My Media Diet

Media Intake from June 20th-26th

6/20 --

• Computer: Facebook, MyPyramid Tracker, Visa Application, YouTube and SideReel (3 hours)
• TV: So You Think You Can Dance (1 hour)
• Books: Technology in Our Time (1 hour)
• Total Time: 5 hours

 6/21 --

• Computer: Facebook, MyPyramid Tracker, iTunes, HuffingtonPost (1 hour 30 minutes)
• TV: none
• Books: Technology in Our Time (2 hours)
• Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

6/22 --

•  Computer: Facebook, MyPyramid Tracker, iTunes, Skype, SCU Login Links (2 hours)
• TV: The Daily Show,  Colbert Report, Cedar Rapids (2 hours)
• Books: none
• Total Time: 4 hours

6/23 --

• Computer: CBS/NBC/Boston Globe news articles, Facebook, MyPyramid Tracker, iTunes, FoodNetwork.com, SCU Login Links, Visa Application, YouTube, SideReel, Today's Big Thing (2 hours 30 minutes)
• TV: none
• Books: none
• Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

6/24 --

• Computer: SCU Login Links, Facebook, MyPyramid Tracker, Twitter, Blogspot (1 hour 30 minutes)
• TV: none
• Books: none
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

 6/25 --

• Computer: MyPyramid Tracker, Facebook (30 minutes)
• TV: Parks and Recreation (1 hour)
• Books: none
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

6/26 --

• Computer: MyPyramid Tracker, SCU Login Links, Facebook, online shopping (45 minutes)
• TV: How I Met Your Mother (45 minutes)
• Books: Bossypants by Tina Fey (30 minutes)
• Total Time: 2 hours

Looking at my "Media Diet" for the past six days, it's interesting to see how much I rely on my computer/the Internet for information and entertainment.  While occasionally I'll watch TV with my family or a movie with some friends, most of the time I watch shows that I miss during the day on my computer through Sidereel or Hulu at night, right before I go to bed. The only time that I seem to watch TV is when it's in a social setting, otherwise I'll just watch it from my laptop for convenience. As for the TV that I do watch, it's mostly comedies and reality shows -- basically, if there's a Real Housewife or an SNL cast member involved, chances are I watch it. My reliance on my MacBook doesn't end there, though -- the same goes for news or information purposes. Rather than having to watch news stories about a cell phone theft or a lost cat, I can search for the stories that I'm actually interested in. For instance, this past week Boston mobster Whitey Bulger was captured, which was a huge deal in my area, yet I did not turn on the TV once that day to get information about his arrest or how he had managed to evade getting caught for 16 years. Instead, I listened to news radio stations, read online news articles, or watched videos online. From little daily things like keeping up with friends via Facebook or using MyPyramid Tracker for nutrition purposes, to more major things like applying for a Visa to study abroad or checking my bank statement, I rely completely on my computer.

I would say that my media intake is probably pretty similar to most people my age in a few respects. Most people that I know use sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Hulu on a pretty regular basis, if not every day. I think that particularly with college students, buying a TV is becoming more of a luxury and less of a "necessity" -- since most students have laptops anyways, most people that I know just watch TV or movies through their computers, rather than spending money on both a TV and a laptop. Definitely, the constant checking of Facebook and Twitter seems to be indicative of larger national and global trends in the way people use the Internet. I also think that the push towards news websites either to supplement or replace news broadcasts is a larger social trend, because as I mentioned before, it allows people to search for the news that they are most interested in/want to know more about. However, this does introduce the dilemma of self-selecting bias and how using online news websites rather than watching live broadcasts could limit our sense of the "big picture" when it comes to the information we receive.

When it comes to making changes to my media intake, I think that while I'd like to be less dependent on using the Internet everyday, the amount that I use it on a normal day (1-2 hours) is probably the most realistic. Considering that I'm taking an online class, trying to keep up with current events, and keep in touch with friends, not to mention the amount that I just aimlessly surf, I think that the amount that I'm online is currently the best I can do. I would, however, definitely like to lessen my addiction to sites like Facebook and the Internet in general. After reading some of the articles regarding social inequalities and the Internet, I think that I can understand my media intake better as it relates to my social position. Since I have my own laptop with free Internet access 24 hours a day, I can use my computer and surf the Web however I feel like. Unlike people who may not have such easy means of access to the Internet, I can go on Facebook or read entertainment news without feeling any sense of guilt or anxiety that I'm wasting time or resources online. If I had more limited access to a computer, I would likely spend less time on sites like YouTube or Today's Big Thing and more time searching for information relevant to my job or schoolwork.

Social Networking and Society

Since the advent of MySpace and Facebook, the term “social networking” has become ingrained into our vocabulary. With social networking sites a part of most people’s everyday activities, we have gained new insights into our world and how people interact with one another online. I know that personally, I use Facebook every day, unless I’m somewhere without an internet connection readily available – and even then, I can usually find WiFi somewhere and often end up going online. Recently during last finals week I opened up a Twitter account, since I’ll be going abroad for all of next year and a lot of my friends have Twitter, so I figured it would be an easier way to keep in touch with most of them than by Facebooking. I don’t tend to do many status updates on Facebook, and since Twitter is basically just updating statuses, I don’t tweet very often. From time to time I’ll check out what people are saying, but during the summer I don’t use my computer as often as I do at school, so it’s not very often. I also don’t have a Smart Phone, so I think that this plays into how often I use the Internet or social networking sites. My friends who have iPhones or Blackberries say that they can’t resist checking Facebook or e-mails from their phone, because they get alerts that tell them they have a new message/e-mail waiting for them and they feel like they need to answer it immediately. I’m getting an upgrade on my phone in August that will require me to get a Data Plan, so I feel like my media intake will definitely increase once I make the switch to a Smart Phone. I would say that I text a normal amount – most of the time I’m texting friends to make plans for the night or about something weird that I see at work or in line at Dunkin’ Donuts. Other than that, when I’m catching up with friends or relatives from other parts of the country, I primarily use Skype instead of texting, because it’s an easier way of catching up with people and having an actual conversation.

As much time as I think I spend on social networking sites, I would say that I spend less time on these websites in comparison to other people my age that I know, which is partly an intentional decision. For me the biggest negative drawback associated with social networking is the constant access or feeling of being “wired in” that comes with it. Browsing Twitter and Facebook is interesting, and I can spend hours doing it, but I also think there’s something to be said for disconnecting from the computer and going outside or spending time with people in person rather than communicating through technological means. I like being away from social networking sites/the Internet for a little bit each day – mostly because they’re so addicting that I’ll end up spending hours looking through photos on Facebook or seeing what P.Diddy or Chelsea Handler have been tweeting about. I hate the feeling of having the day slip away because I was online or watching TV all day, when I could have gone for a hike or to the beach with my friends. That said, however, Facebook is a great way to keep in touch with my friends from school or family that live far away, and it undoubtedly has helped me stay connected with people that I otherwise probably would have lost touch with.

I feel that the loss of privacy associated with social networking isn’t as much of an issue for me – if I decide to set up a Facebook account and share my photos and status updates with 500+ people, that’s my decision and any privacy loss that accompanies it is my own doing. I try to have my privacy settings on these sites pretty high, but I also don’t put anything on Facebook that I wouldn’t want my Grandma to see (mostly because my Grandma has a Facebook). Overall, I think that people should approach social networking sites and issues of privacy and constant access that accompany using them as something to complement social life, not replace it. Too much of anything isn’t particularly healthy or beneficial, so I think the key is to have balance. Social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook clearly provide important and helpful services, otherwise there would not be such a large segment of the population that uses them. However, when people get too invested in Facebook reality and make that their whole life, instead of the actual physical space around them, I think problems can potentially arise.