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by angersock 4489 days ago
What do you have against Serenity-as-a-Service?
1 comments

For me, it'd be like "virtual-parent.com! No need to be a parent to your kids, just point them at this website and we'll be their parent for you".

If you want less stress, or to calm down, the last thing you should be doing is staring at a computer screen. Go outdoors. Exercise. Meet real people.

I agree that "real" experiences are awesome and sometimes people spend a bit too much time in front of their computer or staring at their phone....

But the vitriol of the grandparent-comment seems uncalled for. Computers/phones/etc are not some sort of evil presence that infect everything they touch, and apps like this can have their place too. In the right context, they might do a lot of good.

[E.g. I love various simple "sounds of rain" apps on my phone -- they can reallllly help me concentrate when I'm trying to study in a cafe and the background noise is somehow putting me off. It's like a blanket of calm...]

Yeah, to be fair I had just gotten out of a series of meetings about having less meetings...perhaps the vitriol was a bit uncalled for. I'm also with you on those "sounds of rain" or other white noise apps for concentration.

But this isn't just for concentration, this is for (quoted from their terms and conditions) "customized relaxation and self-improvement sessions." I'm not of the mind that electronics are an evil presence that infect everything they touch, rather I'm of the mind that there are certain activities which are cheapened by a service like this.

Actual meditation requires some amount effort, not a 20 minute session with headphones and an app.

Fair enough.

I would totally use Nagios on my kids though.