From looking at how I consume media in a 24 hour period I noticed that a lot of my time online is a result of procrastination and boredom. Social media allows me to justify to myself having short breaks, because it is so easy to watch a quick YouTube video or scroll through my Instagram feed whilst I’m doing work.
Image: Influencive
When I wake up in the morning, I immediately reach for my phone to check message notifications and a variety of social media platforms to see what I have missed overnight, whilst watching newly uploaded youtube videos. Although I always set myself a time that I have to get out of bed and start my day, I find myself procrastinating something as little as getting up because I have so much I can sit and do on my phone before I have to think about all the things I need to get done before I have class. I noticed throughout the day, when I am at class or with friends my media consumption decreases significantly, but spikes again when I get back to my room and start attempting to do homework. I think this is a result of being so used to instant gratification, that it has become harder for me to sit and focus on one thing for an extended period of time.
Although in some ways media consumption has a negative impact on my life, living so far from home there are many positives. Being able to use applications such as Facebook messenger mean that I can instantly message friends and family from home without having to pay international texting rates. Things such as Facetime allow for me to video chat my family very easily on a regular basis which is a huge benefit.
Image: Space Odyssey
Logging my media consumption over a 24 hour period helped me recognize that a lot of my time online is simply me trying to avoid getting things done. This is something I am aware of and am trying to get better about.
Featured Image: Attitude Magazine
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