Media Junkie

Dear anonymous,

As I sit here in front of my computer, iphone and kindle notebook about to write my very first blog about Mass Communication in society (or more specifically about how much time I spend daily with media) I am beginning to realize just how much time I devote per day to my electronic devices. Don't get me wrong obviously I see nothing wrong with mass media...If I did I wouldn't be majoring in advertising WINK....WINK.... In my text book for Mass Communication in Society, titled Media Now, understanding media, culture, and technology by: Straubhaar, Larose and Davenport I read a "typical american media consumer...spends over nine and a quarter hours a day with the media!!! multiply that by the number of days in a year and you would spend almost 5 months a year with media." I thought this was absurd but now that school is back in session I probably spend that much time committed to it daily also, and with bills going through the house and senates like PIPA and SOPA who knows what my knowledge will be limited to in the future....

When I began to brake down my days, hours, and minutes spent with media, I came to a horrible realization, all of these continuous 0's and 1's bites and bytes starring me in the face daily, NO WONDER I get headaches... Lets start from the basics, of course I am a member of the number one social networking site in the U.S. Facebook (it's funny how my Mac knows how to capitalize Facebook automatically). I also use my iphone at least 3 to 4 hours a day checking e-mails, sending status updates, playing Texas-hold'em , and even solitaire. (I know right this girl has a vast amount of digital media at her finger tips and she's playing solitaire). However, I never understood twitter other then to fallow others, who wants there entire lives broadcast (besides reality T.V. stars even they are scripted to a degree.) 

I also attend the great Kansas State University EMAW!!!! All of my text books are via kindle... (here we go more 0's and 1's) and I attend an online course also not to mention any data/information searching that needs to be done is via internet. HOWEVER.... because I do spend so much of my time on the inter web I have made the executive decision to NOT have cable.... I am officially 7 months sober from all cable and satellite televisions. However I do on occasion watch Netflix or HULU on my x-box(just to stay up to date). I also have an ipod in addition to my iphone and both have separate playlists.... text messaging, I am scared to touch on that topic who knows how many of those I send in one day. Not as many as most I would assume!! Not to many social responsibilities, I can't even seem to keep up with Facebook. I would have to say that I use my technology and media for mainly school and for information, sometimes for recreation (WHEN IN ROME).... I believe that I honestly could be getting more out of my media, I could be learning more about politics and current issues.

I recently took the INTERNET JUNKIE TEST online and I am pleased to inform you that I am living with a good mix internet and reality. Wait a minute, isn't internet reality just in word/picture form. How can people possibly believe that their lives are the internet. I read an article today saying that a korean couple neglected there baby girl because they spent there nights on an online multiplayer game call PRIUS... This article is called "Some Kind of CRAZY Addiction" They actually believed that they lived in that world. Check it out. It's absolutely rediculous. I wonder what they actually did for a living....

Well It was nice talking!! See you in a week or so I'm off to my evening class in this beautiful Kansas winter weather of 22 degrees.... Wish me luck!!

Till next time,

Brooke

P.s. Did you know this "we blog" is a "web log"!!!