Medium Usage Summary:
Facebook: Routine usage
Snapchat: A lot of usage
Twitter: Least usage
Instagram: Check very regularly
Observations:
I realized through tracking how dependent I am on my phone for entertainment and information. If I want to know what my friends are up to, instead of just asking them, I check their Snapchat story or their Twitter feed. However, I realized that I'm not the only one who is guilty of this. After taking more time to observe the people around me, it seemed as though they spent more time visiting apps on their phone than they did having conversations with me.
I also found that I am a terrible texter. I checked my texts and realized I had over 50 unread texts, even though I am on my phone nearly all day. The reason I have a phone in the first place is to get a hold of people. It is to call and text people. However, I have been so engrossed in social media that I have been using it for other uses and neglecting to respond to simple text messages.
Daily Run-Through:
Before I go to sleep, I do my daily run through of checking all the social media apps on my phone and when I wake up I do the same. I often have trouble falling asleep at night, and through tracking my media use, I realized that it isn't so much that I can't fall asleep but rather I can't get off my phone. It's almost as if there is this compelling urge for me to check my social media after a little time goes by. It is most likely much easier to fall asleep without the stimulation of my phone.
Through the course of the day, I noticed that I would check my apps even when I was doing homework. It was almost like I felt unconnected to the world without checking my phone every 10 minutes. Even when I had no activity on any of my social media feeds, I still felt the need to check it minutes later. When looking around as I walked around campus as well as when I was in the IC studying, I noticed all the eyes directed at their phone screens. The amount of time people spend on their phones rather than looking up and living in the now is actually crazy to me. When did society become so detached to each other and so attached on screens?
Why:
So what motivates me to click the little square icon on my phone and scroll through the feeds? I would say the main reason I consistently check my social media through my cellphone is because it's easier than using my laptop, its faster, it's routine, and it gives me something to do when I'm bored... or better yet... feel like I'm bored. It seems as though society today always needs to be doing something that constantly stimulates us. We get so lost in social media because theres always something we can click that will bring us to a new page with new information... there is literally never ending information and that is something that intrigues me.
Conclusions:
All in all, through tracking my media usage, I feel that I spend too much unnecessary time on social media. I often ignore what people are saying to finish a tweet or to finish reading a tweet. Instead of waiting a few minutes for their story to finish, I can't help but to go on twitter.
What I found through tracking my use on media has really shocked me to the point that I actually feel like I need to do something about it. I realized how often I Instagram and Snapchat, and how irrelevant and pointless most of what I post is. I feel that I get so lost in the world of social media and the world through a screen that it's hard to switch back to reality.
Facebook: Routine usage
Snapchat: A lot of usage
Twitter: Least usage
Instagram: Check very regularly
Observations:
I realized through tracking how dependent I am on my phone for entertainment and information. If I want to know what my friends are up to, instead of just asking them, I check their Snapchat story or their Twitter feed. However, I realized that I'm not the only one who is guilty of this. After taking more time to observe the people around me, it seemed as though they spent more time visiting apps on their phone than they did having conversations with me.
I also found that I am a terrible texter. I checked my texts and realized I had over 50 unread texts, even though I am on my phone nearly all day. The reason I have a phone in the first place is to get a hold of people. It is to call and text people. However, I have been so engrossed in social media that I have been using it for other uses and neglecting to respond to simple text messages.
Daily Run-Through:
Before I go to sleep, I do my daily run through of checking all the social media apps on my phone and when I wake up I do the same. I often have trouble falling asleep at night, and through tracking my media use, I realized that it isn't so much that I can't fall asleep but rather I can't get off my phone. It's almost as if there is this compelling urge for me to check my social media after a little time goes by. It is most likely much easier to fall asleep without the stimulation of my phone.
Through the course of the day, I noticed that I would check my apps even when I was doing homework. It was almost like I felt unconnected to the world without checking my phone every 10 minutes. Even when I had no activity on any of my social media feeds, I still felt the need to check it minutes later. When looking around as I walked around campus as well as when I was in the IC studying, I noticed all the eyes directed at their phone screens. The amount of time people spend on their phones rather than looking up and living in the now is actually crazy to me. When did society become so detached to each other and so attached on screens?
Why:
So what motivates me to click the little square icon on my phone and scroll through the feeds? I would say the main reason I consistently check my social media through my cellphone is because it's easier than using my laptop, its faster, it's routine, and it gives me something to do when I'm bored... or better yet... feel like I'm bored. It seems as though society today always needs to be doing something that constantly stimulates us. We get so lost in social media because theres always something we can click that will bring us to a new page with new information... there is literally never ending information and that is something that intrigues me.
Conclusions:
All in all, through tracking my media usage, I feel that I spend too much unnecessary time on social media. I often ignore what people are saying to finish a tweet or to finish reading a tweet. Instead of waiting a few minutes for their story to finish, I can't help but to go on twitter.
What I found through tracking my use on media has really shocked me to the point that I actually feel like I need to do something about it. I realized how often I Instagram and Snapchat, and how irrelevant and pointless most of what I post is. I feel that I get so lost in the world of social media and the world through a screen that it's hard to switch back to reality.