/) [Lose Bargain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lose-bargain-5753615/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Things Lose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-lose-1039141/) [Watch Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watch-things-288322/) [Watches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watches/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I'll watch things on OWN like 'Belief,' which is about faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colman-domingo/i-ll-watch-things-on-own-like-belief-which-is-about-faith/) [Colman Domingo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colman-domingo/) > [They're are three types of people I see everyday, those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/they-re-are-three-types-of-people-i-see-everyday-those-who-make/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [You can't just pretend that the things you watch, and the things you hear, and the places you go will not have an impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouman-ali-khan/you-can-t-just-pretend-that-the-things-you-watch-and-the-things-you/) [Nouman Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nouman-ali-khan/) > [I have an iPad and I watch three things: 'The Daily Show,' '60 Minutes,' and 'Meet the Press.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/i-have-an-ipad-and-i-watch-three-things-the-daily-show-60-minutes-and/) [Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/) > [I think that in order for anything to work on television, you have to have conflict. Nothing can be too happy or it's boring.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-preston/i-think-that-in-order-for-anything-to-work-on-television-you-have-to/) [Carrie Preston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-preston/) > [As a writer you often watch things with a certain distance.. More often, you're worried that something that you have invented is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/as-a-writer-you-often-watch-things-with-a-certain-distance-more-often/) [Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) > [I watch all the classic films that film people say that you ought to have seen, and I try to watch things in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-riley/i-watch-all-the-classic-films-that-film-people-say-that-you-ought-to/) [Sam Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-riley/) > [Some people make things happen, some watch while things happen, and some wonder 'What happened?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arashi/some-people-make-things-happen-some-watch-while-things-happen-and/) [Arashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arashi/) > [I don't sit and watch things back that I've done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-bowman/i-don-t-sit-and-watch-things-back-that-i-ve-done/) [Edith Bowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-bowman/) > [“Some People Make Things Happen, Some Watch Things Happen, While Others Wonder What Has Happened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/some-people-make-things-happen-some-watch-things-happen-while-others/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [You have 3choices in life.You can watch things happen,Make things happen or Wonder what the hell happened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vboo/you-have-3choices-in-life-you-can-watch-things-happen-make-things/) [VBOo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vboo/) > [“When all you can do is watch things play out for someone, it is often just as painful for the observer as it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torry-martin/when-all-you-can-do-is-watch-things-play-out-for-someone-it-is-often/) [Torry Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torry-martin/) > [So they can watch all the things you do...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/my-chemical-romance/so-they-can-watch-all-the-things-you-do/) [My Chemical Romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/my-chemical-romance/) > [People can be divided into three groups: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-joshi/people-can-be-divided-into-three-groups-those-who-make-things-happen/) [Shubham Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-joshi/) > [“There are those who make things happen, there are those who watch things happen and there are those who say 'what happened?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-kiyosaki/there-are-those-who-make-things-happen-there-are-those-who-watch/) [Robert T. Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-kiyosaki/) ## More by Douglas Rushkoff > [The first step toward maintaining autonomy in any programmed environment is to be aware that there's programming going on. It's as simple as understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/the-first-step-toward-maintaining-autonomy-in-any-programmed/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Digital media are biased toward replication and storage. Our digital photos practically upload and post themselves on Facebook, and our most deleted e-mails tend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/digital-media-are-biased-toward-replication-and-storage-our-digital/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [“And spend they did. Money circulated faster and spread wider through its communities of use than at any other time in economic history.8 Workers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/and-spend-they-did-money-circulated-faster-and-spread-wider-through/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Occupy Wall Street is meant more as a way of life that spreads through contagion, creates as many questions as it answers, aims to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/occupy-wall-street-is-meant-more-as-a-way-of-life-that-spreads/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Time has always been used against us on a certain level. 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Drone pilots suffer more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/digiphrenia-how-technology-lets-us-be-in-more-than-one-place-and-self/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [A currency designed for long-term storage and investment doesn't do so well at encouraging transactions and exchange in the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/a-currency-designed-for-long-term-storage-and-investment-doesn-t-do/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Since the 1960s, mainstream media has searched out and co-opted the most authentic things it could find in youth culture, whether that was psychedelic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/since-the-1960s-mainstream-media-has-searched-out-and-co-opted-the/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Children are being adultified because our economy is depending on them to make purchasing decisions. So they're essentially the victims of a marketing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/children-are-being-adultified-because-our-economy-is-depending-on/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [In spite of my own reservations about Bing's ability to convert Google users, I have to admit that the search engine does offer a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/in-spite-of-my-own-reservations-about-bing-s-ability-to-convert/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [“Limbic consonance is the little-known process through which the mood of a room changes when a happy or nervous person walks in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/limbic-consonance-is-the-little-known-process-through-which-the-mood/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Think 'Game of Thrones.' In the old days, this sort of show might be considered bad writing. 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"Do I want to be on the subway looking at these people, or do I want to be in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/we-have-the-alternative-do-i-want-to-be-on-the-subway-looking-at/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Digiphrenia”—the way our media and technologies encourage us to be in more than one place at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/digiphrenia-the-way-our-media-and-technologies-encourage-us-to-be-in/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) [Explore all 180 Douglas Rushkoff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) ## More Choices quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. 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I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [Clarissa," he said, "here with the vampire, I see. When things have settled a bit, we really must discuss you choice in pets..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/clarissa-he-said-here-with-the-vampire-i-see-when-things-have-settled/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Give me a platter of choice finnan haddie, freshly cooked in its bath of water and milk, add melted butter, a slice or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-claiborne/give-me-a-platter-of-choice-finnan-haddie-freshly-cooked-in-its-bath/) [Craig Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-claiborne/) > [I don't know that any woman could ever not think about that at some point - even making the choice not to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-watts/i-don-t-know-that-any-woman-could-ever-not-think-about-that-at-some/) [Naomi Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-watts/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) [Browse all 11,466 Choices quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "With the DVR, I was mostly writing about it as a good thing in giving us the choice of when and how to watch things. 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