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
- 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
- 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.
I'm sure that to you this log might seem like a large amount of time but I think you actually sit at the lighter end of the spectrum. I know people who will sit on facebook with the tv on texting for hours on end. Comparatively, your hours are minimal but I know that since I have started logging my hours I am shocked at how much time I spend procrastinating on sites like youtube and collegehumor and facebook. It's really an odd feeling to reflect on what you could have been doing instead of wasting time doing nothing on the internet.
ReplyDelete