← The 4-Media Rule

I started reading, watching and playing at most four concurrent medias.
This limit is an exercise to gain back the attention that is so easily fragmented nowaday due to the abundance of information.
I want to be more present and enjoy experiences in depth, without the cost of constantly switching contexts.
Zeigarnik, a famous psychologist, discovered that we are more likely to remember incomplete tasks, and that is an enourmous inconsciuos weight that we carry around.
In addition, having too many choices is paradoxically overwhelming and leads to paralysis.

This is why I want to limit my concurrent medias to four.
Here is my current list of medias:

Completed

Here is a list of medias that I have completed since I started this rule.
I'm not mentioning one-shot medias like movies or multiplayer games that I casually play with friends.

Books
  • City of Illusions - Ursula K. Le Guin

    Le Guin has an extraordinary ability to weave emotion into every page, exploring the relationship between her characters and the worlds they inhabit with remarkable subtlety. City of Illusions follows a man stripped of his memories, searching not only for his past but also for his place in a world he barely understands. The first half unfolds as a quiet journey across an unfamiliar landscape, capturing the vulnerability of someone navigating forces he cannot see or comprehend. That lingering sense of uncertainty never leaves the reader. The second half transforms into a psychological maze of revelations and deception. Every new discovery forces both the protagonist and the reader to question what is real, blurring the line between truth and illusion until certainty becomes almost impossible. I finished the novel feeling as disoriented as its protagonist, and that's exactly what makes it so memorable.

  • The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera

    I often feel disconnected from books that lean heavily on philosophical underpinnings and pause the plot in favor of theoretical musings. The Unbearable Lightness of Being is one of them. Set during the Russian occupation of Czechoslovakia, the story follows four characters and their complicated love lives, defined by various forms of betrayal. Through them, the book challenges the concept of eternal recurrence and explores the 'lightness of being', the idea that everything in life occurs only once. While the dynamics between the characters were intriguingly toxic and compelling, I couldn't fully enjoy the constant digressions on abstract concepts, such as the nature of kitsch. The narrative also drags when focusing on the military occupation, and I was on the verge of DNFing it several times. Ultimately, it was an overrated read for my taste, though I can see why it resonates so strongly with others.

Series
  • Berlin and the Lady With an Ermine - Netflix

    Emotional and intriguing like every other "La casa de papel" series. Berlin is truly a charming character, and the story is well-told. The other characters are less interesting, and the love plots are predictable and less deep than the main series, but it's still a good watch.

  • Due Spicci - Netflix

    Zerocalcare always manages to concretely explain feelings that we all experience but can't always put into words. This series (and the previous ones) will make you cry and destroy you with a lot of emotions. It's a good series to watch if you want to feel something and understand yourself better.

  • Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin

    I always wanted to explore the Gundam world, and this is most certainly a perfect place to start. The show thoroughly and realistically explains the cruelty and moral ambiguity of war, where each faction has its own understandable reasons to fight and to feel righteous. Each episode expands the world in a meaningful way, and the overall aesthetic of the show is impeccable (and satisfying if you love mechs) I will for sure continue digging into the franchise.

  • Off Campus

    Watched it with my girlfriend, and now I understand the hype. It mixes the classic enemy to lovers scenario with deep relatable emotions that people often overlook in this genre. It made me almost shed a tear sometimes :( One of the aspects that stood out to me is the use of music, good choice of songs and very precisely woven into the plot.

Games
  • TOEM - Nintendo Switch

    A very unique photo adventure. You can feel the heart that the developers put into the details. A lot of stuff to discover and a lot of life around you.

  • Electrician Simulator - PC

    Unexpectly detailed, a short game that can also teach you about some practical home maintenance. The only problem is the repetitive nature of the game. Connecting wall plugs is fun at first, but after a while it becomes a chore.

  • Kirby Star Allies - Nintendo Switch

    Being a Kirby fan, I really enjoyed this game. It makes a clever use of the powers, more than some other entries in the series. On the short side, but the gameplay is fun and the level design is interesting.

  • Super Mario Galaxy - Nintendo Switch

    My favorite Mario game. The level design is always new and interesting and it will never get old. Each galaxy is a different experience and has its own story and charm. It is amazing how after all this time, it still makes you feel like a kid exploring new worlds.

  • Sleeping Dogs - PC

    Sleeping Dogs is a charming "GTA"-style open world that manages to retain its own vibe even 14 years later. The map is exactly the right size to explore without being bored by the surroundings, with small mechanics that keep wandering engaging, like missions scattered everywhere or collectibles that do not feel like a chore to complete. Story-wise, the plot is straightforward and predictable but that does not stop it from being compelling and emotional. The DLCs add small differences in the combat but fall short due to a lack of content variety.