My Media Intake

For the past week I tracked my media usage on my phone. My results have surprised me to a certain extent, however I wouldn’t say they were too shocking. I discovered that I spend a lot of time on my phone. However, unlike many other people who do experiments like this, I am not particularly disappointed in myself. Cell phones aren’t inherently a bad thing. They are portable computers that contain nearly all the information you could ever need at any given time. Cell phones should be celebrated, not antagonized.

I spent a considerable amount of time on Snapchat during the week. If you combined all the time of every other app I use on my phone, it still wouldn’t match how frequently I use Snapchat. This is because Snapchat is my main form of communication between my friends and I. If I need to get ahold of someone, or if I want to continue a conversation, Snapchat is where I go. The Primary reason people use social media sites is to communicate, and I am doing just that.

I will admit that my usage of Twitter and Instagram is less justifiable. That is mostly just mindless scrolling, however I do feel like I am being kept in the loop with what is going on in the world when using them.

Phones aren’t always a good thing though. Many people tend to use phones to escape social situations if they feel uncomfortable or anxious. This is something I am guilty of, and I admit that it is not a good method for developing social skills. I think if you are out doing things with friends, you should always try to minimize the amount of time you use your phone. It is the best way to achieve closer relationships, and you typically have fonder memories of events when you are truly engaged.

Overall, this experiment has taught me a few things. Firstly, it gives me insight into what media sites I am using, and I can use that information to learn more about myself. It also shows that I do use my phone quite a bit. This isn’t always a bad thing, however it has reminded me that I should engage in the world around me more frequently. This was a good learning experience and I recommend that everyone should try doing something like this at some point.