The Trap of Passive Consumption
— Why a Creator Should Never Call “Netflix” a Hobby —
The Precariousness of “My Hobby is Netflix.”
During self-introductions for new employees this season, I hear it often: “My hobby is watching Netflix,” or “I spend my days off gaming.” I feel an indescribable unease when I hear these answers—a sense of crisis for their creativity. You might think, “Who are you to judge?” Of course, I enjoy streaming services myself. Entertainment is vital for resting an exhausted brain, and immersing oneself in a film with a large screen and surround system is a blissful experience.
However, in an era where streaming is ubiquitous, watching Netflix is no longer a “special” act worthy of being called a hobby. To draw a comparison with the past, it’s like saying, “My hobby is watching TV.” No one would say that with pride today. Even if you’ve conquered every series on the platform, I feel a strong resistance to a creator calling it a “hobby.” Why? Because it is something “anyone can do,” provided they simply put in the time.
「Netflixが趣味です」という危うさ
新年度、新入社員の自己紹介を聞いていると、多くの者がこう答える。「趣味はNetflixです」「休日はゲームをしています」。 私はその回答に、言葉にしがたい違和感と、クリエイティビティの危機を覚える。動画配信がユビキタス化した現在、Netflixを観ることはもはや「趣味」と呼べる特別な行為ではない。かつてのお茶の間の主役を引き合いに出せば、「テレビを観るのが趣味です」と言っているのと同義だ。それは、まとまった時間さえ投入すれば「誰にでもできること」だからだ。
Be an Architect, Not a Critic.
What’s even more wearying is the “analysis” that follows, delivered with the air of an expert. “The sound design in that scene was great,” or “That direction was innovative.” But at the end of the day, discussing media constructed by others is something any general user can do.
We are creators, not critics. Relying on “common languages” (popular videos, games, manga) might seem efficient for communication. However, I cannot ignore the sense of crisis when the ideas emerging from creative sites today are all filled with a strong sense of déjà vu—things we’ve all seen or heard somewhere else. To remain seated in the armchair of “common language” is nothing less than imprisoning your own thinking within a “structure built by someone else.”
評論家ではなく、構築者であれ
さらに辟易とさせられるのは、専門家然とした「分析」だ。だが、所詮、他人が構築したメディアを論じるのは、一般のユーザーにだってできることだ。私たちはクリエイターであり、評論家ではない。共通言語という名の安楽椅子に座り続けることは、自らの思考を「誰かが作った構造」の中に閉じ込めることに他ならないのだ。
Research or Scavenging?
In the past, renting movies of the same genre for research was praised as being “studious.” Today, thanks to subscriptions like Netflix, this “research” has become incredibly easy. Yet, despite this ease, why do we see so many works plagued by déjà vu? I suspect that “research to transcend a genre” has degraded into mere “idea scavenging”—simply looking for good bits to steal.
「ジャンルを凌駕するための研究」か、「ネタ漁り」か
以前はリサーチと称して映画などをまとめて見る行動が「研究熱心」と称賛されたが、現在はサブスクでその「研究」がいとも容易くなった。容易くなったにも関わらず、既視感強い作品が多いのは、「ジャンルを凌駕するための研究」から「良いネタを収集する」だけのネタ漁りになっているだけではないだろうか？
When Game Makers “Consume” Games.
“I love Monster Hunter,” or “I’m a die-hard Final Fantasy fan.” Since we are a game company, I’m happy to see young people who love games. Yet, I must say it: if you are a creator, I don’t want you to say “gaming is my hobby.” Once you enter this industry, games are no longer a “hobby.” They are “work.” I want you to be conscious of the mindset shift from being a “receiver” to being a “giver.” We are the ones who build the “structure” of the game. Anyone can play and be moved. But to build that structure from scratch and sublimate it into an experience that shakes the player’s soul requires a cold, calculating design philosophy that far exceeds the perspective of a consumer’s “hobby.”
ゲームを作る者が、ゲームを「消費」する時
「モンスターハンターが大好きです」。ゲーム会社である以上、ゲーム好きな若者が集まるのは喜ばしいことだ。だが、それでもあえて言いたい。クリエイターなら「ゲームが趣味です」とは言ってほしくないのだ。 この業界に入ったならばゲームは「趣味」ではない。「仕事」なのだ。受け取る側から、与える側へマインドセットを意識して欲しい。私たちはゲームという「構造」を構築する側の人間なのだから。
Pause the Play Button.
I don’t want those who create to be satisfied with merely being spectators of “structures built by someone else.” Will you end as a “mimic,” consuming admired works and reproducing their fragments? Or will you aim to be a “Structurer,” dismantling existing frameworks to build new ones?
Time is an asset everyone possesses equally. How you invest it and what you build defines your purity as an artist. Currently, the trend of merely “spending” that time on consumption is eroding the very foundation of creativity. Please, pause your video for a moment and think: Is the time you are consuming now enriching your structure? Or are you simply dancing in the palm of someone else’s hand? A mere “time-consuming hobby” will never become the foundation of the structure you aim to build.
その「再生ボタン」をポーズして
何かを作る者には、「誰かが作った構造物」を喜んで見ているだけの存在に甘んじてほしくない。「模倣者」で終わるのか、それとも新たな骨組みを打ち立てる「構造家」を目指すのか。 あなたが今、消費しているその時間は、あなたの「構造」を豊かにしているだろうか。それとも誰かの手のひらの上で踊らされているだけではないだろうかと。単なる『時間消費』という名の趣味が、あなたの目指す構造物の土台になることはないのだ。
I am a Structurer.
