the weirdest tech stress release i've tried and somehow it works

the cathartic cranium explosion

alright, hear me out. i was battling with my ancient pc (srsly, this thing's running on fumes and probably wishes it wasn't) when it just. collapsed. software stopped working, files vanished into the ether, and my brain went pop. normally i'd just get mad or stop caring, but no. instead, BLAM- i screamed at the screen. a proper scream.

it was LOUD. like a banshee trapped in a meat grinder. and then... something weird happened. the screen, that cursed old monitor, started flickering and crackling like it was responding. was i summoning eldritch power or just annoying my neighbors? doesn't matter. the point is, i felt... lighter? like releasing 378 years of built-up frustration through facial explosions had somehow reset my brain.

so i looked it up (which means i read someone's blog for like ten seconds and took notes on my arm). apparently screaming at screens when tech bites you is totally a mood-boosting catharsis. some studies (okay, one tweet, actually) say that releasing pent-up anger physically can reduce ongoing stress. and if you're doing it with a digital decoy like an old monitor, you're basically channeling your inner wild child with zero consequence.

but here's where it gets wild. i think there's something profound about how we treat these machines. like, screens are supposed to be servants to us, right? tools. but there's this aesthetic to smashing old monitors that champions the destruction of obsolescence. and i'm digressing but also no because it trails into... something about reclaiming agency over tech failures?

anyway, i did this repeatedly over the course of a week, and each time i felt... different. more zen, even. like i hacked a digital purge or something. my mental health improved—don't quote me on that, i haven't been tested—but i felt more ready to deal with future crashes. or maybe i was just avoiding real problems, which is also valid.

the catch: my neighbors still hate me. the monitor respawned fine (magic?), but the dog won't come near the living room anymore. if you're gonna try this at home, maybe bring earplugs or pick a different victim device. proceed with caution, or don't.

so to come back to the whole point—is screaming at old screens actually good for you?—i reckon yeah. it's cathartic, it's liberating, and if you do it right, you might accidentally feel more in control of your digital life. or you'll just get a seizure. either way, it's a low-cost trial.

so that's my thesis. burt out here living on the edge of tech-therapy and pure chaos. if you try it, send me the video. maybe we start a movement. or get arrested. either way, reckon it beats screaming into bread like everyone else.