Media Binge and Media Fast

I assumed the media binge and media fast would be quite simple. When I stated the media binge I soon realized I would be a bit more challenging than I initially thought.


Aside from the necessary uses, I usually try to use my mobile devices as little as possible. At the start of the binge, it was a struggle to not put my phone down. I spent hours looking up as much content as possible and the more I consumed the less interested I became.  As I spent more and more time on my social media networks, like Facebook or Instagram, I did feel somewhat more connected and involved with others. However, I soon began to lose interest as more and more information presented itself. One could say I was experiencing a media overload and that as I took more information in, I was getting less out of it.

I felt relieved the second the media binge was over. Though sensation only lasted about half of the day going into the media fast. My hands were literally itching to check what I was missing or to make a status update. The back of my hands started to become red and sore from constantly fiddling with them. The best distraction I had came from writing. I had rewritten notes I taken in all my classes, I would write about the emotions I was experiencing at that moment, I would even write about the things I saw during the day. Eventually, I was able to acclimatize to the media fast. I am grateful because it did help me focus and prepare for exams by not getting distracted to check every notification sent to my phone.

Overall, I'd say the most challenging part of  the media binge and media fast would be coping with the physical side effects. During the binge, my eyes were constantly burning. I found myself using eye drops every two hours because they would be bloodshot red. During the media fast the biggest problem was with my hands. They looked like a had a rash. My advisor even noticed and asked if I was okay and if I wanted some ice for my hands.

I’d like to say I enjoyed the media binge and media fast, but I didn’t. It was complete torture from both sides. However, it did help me realize the value of compromise in all aspects of life.