Media Binge and Fast

I started this binge/fast the opposite. In order to have it line up with school and work it could only work out this way. I doomed myself from the beginning!
My media fast started out like a normal sunny day, (at the time) on Sunday April 24. I had many things to do this day to distract me from my phone especially. I had work from 12-6 p.m., and a pagan May-pole dance event to go to right after (not for me, for a reporting story!) I occasionally had to use my phone to contact the videographer that was to be at the event as well, but that was it. I was so proud of myself that day. Though I noticed my boyfriend was a little distraught since I hadn't contacted him since noon that day and at the end of it all, it was already 9 p.m.
The first day of the fast wasn't so bad, I thought. The second day proved to be still a little easier than I imagined. I get up for the day, drive to campus, go to class, and immediately go to work usually. I remember once I got to my car after class I almost innately plugged my phone in to my cassette converter to play music off Spotify. I decided to go all out and not indulge in Spotify that day and instead drive somewhere to get lunch before work. I wanted to try a new place I had never been to, so of course I had to use GPS to find the Greatful Bread, only to find out they're close on Mondays. That stunk. But I moved on and went to work. My job during the week is primarily on the computer. Thankfully it is not media, but it is a lot of Adobe creative suite platforms. I was constantly viewing a screen for the rest of my work day. It didn't seem like much of a fast that day for me...
That's sort of when I "let myself go."
The third day of my media fast, which fell on a Tuesday, I couldn't resist and was on my computer and phone all day. During class I usually use the Pocket Points app, so that wasn't a problem for me. Along with this class, my other class's deadlines were falling on my head, I had some serious emailing and researching to do for papers to write. In my free time between classes, I whipped out my phone and computer guilt free and typed away. I will however admit I am guilty for checking Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter in my spare time within my free time. Ha! I found myself circling among those four apps over and over, waiting for responses to emails and fighting writer's block.
I consider that day a mix between a fast and binge. It was more of an average day for me.
My binge was actually quite needed. Yes I have deadlines and things to accomplish before the end of the week, but I really needed to mindlessly watch The Office and laugh a little. Especially at this week. After work on Wednesday, I ended up watching five episodes of The Office while on my lap top, while on my phone. I probably wasn't really watching The Office at this point, but from time to time I could look up and laugh then continue to type.
Okay, in all honesty a fast would be a better way to approaching deadlines, but it seems to me that lots of college work requires you to be online facing a screen.
Through my quick fast and then binge I found that it is near impossible for me to not be around multiple screens at once because of my week job. It's literally like I can't get away. Have I grown accustomed to having media always there to entertain me and rely on?
My fast days looking back on it, were more about not being able to have media because I was busy interacting with other individuals. The distance that happened wasn't because I chose it, but it was more because I had too. I wish I would have been able to look at my phone in my hand and choose to put it down, away, or turn it off. I think that would have been a good feeling to experience.
After my binge days, my eyes felt exhausted, although screens are apart of my week job.
I feel that in the future, and hopefully this coming summer, I will choose to put my phone away and get that different feeling of distance.