“Don’t just do something, stand there.” -Rumi
It recently occurred to me that forcing myself to sit [relatively] still, in [relative] silence, for 8 hours a day would probably cure most of my mental and emotional problems. I most likely will not do this anytime soon because I am a full time student; nevertheless I do believe I could heal, through quiet sitting, the damage I’ve done in my life.
For some reason, this got me wondering. What if there was a website that payed people to sit in front of a webcam for a predetermined amount of time and do nothing in particular?
Not only could this be entertaining, but it could catalyze personal growth for people who are stuck in life, have no job, suffer from mental illness, etc. It could also provide a basis for clinical research, see what makes people tick, see what helps people reach their full potential. This could also teach the subjects how to overcome fear and anxiety, since they will be forced to sit and accept that the world won’t explode if they put life on hold for a few hours. I don’t know about you, but much of my inner turmoil comes from my inability to accept the things I cannot change in the world and in myself.
Do we not already put life on hold for eight hours a day under the sole assumption that we will be okay if we get enough money? If yes, then what difference will it make if I am doing “nothing” or “something” for those eight hours? For most people, it is a coincidence that they build skills and relationships while making money, but one can also improve themselves on their own time provided they have the resources to do so.
To shake things up a bit and provide ad revenue to pay the subjects for their time, the platform could invite an audience to vote on what you can and can’t do. Like a button next to one’s stream that says “Is this cool?” and the audience could perpetually vote on whether or not the subject’s activity is acceptable. Of course this would have some limits, and it would be in the website administration’s best interest to tell them what they can and can’t do under their terms of agreement (i.e. terms of payment).
For instance, the admin might set limits on sexual activity, eating, drinking, drug use, computer and smartphone use, music, talking, dancing, walking etc. Past the few big no-no’s, the subject could do whatever they want provided they stay within these parameters. If these terms are breached for any length of time, the subject is simply not paid for that time. They are only paid for as long as they sit in silence.
Let’s poke some holes in this idea and see if it can’t be done.
