Media Log: Entry 2 | Findings

While conducting my 72-hour media log, which has documented every moment I've actively used media throughout the three days, I found myself coming across various difficulties. I first had to think about what I would define as media, and while I knew I would be surrounded by constant forms of media throughout the three days, what would I actually class as myself interacting with it. I mentioned in my first blog post about this, and what I would be logging down as 'media' in my log - you can read this here. 

After classifying what media meant to me, and how it fit itself into my everyday life I chose the three days I would be logging. I chose three days out of the week, in which I knew I didn't have any specific plans apart from attending university. Again, I talked about this briefly in the first blog post, about how it would be interesting to log down the days in which I am most likely to be using media. I wanted to try and get a true reflection of a 'typical' day in my life, in which I knew I would be using a lot of media. 

Its very difficult to pin point what is media and what isn't, and to know whether or not it effects me on a daily basis. As I decided to log all media I interact with on a daily basis, I knew I needed to prepare myself for how long it would take to actually write out. I have always known I am very much of a 'media girl', I am consumed on a daily basis by both general forms of media and social media and I have been for pretty much my whole life. While I knew this, I was slightly worried about actually knowing how much media I use as I don't want it to be something which completely defines my life. 

Let's talk about findings...

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1. I found numerous different things from logging the media usage of a typical three days in my life. As expected, I found that I do 'binge watch' television programmes. Whichever television programme I'm currently watching, will always be my latest obsession (which at the moment happens to be Waterloo Road...kind of old schoolI know) and therefore will automatically fit itself into my daily routine. I've actually been researching into the effects watching back to back episodes of your favourite tv show and its quite interesting to see how engaging in media can affect your physical health as well as your mental health. Some of these physical effects include the shape of your spine being altered from constantly sitting in the same position (however I do try and avoid this by watching while doing something else instead of just sitting in bed), and weight gain (see here and here for more details). Even now I'm questioning is watching only seven episodes of your favourite tv show over the space of three days binge watching? The fact of the matter is, I am so used to watching around five episodes a day that I don't even see this as a 'true' binge watch. But I know myself if I didn't have university during these days then I would have watched a lot more. 

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2. I knew this would be the case, but I am definitely addicted to social media. Like I said in my last blog post, I've never been a hater of social networking and in fact I find the subject highly interesting. While the media log definitely reflects my usage of social media on a 'typical day', I know there have been days when I've been glued to it and not put down my iPhone or my MacBook. 

Towards the end of last year, former blogger and YouTuber Essena O'Neil posted a video all about the how social media is 'fake', and that people are so consumed in it that they don't even realise their whole lives are dependent on social recognition from likes, comments and more followers from people they don't even know. You can watch the original video here. While social media doesn't personally effect my in this way, I think the video is definitely worth a watch because it does make you think just how much media can effect our lives. 

To me, social media has always been a creative outlet and a space I could use to express all sides to my personality. I think social media does get too much stick, and that many people focus on the negative effects it provides instead of the positive. Granted the negative effects of it can be really bad, however I do think its important to recognise how social media can positively impact people's lives.

I do agree that social media allows you to only show people what you want them to see, but I believe that there are many aspects of life that are like this - not just online on social media. 

It was expected that I would find from this media log that I am addicted to social media, way more than is healthy or necessary. I just can't take myself away from it, especially when I write my own personal blog too and use social media for promotion purposes as well as personal ones.  

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3. Something I further predicted that would be shown in my media log was that I always chose Facebook Messenger over text messaging to communicate with people. I simply find it much faster and way more efficient, especially if I want to 'double text' (breaking down one message into two or more, probably because I'm too 'lazy' to sit and type out a whole paragraph). The Facebook Messenger app also has features such as video and audio call, the option to 'record a message' and the option to send stickers/emojis (often used to keep a conversation going when there's nothing else left to say). Sending a text message would be a simple way to communicate, however once I've experienced much fast communication I just don't bother reverting back to texting.

4. While most of my findings were as expected, I did find out a few things about myself that hadn't really crossed my mind before. I realised that I only ever listen to the radio when I'm in the car. When I think about this in more detail, it couldn't be more than true. I find the radio entertaining, especially the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show - however I would never go out of my way to listen to it. I put this down to the radio being more entertaining as 'background noise' while I'm focusing on driving, rather than something I am fully focused on as I don't think I would be as engaged with it as I am with my favourite TV show or scrolling through social media.

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5. Something else I found was that I actually check my emails way more times than I thought I did. I must have logged it more than twice each day throughout my media log. This surprised me as I didn't think I was as fussed about me emails as I am social networking, however I'm just as equally an addict.

I do think the media log reflects a typical three days in my life regarding media usage, however I would definitely say I generally binge watch a lot more than I've logged. If I was to do this again, I would log a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I would love to compare the two separate media logs and see how much less media is integrated into my daily life when I am actually doing more than just attending lectures in the day. I hope it would be a lot less as I like I said, media should not completely define who I am.