u/xoxoinfinity

So I have been learning French on and off for a few years now. While I'm decent till the A2 level, I feel I'm lingering around B1 and not able to move further. It has become more challenging and there's too much to learn and remember. I have taken classes at Alliance Francaise, private tutoring in a smaller group, but I still feel exhausted at my lack of progress. Has anyone felt this way? How did you move on? How did you push yourself and challenge yourself to learn when it got tough? Coz, A1 and A2 were not as difficult for me as this is turning out to be.

I wasn’t always a minimalist. But over the last year or two I have discovered it, adopted it and trying to live up to it. Now my in laws have moved in with us temporarily and my MIL has a problem with the fact that I have so little of everything. She wants me to have more, but more. Multiple of each thing. I already have more than enough I feel. It’s annoying me to be pushed to consume more. I don’t know how to deal with this and explain my choices to her, get her onboard.

How do I prepare and become confident for DELF writing and speaking sections for the A2 happening in September?

I am fairly ok with comprehension and listening but I am very very nervous for speaking and writing sections. Especially speaking as I don’t get enough practice for that. Any online resources/platforms?

How do I prepare and become confident for DELF writing and speaking sections for the A2 happening in September?

I am fairly ok with comprehension and listening but I am very very nervous for speaking and writing sections. Especially speaking as I don’t get enough practice for that. Any online resources/platforms?

I feel like people treat consumerism as if it only counts when you buy physical stuff. Clothes, gadgets, decor, whatever. But to me, consumerism now extends beyond the physical realms. It is so deep-rooted, even in our digital activities. Digital consumption is just consumerism without the physical space taken up in your house.

I am overwhelmed by the number of things we have come up with digitally to exploit people - Subscriptions, apps, streamable content, games, newsletters, tools, services, media, etc. Just because there is no visible pile of clutter, we are tricked into believing that it is not a form of 'consumption'. That we are not harming ourselves or the environment. But imagine the cost of the content production, of the cloud storage, the networks, the environmental cost of 'digital'.

We have sold our attention. And we have accepted it. Just because it feels invisible. I often find myself thinking - I'm better because I'm not shopping as much, I'm not addicted to hoarding or owning things. However, what about all the digital content I have? The photos, the videos, the faces? What about my urge to scroll 24*7? Always needing one more thing to make life better, easier, prettier, more productive, more optimized - one more post, one more video, one more newsletter, one more digital course, or anything whatsoever.

The thing about digital consumerism is the packaging - self-improvement, productivity, learning, education - call it what you want - but the same thing dressed differently by different sellers. Often, it is just a more socially acceptable form of overconsumption. I am not even saying all digital stuff is bad. Some subscriptions are useful. Some content is genuinely valuable. But I do think we need to be more honest about how much of our online life is basically consumerism with a cleaner interface.

Minimalism should not just mean buying fewer objects. It should also mean being more careful about what gets access to your brain. Anti-consumerism sentiments should apply to digital goods too. We need to be selective of who and what gets our attention and why.

What are your thoughts?