Replacing Social Media With Solitaire

Recently I have noticed that I like to play Solitaire for many games in a row. It has replaced my social media habit. I know that solitaire is a solitary game but at the moment I enjoy it. I tried several versions on iOS and android but my current favourite is the Netflix version of Solitaire.

I find that I can spend hours playing Solitaire as I watch TV and films. It seems to give more pleasure than social media. Social media no longer brings as much pleasure as it used to because the communities that I have been part of have migrated to other platforms, or given up on social media. The result is that I can spend hours scrolling, or I can play Solitaire.

Solitaire is a game that allows you to think, and listen, as you play. It doesn’t take that much concentration to win. It’s a good means of spending time being mindful.

The paradox is that sometimes I lose quite a few games in a row so I should be discouraged and give up, like I would if I was playing other iOS or Android games.

A key difference is that there are no ads. It’s adverts that encourage us to give up and move on. Too many iOS apps feel like they’re designed to make us lose so that we either give in and watch apps, or give in and pay not to see ads anymore.

With Solitaire I lose regularly with the Netflix app but I am not punished with ads and that is appreciated. Other versions give us a higher win to play ratio but I don’t mind losing. I think it might be a relaxing pass time.

This is a game that has been on most of our computers for decades, so we have all played at some point. I expect that I will grow bored of it again, and then play some other game.