Media Diary

I cannot say that I clearly devoted more time to either personal interactions or to entertainment. I feel that my time was divided rather equally among the two. One thing of particular note, although I was aware of this already, is that I typically experienced both at the same time.

Perhaps one of the better examples is Friday night. 8-12 that night I was simultaneously playing World of Warcraft, listening to Japanese music and on my Ventrilo server at the same time. The music was clearly entertainment, but I was using Ventrilo for personal interaction with those I was playing World of Warcraft with, which is a combination of both entertainment and personal interactions.

In regard to what type of media I came in contact with, music on my computer was the type that took up the most time, personal interactions through Ventrilo were likely a close second, and reading media both online (NYTimes.com) and offline (textbooks) was third. Texting was infrequent at most with less than two a day, and were only in response to recived messages. Email was irregular but concentrated in the evenings. Print media, e.g., textbooks, was typically in the evenings, 6 pm or after.

Entertainment media, aside from WoW, was primarily foreign and mostly Japanese. When not media on my computer, the rest primarily came from ニコニコ動画, a Japanese video website like youtube, except that comments are shows on top of the video, as opposed to below it.

Something else perhaps differing from my peers, I did not use my phone as a primary vehicle in my interactions with other people, I instead used it as a means to arrange personal meetings with them. For example, I called my friends only to tell them I’d pick them up for our dinner plans on Saturday night, rather than do any sustained interaction through texting or calling.

Perhaps one final point of interest is that I did not watch any garbage TV over the weekend, not something I assume many of my peers did.

Media Diary

Friday:

First I woke up to my cell phone alarm at around 9 and ate breakfast while watching the news. Then I went to classes and I had my laptop with me. I used it to take notes and on breaks to check my mail and Facebook occasionally. StumbleUpon is also something I utilize whenever I get bored. I also used my phone throughout the day to send texts and calls to friends and family. Later on in the afternoon, I watched television with some friends and then played video games on a Playstation 3 and the Nintendo 64. Eventually I drove home and listened to music on the radio. When I got home, I used the laptop a little more and eventually fell asleep.

Saturday:

I woke up and checked my computer for news, mail, and again Facebook. I then went to watch the playoff games for football on the television. I used my phone throughout the day to send texts and calls to friends and family. When I got bored, I used my Ipod to listen to music and mess around with some apps. I then went for a run in the afternoon and took my Ipod with me to listen to music along the trip. At night, I used the Playstation 3 to play a couple of games before I went to sleep.

Sunday:

I used my dad’s GPS navigation system to run some errands for my parents and listened to music on my Ipod. I checked my phone for updates on the football games at certain points throughout the day. When I got the chance, I checked the television for live feeds of each game, and then I headed back home. I used my laptop for a while and then used my phone to call and meet up with some friends. I then came back home, used my Ipod for a little bit then fell asleep.

Monday:

I woke up from the alarm clock on my phone and went downstairs to eat breakfast while again watching the news. I then went to school and took my laptop again to take notes and occasionally mess around with. I then used some programs for my statistics class to help me understand the concepts better and I also viewed the website “Digg” for all different kinds of news. I then finished classes and texted a couple of friends to meet up to eat. I then went home, finished some homework on my laptop, talked to some friends on the phone, and then fell asleep.

 

My Media Diary

Friday
8-12: texted SO; called Dad, Mom, and Grandparents;
texted sister, roommate, friends; checked email;
watched T.V.

4-6: watched some more T.V.

Saturday
6-8: texted; made plans via telephone with friends

Sunday
11-1: checked email; talked to SO on the phone
2-4: sporadic texting and facebooking to avoid homework

Monday
7-8: checked email and Blackboard
10-3: responded to emails to confirm and rearrange
appointments
6-10: watched trashy T.V.

While I tend to devote most of my time to personal interactions, I notice that I spend almost just as much time making arrangements for personal interactions via text (mainly) or email. As for my trashy T.V. habit, I have been partaking in that pastime with my roommate whom I just found shares the same interest. Score! So I suppose I have been combining media entertainment with personal interactions as well.

Media Diary (post #2)

Friday 1/7/11

8 am ~ Chemistry class, read textbook while taking notes on computer

12 pm – 2 pm ~ Statistics lab, worked on Microsoft Excel for entire two hours of class, texted friend after class for plans that night.

2-5 pm ~ worked on homework for all classes, had laptop open and was listening to music. I had facebook open while working on homework.

5-12 pm ~ Went downtown with friends to dinner and movie, was texting friend and sister (SO)

Saturday 1/8/11

11 am ~ called friend to go to brunch, picked up newspaper on way to read while eating

1 pm-4 pm ~ worked on homework, taking notes from Chemistry textbook, then went to do online Chemistry practice when I found breaking news of a shooting in Arizona, so I turned on my T.V. and watched Fox News

4:30-11 pm ~ went to dinner and then stock show with friends

11-12 pm ~ read book from iPad

Sunday 1/9/11

9 – 11 am ~ Went to Church and breakfast with friends, looked on fox news and ESPN app on my phone at breakfast.

11-2 ~ worked on homework with friends while on facebook and texting friends and family

2-4 ~ worked out at gym while watching news on the T.V.

5-9 ~ went downtown with hall for a dinner outing, texted friends that were arriving back at their schools from break

9-12 ~ worked on homework and was on facebook

Monday 1/10/11

8 am ~ Chemistry class, took notes from lecture and textbook

9 am ~ went to the UTS desk to help install program on computer

10 -12 ~ Writing class, used computers to write in class papers

Overall reflection: Most of my time and communication is doing homework or talking with friends via Facebook or texting. I don’t watch as much T.V. as I use to while living at home, it use to be on in the background a lot more however because I am not in my dorm all the time, it is more likely off than on. I do like to keep up with what is going on in the world, which is why I get on the Internet to sites such as Fox News or 9news.com. I am on my laptop everyday for most of the day during the week while attending classes. I would live a very different life style if I didn’t have my laptop or cell phone.

 

Blog 2- Media Diary

Friday

10-12: Clean room, Facebook

12-1: Lunch with friends

1-5: Hangout with friends, read City of Glass, Facebook, Stumbleupon

5 PM-10 PM: Visit downtown with friends, shop at Forever 21 and Barnes and Noble, see The Tourist

10 PM-12 PM- Return to dorm, watch She’s the Man with friends

Saturday

10-12: Read City of Glass

12-1: Lunch with friends

1-5: Texting, talking to people from hall, Facebook, Tumblr, Stumbleupon, Youtube

5-6: Watched Doctor Who episode

6-7: Dinner with friend

7-1: Hangout with friends, watch Fight Club, watch Youtube videos

Sunday

8-2: Visit Museum of Nature and Science with friends, texting friends during

2-4: Unsuccessfully attempt to do homework, texting people, talking to people in hall, listening to iTunes, Facebook, Postsecret, Tumblr, Youtube

4-6 Watch Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends with friends, doing homework during

6-7: Dinner with hallmates

7-8: Homework

8-1: Hangout with hall, play Halo, do homework while watching, read City of Glass

Monday

8-10: Gym with friend

10-12 Homework

12-1: French class

1-2: Lunch with friend

2-4: Homework, hanging out

4-6: Criminology class

6-7: Dinner at Delta Zeta

7-8: Meeting at Delta Zeta

8-9: Homework

9-11: Hanging out

Reflection

                What I’ve noticed is that my personal communications come first, with entertainment in second.  Most of the entertainment that occurs though, is done in a large group of people, so I am personally communicating with people at the same time.  My uses of communication are mostly typical for an active college student: always socializing, always doing something, always procrastinating on homework through use of the Internet.  Many different and time-consuming websites are easily reachable, through both my computer and my cell phone. I’m constantly in touch with one of the two.  My day to day activities are generally the same- hanging out, homework, occasionally going out, going to the gym on weekdays.  The times vary significantly though, mostly because of different times that friends can meet up.