Confessions of a "Heavy Media User"

I was really nervous about tracking my usage of media for two full days. I knew I was a heavy media user and for some reason “heavy media user” has such a poor connotation to it! I automatically associate it with large, fat, and lazy. I knew that I used my phone a lot and the computer is an all day/everyday thing for me at work while I take loan applications. So, I downloaded the app Track Phone Usage as well as Checky to help me stay honest in my media tracking.

As I was compiling my data and creating my infographic, I was ultimately not surprised by my media usage. I text my out-of-state boyfriend a lot, and last month, my cell phone statement showed a total of almost 12,000 texts from my phone in one month. Obviously the texting is the bulk of my media usage and it benefits me because I am able to have contact with one of the most important people in my life. On the other hand, I found myself making excuses to stay home and not go out so that I could stay home and text without “life activity” interrupting me. I’ve been very aware of this for the last several months, and often I fall into the tech-trap, but I am very purposeful to go out and experience life activities and leave my phone behind.

I was surprised that my media usage does not vary from weekends/week days. I anticipated that I would use media more frequently on the weekends, but other than the texting increased there was not much change between the days. According the Kaiser Family Foundation article that we reviewed in class, it appears that in relation to other teenagers I am considered a heavy media user. I honestly, don’t know if I would deem this a fair comparison because although I do stare at the screen all day for work, this is working/active media time and I don’t believe most 8-18 year olds are paid to work on the computer nine hours a day. If it wasn’t a part of my job – there is no way I would be on the computer that much! My Friday and Saturday work schedule is very similar, so I tracked my Sunday media usage too and I touched the computer for only 2 minutes simply so I could restart it.

Active:

Computer, texting, Snapchat, and reading books

Passive:

Music, Pinterest, Facebook, and Snapchat.

In conclusion, I was grateful for this assignment because it helped me recognize my feelings while I’m using different types of media. When I’m texting my boyfriend I swing from happy, sad, ecstatic, in love, frustrated, excited, anxious, amazed and all those other feelings found in a relationship! A technologically based relationship is not ideal and I don’t prefer all of these emotions to be shared over texting and Snapchat, but I am grateful that the technology does exist so that I can communicate with someone I love so instantaneously. Facebook and Pinterest leave me feeling like a lazy lard! I don’t like how I feel after wasting time on websites such as these. Music pumps me up. I listen while I’m walking, working, reading, driving and studying. I know that I study better when I’m not listening to music, but it is better than all the background noise of the call center environment I work in currently. Using the computer leaves me feeling drained! I’m so excited for the day when I get to be teaching and not stuck behind my computer all day! Oddly, reading a book did not leave me uplifted, but this may be due to the content (research methods textbook). When I was laying in the bathtub on Sunday morning reading Harry Potter, I was left relaxed and happy as my mind raced through the air alongside Harry and his broomstick.

Data	Friday	Saturday
Computer	9:45:00	7:30
Phone: Total	4:29:12	5:31:30
Texting	2:49:26	3:14:05
Pandora	2:35:00	1:45:00
Pinterest	0:16:38	0:09:57
Facebook	0:12:23	0:16:18
Snap Chat	0:20:42	0:36:53
TV	0:00:00	0:00:00
Books	0:20:00	0:40:00

http://kff.org/other/event/generation-m2-media-in-the-lives-of/