Media: Can’t live with it, Can’t live without it.

Oh the joys of mass media! We live it and breathe it – it surrounds us everywhere we go. From passing billboards driving down the road, to newspapers strewn on the sidewalks, and even in the comfort of one’s own home – television, internet, radio and books; media engulfs our society. I never realized the extent of the phenomenon until I took mass media into deep consideration.

*A Day in the Life of Media

Living in a university campus greatly exposes an individual to endless amounts of mass media. Take it from me; for two consecutive days I kept an hour-by-hour journal of the media I encountered. At times I had trouble recording every little media I stumbled upon. My day began like any other typical college students: I woke up, I took a shower, and of course… I had to sign online! I don’t want to forego an oh-so-important message on Facebook, or God forbid I neglect an e-mail on Yahoo!

Before I knew it, I had passed an hour on the internet. I grabbed my bag and ran out the door for class. As I waited for the elevator I noticed more media; Posters about the upcoming football game, “Go Tigers!” Down the floors I went, and you guess it, more media! On the floor of the elevator was a flyer inviting students for free ice cream in the union. Now that was media I’m definitely glad I crossed.

Walking to class I was bombarded with more media: Newspapers, event posters, and even signs written on the sidewalk in chalk. The media continued even once I was in class; all courses required text book use. Finally, after four hours of classes I headed back to my dorm. As usual I went right to the computer. I just had to check my latest updates: Facebook, Yahoo, University Webmail, and Ning. Meanwhile I turned on the radio for some music.

stufffff

After spending every bit of two hours online, I buckled down for some homework. Back to the text book media, my least favorite. Three hours go by completing homework and studying. I had to take a break. On went the television. I dozed into nap mode, and woke back up ready to give my school work another try. Hours go by in-between my studies and internet use. Finally it was time for bed. I couldn’t imagine what media was in store for me the next day.

*Time for the “So What” Factor!

After gaining so much from only one day of media use, you can imagine what the following day offered. Within a 48 hour period, I had spent approximately 40 percent of my time on the internet. However, 30 percent of my time was spent studying with books. There is definitely something wrong with that picture. Most of my media use was with the radio, a whopping 52 percent. I always use the radio as background sound whether I’m on the internet or studying. The television was not a big issue for my media use; it only took up 5 percent. On average I only spent about 1 percent of my time on newspapers, flyers, and signs.

Following my evaluations, I couldn’t believe how much of my day was spent with mass media use! I could only imagine what it would be like for those who live in an urban area. Take New York City for instance, a huge mass media area. Just walking through Times Square would expose someone to nearly every form of media.

times square

*And now for the Grand Finale

Two whole days without media use proved to be incredibly difficult. Waking up and not checking my usual websites was extremely excruciating. I felt so disconnected from my friends and family. Many of my closest friends go to universities out of state, so the easiest way to keep in touch is through internet use.

Without the internet occupying my time, I somewhat felt at loss for what to do? I refused to give into my voluntary media needs, so I decided to go for a run around campus. During my run I experienced a lot of involuntary exposure to media. I ran past several posters and signs about campus activities but I tried not to look. Afterward, I headed back to my dorm. When I entered my roommate had the television on with the Ravens game playing (my favorite team), in addition to browsing away at the web. I glared at her with envy and decided to just sleep the day away. It seemed to be my only option to avoid media!

All in all my two days spent without media was for the most part a success! I will say it was extremely boring, or so it seemed. Time seemed like it was slowing down. I didn’t experience any “withdrawal” symptoms, but I did feel very detached. Without the media I did have a lot of time to reflect on myself. In a way it seems pathetic as to how much media occupies my time. I never realized how large of a role media has in society, but it truly surrounds our existence. It seems no matter where I am I’m always being exposed to media, whether in my room or out and about.

*Media: Asset or Misfortune

There are both advantages and disadvantages to avoiding media. One main advantage is time to relax. I realized many nights I would stay up late messaging back and forth to friends, all for what? I suppose simply for entertainment. There were times that I would even get behind on homework because I was too occupied with blogging. Without media I was able to break my habit of excessive internet use.

compter girl

Another advantage is being able to admire the natural world around us. Sometimes I feel as if society is so worried about keeping up with media that they forget about the things that truly matter. Trees for instance, one day just stop and look at a tree. They are remarkable creations and provide us with our necessity to live; oxygen. Even to just listen to the sound of birds chirping – rather than the sound of a cell phone ringing, is enchanting.

One main disadvantage of avoiding media is the lack of information. People would be at loss for news. If there were an emergency of some sort, a tornado for example, there would be no way for citizens to be informed of precautions without access to media. Another form of information that would be lost without media is text books. Schools would vanish without them, and the means of education would depreciate.

love & hate