My Media Diet

Monday

Internet (Email, Camino, Facebook, websites for English research report on global warming) ~ 2 hours

Phone/texting ~ 3 hours

Television (Watch recorded “Desperate Housewives” and “Brothers & Sisters”) ~ 2 hours

Tuesday

Internet (Email, Facebook, websites for English research report on global warming, Watched an episode of “Cougar Town”) ~ 3 hours

Skype ~ 1 hour 30 min.

Phone/texting ~ 3 hours

Read gossip magazine, US Weekly ~ 30 min.

Wednesday

Internet (Email, Camino) ~ 1 hour

Phone/texting ~ 4 hours

Television (Watch recorded “Gossip Girl”) ~ 1 hour

Thursday

Internet (Email, Camino, Shopping/browsing online at Forever21 and Nordstrom websites) ~ 2 hours

Phone/texting ~ 2 hours

Skype ~ 2 hours

Friday

Internet (Email, Facebook, Watched an episode of “Cougar Town”) ~ 30 min.

Phone/texting ~ 3 hours

Television (Watched the movie “One Fine Day” on HBO) ~ 2 hours

Hmm, what does my media diet say about me? Well I think that it shows I maintain a moderate and reasonable intake of media during the week. I am usually really busy with classes and work anyway that I try not to waste a lot of time watching TV or surfing the Internet for no reason. I only keep up with a few shows regularly and most of the time I record them on Tivo but I often watch them online also. And on the Internet I easily get bored of random surfing. I use it mostly to check my email, for schoolwork, to check FB when I’m avoiding my homework or bored in class and for occasionally watching a TV episode or shopping. On the other hand, I use my phone a lot. One of the reasons is that my twin sister and I call each other everyday, sometimes multiple times a day. We are really close and being at separate colleges can sometimes be hard but the fact that we keep in touch so much helps a lot. Also my boyfriend and I are in a long distance relationship and so we text and talk a lot over the phone. I think that my media consumption in comparison to my peers is very average. I consider it normal and don’t see myself close to either end of the spectrum: a small media diet or an excessive one.

One thing that I think my media diet suggests about American society more broadly is our increasing use of the Internet to watch TV shows instead of on the television. And the use of Tivo is also changing the way we consume our shows. Most people these days it seems aren’t tuning in when shows are actually airing but later online or later on Tivo when they can find the time, which is so convenient.

Also the one change that I would consider making to my media diet is trying to reduce my phone/texting time. It causes my phone bill to be pretty pricey sometimes and I hate getting a phone call from my dad about how if I go over my minutes one more time I’m going to have to pay for it myself.