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Those are the...
Those are...OW
It got you???
Yeah. Papa
So you got stung by a jellyfish
and I've seen it in movies before where if somebody gets stung by a jellyfish you have to pee on them
As a kid I was really fascinated with survival shows like Survivor Man and Man vs. Wild
something about the challenge of using what little you had to survive
in the wild at all cost really pulled me in
I could never put my finger on why I felt that way
I lived in the Los Angeles suburbs all my life
The information they reported wouldn't really be of value to me here
Nonetheless I think it sparked sort of this adventurous spirit in me
one you could only find in nature. Although I never became quite as adventurous as Bear Grylls
I later learned how overdramatized these survival shows can be
because of that I kind of fell out of the shows
as I went outside more myself, but it made me wonder if people would continue watching them if
the drama were removed and things were more realistic
I naively thought "no"
until I found a YouTube channel that seemed to be based on one guy
silently building things in the wild from scratch
no drama, just creation
these videos were hitting the millions
and their popularity may actually reveal
a buried desire in modern culture
Welcome to Psych IRL. My name is Donna and
today's video is about Primitive Technology
Since this video is about Primitive Technology, we're hiking
What is it about these videos that attracts people? They seem quite
mysterious at first when you watch this man silently build something from scratch
using his environment. At the same time, it's also quite relaxing
and almost has an ASMR feel to it. The sound of the forest, running water,
branches breaking, and even the rocks hitting one another is kind of calming
It's also oddly satisfying how a lot of his structures fit perfectly together,
making it hard to look away
Some of the clips are quite repetitive.
It's simply a man practicing his aim with the sling he had just made
yet I along with many others
seem to be enthralled with his progress
turning on captions adds another layer to the videos
you find that they are tutorials
and diving deeper into the main character of the video, The man
actually lives a modern life in Queensland Australia
John Plant does this as a hobby. According to his WordPress site
primitive technology is a hobby where you make things in the wild completely
from scratch using no modern tools or materials. This is the strict rule if you
want fire, use fire sticks. An axe? Pick up a stone and shape it. A hut? Build one
from trees, mud, rocks, etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without modern technology
Now the purpose of me doing this video outdoors
was merely because it matched the topic of the video
the hike takes place in Eaton Canyon In Pasadena, CA
it's a very easy hike. I've done it multiple times before
one I'd say you could even do when your flip flops
but the rain made it slightly more difficult
and I wasn't wearing the right attire for crossing streams
I was wearing converse
so in a twist of fate, I accidentally demonstrated just how much we rely on
modern technology for a simple hike
Everyone had the same idea
Look
that girl just fell
Everyone's struggling and we're not the same type of...???
What is your plan if you get all the way over there?
Do you see a way over there? No! Then why are you going that way?
As an update, I'm taking off my shoes. I'm not wearing the right ones
I'm crossing barefoot
I realize just how much I took shoes for granted. In the primitive
technology videos, he isn't wearing any. It's left me to wonder how long it took
to build the calluses on his feet. Enough for him to be comfortable to run, jump
and even pin material down. The ultimate lesson for me was, "don't be cocky with Mother Nature"
since I'd done the hike before and to be honest the trail is a bit touristy
I took my shoes for granted. I crossed several streams with my shoes on
but while doing so, sand and pebbles got in them
and with every step my feet would get scraped
Update: Putting my shoes back on because every single rock hurts
I know it's a simple mistake that could have easily been avoided
but it has made me appreciate his videos that much more
the problem I had just faced was something he addressed
John's videos are unlike overdramatized reality TV
Although I do have massive respect for Bear Grylls and I don't doubt his abilities
it's safe to say that a lot of situations he goes through are amplified for television
while in the Montana wilderness for example
Grylls is escaping a train barreling down a tunnel
some have speculated this stunt to be faked due to a convenient cut
right about when the train and Grylls exit the tunnel
Let's watch that again
catch that
whether real or not the purpose of the show is to entertain
Primitive technology on the other hand showcases more realistic scenarios
both shows serve a different purpose
while a TV producer may call what John does boring
the boring is what captivates his viewers in the first place
just from looking at the comments, you can see that his audience prefers the silence
what makes these videos so alluring is that I think at a subconscious level we
are all drawn to nature. It may awaken a primitive part in our brain.
Many biological processes support this. There's plenty of evidence that support
the need for sunlight. Our bodies produce vitamin D from sunlight which is linked
to an increase in mood. Studies show how low vitamin D levels are linked to suicde and depresion
because modern life prevents most of us from spending
an appropriate time outside. Primitive technology videos sort of allows us to
imagine ourselves in his position.This can be postulated by the function of mirror neurons
this class of neurons are found to discharge when an individual performs an action
at the same time, they also discharge when we see an action being performed
this was first observed when a team of neurophysiologists
recorded these neurons firing when macaque monkeys reached for a piece of food
some neurons also responded when the monkey simply
saw humans reach for a piece of food. So it's not as effective as being in the environment entirely
but the videos somewhat fulfill that craving for nature we all have
the scenarios are also realistic enough for us to imagine ourselves in
the craving of nature is further exemplified from the trends if you will
that are currently booming. Videos where people quit social media or internet
are gaining popularity because they're now the new surprising
I had hardwired into my brain this compulsive checking
you'd think getting a 100K followers on Instagram would be amazing
looking at my phone hundreds of times per day
hated how much pull my phone had
constantly scrolling Twitter
it's all of a sudden strange to be not plugged in. In some parts of the world
there are camps designed to stop an individuals Internet addiction. The
newest update on your iPhone has a feature called screen time. Its sole
function, to limit how much you use your phone. As an entire culture we all seem
to have this love-hate relationship with the Internet. Overall it's helpful. It has
made a lot more things convenient but, maybe a little too convenient. We are
able to work anywhere around the world, but maybe we should take a break
It allows for us to communicate with anyone, but hearing other people's opinions all
the time isn't good for us. Events that usually ended when we got home, now
follow us to bed and that can be overwhelming. Perhaps that's why we see
this trend of going back to the basics: A life without internet. A life without clutter
Now hold up I know you're probably finding the irony in this
since John does upload his videos onto social media
but we're not advocating for no internet here
we're advocating for you to maybe spend some time in nature as well
after all John does have his own website where he does share his survival skills with others
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Now that I've gotten on the Internet
I'd rather be on my computer then doing just about anything. It's really cool. The
internet gave us a whole world of exciting new possibilities. So I guess
this is a story of how it changed our lives
Maybe it will yours too. The internet becoming the individuals number one
go-to for escapism can give us additional insight into primitive
technologie's popularity. Escapism overall is fundamental for coping with one's
life stressors. When faced with a stressful task it's healthy to do something else
and then come back to that task. Maybe we take a walk or draw
this is escapism. However the most common type of escape we choose is now, our phones
it's just convenient.
This goes without saying but it's being presented with negative opinions or work
just adds to our stress
On top of that, the escapism that's essential needs to allow one for inward reflection
and phones don't allow for that
a large body of research concurs that just being in nature allows for this
apps, content, and games on the other hand, are designed to
be addictive and monopolize our attention,
making this method of escape ineffective. There is no time for reflection.
The content is dictating how we think
as a consequence, we all seem to be seeking solace in reality and simplicity
it's so strange to me that it seems like
nowadays we have to be taught to think correctly for the sake of our well-being
primitive technology is just another method of escape we subconsciously long for
So sure. A lot of these viewers are merely curious onlookers intrigued by a
man who seems to be living a life distant from ours, but it's important to
ask why that curiosity exists. Other channels who make similar content aren't
as favored as John's. The answer I feel is in the channels realism. Though
entertaining in their own way, other channels create things too extravagant
A reflection of reality TV and a world the common person can't empathize with
Our empathy for John comes from the recognition that while his lifestyle is
different from ours, it's achievable if we choose. And maybe just maybe do we
crave a small part of it in order to escape the constraints of what seems
inescapable. What was once used to escape from reality is now something we use
reality to escape from.
okay guys so since I am living in nature now that
Welcome to my house
That looks dangerous. Don't touch that
That's the end of the video. I will see you guys next time
Stay psyched