Gimme A Break, Please

I am a twenty-something non-white female immigrant art journalist living in Los Angeles, California, and I’m two weeks into a media cleanse. Although I knew I was suffering from media burn-out, I’d only realized this last bit of information upon completing a 48-hour media consumption log.

In brief, my information intake over two days consisted of mainly five things: Snapchat, Instagram, the occasional uplifting newsletter, public radio, and assigned readings. Read: I’ll still consume news… if you make me.

I was on Instagram and Snapchat at the beginning and end of each day. This is because during working hours, I was either engaged in classes/ homework or preoccupied running errands. Initially I’d opened the Snapchat and Instagram apps to check for responses to messages I’d sent earlier, but it quickly morphed into a brainless visual sinkhole. A sort of twisted journalistic palate-cleanser, if you will.

During my commutes, I listened to NPR instead of my usual sonically genius Spotify playlists. There were news updates and a few engaging cultural stories. While attempting to sweep my soul tidy of the news media, I could still stomach NPR’s updates (… live from Washington), probably because it’s a totally passive activity. I’m in my car, and all I have to do is sit and hear things.

The media I found useful were the radio, newsletter, and the assigned readings for my classes. The content of each varied but all were relevant to my life as a twenty-something working in the media and living in Los Angeles. The information I received in my Monetization & New Media class was most helpful because it provided specific information about something that I am actively working towards (understanding the media landscape in order to make money as a journalist in today’s ever-changing world).

Although my media consumption the past two days are not what they usually are, I still think it could prove useful for advertisers. The value in observing my patterns comes from the context: as a millennial journalist on a news-cleanse, I still consume media that I deem instantly applicable to my everyday life. I checked my messages on social media to find out when an assignment was due. I listened to the radio to hear about street closures for the Women’s March on the weekend. I read magazine articles online as assigned, but also to be better informed for an imminent lecture.

For an advertiser, the message here is that although millennials take “breaks” from the news, we still have to stay connected to our lives, which exist largely online. I think “low impact” advertising that respects my time would be most acceptable in these circumstances. By “low impact” I mean non-disruptive, non-abrasive advertising (rather than ineffective advertising). This could take the form of native advertisements, like radio hosts naming their sponsors on-air, or the more traditional ad-placement at the fold of a digital magazine article. These ads need to be quick, painless, and straightforward because during a time when I’m intentionally consuming less media, I react adversely to aggressive marketing tactics like required 30-second video commercials on YouTube and pop-up ads on magazine sites.

For this millennial, during an overly-stimulating time in her life, less is more.