Helen’s blog post
My media consumption habits become a bit dismal once I get caught up in the ruthless grad school schedule. I squeeze it in when I can — usually in the mornings when I feel refreshed — along with a couple stories sprinkled in throughout the day. I definitely read quite a bit when I am researching for an upcoming project, and these are looming in abundance. Sometimes that research can lead down tangential paths. However, I feel that I do not spend enough time reading just for reading’s and learning’s sake. I love reading. I relish the times when I can just kick back and read whatever strikes my fancy.
Because I’m constantly on my computer for work purposes, that’s how I consume a lot of stories. Tablets represent “kick back” mode, which I rarely find myself in, while mobile is for all the time in-between — in transit, before bed, just after waking up, in line, etc. I consume much of my content via mobile as well, especially as I’m checking social media. Usually a couple articles will pop out at me during a leisurely scroll through my Facebook feed. When I visit Twitter, it’s either to update my own status or specifically to look for news content.
Because I spend so much of my time staring at a computer screen, I actually make an effort not to stare at my phone when I’m away from my computer, especially if I’m outside, as I feel that too much screen time is unhealthy. I do feel that the busier I am, the less likely I am to visit a news organization’s website or app to seek out content. Instead, I stumble upon stories that I feel compelled to read while scrolling through my social media feed as I often do periodically on instinct. However, I am a frequent user of the NPR app, as listening to audio is convenient as you engage in other busy tasks throughout the day. I also often listen to public radio while in my car.
I actually forgot to add this to the media consumption diary, but I recently discovered Snapchat’s Discover function and feel that the idea of placing content right next to where people interact makes a lot of sense. I feel that content made for Snapchat’s platform is very fun and dynamic and also easy to scroll through. The brevity of the content is also nice. I just recently got into Snapchat. But it remains to be seen if I use the platform to consume content or just to send ridiculous selfies.
