Media Consumption
1. Based off the data I have previously collected, I can conclude that on average I spend about 4,5 hours a day using various media devices, such as my phone, laptop, and TV. In terms of financial cost, I try to minimize the expenses by using the free wireless connection as much as possible, for instance, when using the laptop and phone at school or in other public places, such as Starbucks. Still, I have to cover the cost of the Internet connection and TV for home usage and phone bills as well. I do not consider my media use exceptionally energy consuming, apart from instances when I use them for studying. Mostly, they are a means of relaxation, entertainment, and communication, and as such, help restore my energy resources, instead of draining them.
2. The devices I frequently use certainly overlap in their functions to some extent. For instance, I use the laptop, the phone, and TV for the purpose of entertainment. However, most of these devices’ functions do not overlap. For instance, I use only the phone for the purpose of communication (through Whatsapp and Facebook mostly), for listening to radio or using GPS, whereas for studying and school work I use the laptop exclusively.
3. My personal access to media has definitely increased from the time when I was 10 years old for a fairly obvious reason: the rapid advancement of technologies for media consumption. The phones, computers, and TV of today offer a much wider variety of functions and uses than the devices of my childhood. The other key factor is the rise of the social media phenomenon over the last decade and the spread of wireless Internet technologies, which greatly simplified the access to media.
4. I use the devices from my inventory for a wide range of purposes. I use my laptop – Macbook Pro – for acessing the Internet, emailing, watching movies, messaging, social networking, studying, and doing school work. I use my TV to stream movies, watch cable channels, and listen to music. I use my phone – iPhone – mostly for social networking and messaging, as well as for its GPS functions, emailing, listening to music, and accessing the Internet.
5. I can access all the content available to me, because the devices I use offer a number of ways in order to facilitate the access to the content I seek. For instance, my phone supports all kinds of applications for social media sites that make communication and messaging easier and more efficient, and there are plenty of programs installed on my laptop that greatly assist me in performing the studying and work functions. My phone also allows me the access to radio and has a GPS function, which is crucial when I use it on the road.
6. I partially use my devices everywhere, because I have at least one of them at my disposal at all times (namely, my phone). Therefore, I cannot say that there is any time or place where I completely abandon my media devices. I use them at home, at school, in my car, in coffee shops, and other public places, so I would say that I am always spending a portion of my time and energy on media consumption, irrespectible of place. As for money, I have mentioned before that I try to minimize the spending by using as much free Wi-Fi as possible. Based on this, I can say that I am not spending any money on media consumption at school, in coffee shops (such as Starbucks), and other public places.
7. I would not say that different forms of media I use are competing for my time, money or attention. Instead, I would say they rather compliment each other by performing different functions in my life. I use my phone and TV mostly for entertainment, as opposed to my laptop, which is used mostly for studying, therefore there is no competition.
8. I believe that different forms of media can certainly be in competition with each other. For instance, I cannot use my laptop for taking notes and studying and watching Youtube videos simultaneously, because that would be a counterproductive waste of time and energy. Just as well, I cannot use my phone for social media communication and entertainment via radio and my laptop for homework at the same time, because this would create too much of an attention divide between different forms of media and would not allow me too efficiently use either. At the same time, there are forms of media that are easily compatible with one another when it comes to their simultaneous usage. For instance, I can easily watch TV shows or movies using my TV and communicate through Whatsapp or Facebook via my phone, or I can use social media and Google at the sime time too. It all directly depends on the purpose of media consumption: as long as both devices are used for the same goal, be it entertainment, communication, or studying, they are not in competition with each other. The clash only happens when the purposes of media use collide with one another.
9. I would not say that I am neglecting relationships, obligations or my own well being for media consumption. The numbers confirm this: as previously mentioned, I spend on average only 4,5 hours a day on media devices. This number encompasses time spent on using media for both my school work and studying and my personal entertainment and social communication. This would leave me a healthy 8 hours of sleep per day, which is crucial for a person’s well being, 6-7 hours for school, and 4,5-5,5 more hours for other extracurricular activities, namely sports or pursuing other hobbies or meeting with people. Therefore, there is still plenty of time for ensuring my own well being through regular physical activity and dealing with my work and school obligations. As for relationships, I would suggest that media not only do not stand in the way of relationships, but actually help to maintain them thanks to social media. Now it is much easier to keep in touch with a person even if you do not have an opportunity to meet in person.
10. Yes, I believe that I am benefiting from my media consumption. My phone allows me to maintain constant communication with my friends, family, and colleagues, both for personal and professional purposes. It also provides me with access to my music and radio, which helps me relax and restore my energy. My laptop is a gateway to terrabytes of information needed for successful completion of my schoolwork, therefore it is exceptionally beneficial when it comes to my academic progress. It also attributes to my recuperation after hard work, because it gives me access to Youtube, movies, and TV shows. The last two points are also applicable to my TV.
11. At this point, I cannot imagine my life without mass media, for it would be a burden not to have access to any form of media. No access to media would mean no instant communication, no topical news from all over the world, no fast research or access to music, TV shows, movies, radio. After experiencing all the joys and conveniences that come from the media, I can safely say that the world without them seems like a silent and depressing one.
12. No, I was not surprised by any of my findings. I was quite aware before of how much time I spend using media devices and for what purpose, and this research cemented my perception of self and my time management. I believe the time, energy and resources I spend on media to be reasonable and will try to continue keeping them within the aforementioned limits.
