Media Binge → Fast

I started my media binge a few days after the assignment was announced in class. I thought, “why not now” because I feel as if I already binge out on the internet on a regular basis. There’s just something about new posts on Instagram, new SnapChat updates, or funny videos on Facebook that just instantly spark my attention. I simply can’t ignore a Twitter notification, or a snap I get from my best friend. Do I have an obsession? Maybe. Does this concern me? No. Within my major, Advertising and Public Relations, my life and classes revolve around the use of digital media and the internet. I am a social media guru, and I’m proud. Even though I feel like I already binge, I tried to binge even harder. I’m pretty sure I didn’t miss an Instagram post in those three days, and watched every single SnapChat story I could. I was constantly listening to music in between classes and even falling asleep at night to music. I even used my computer during classes to take notes, instead of my regular method of taking notes; pencil and paper. I will admit that I had less depth experiences in these couple of days. It is hard to connect with someone when your phone or computer is in front of your face. I do binge out on media often, but I when I am with someone and I want to have a good conversation or connection, I put down my phone and pay full attention to them.

After my media binge, I was reluctant to give up technology. I was asked to do this for another class, so I thought I would kill two birds with one stone. This other class asked me to just fast from technology for one day, but I kept going for three for this class. Giving up music between classes was the first struggle I dealt with. For some reason, the hardest thing wasn’t not replying to texts, it was not listening to music. I don’t even think about it, it’s just habit to put my headphones in as I am walking from class to class. I realized that having my phone is definitely a safety net in awkward situations like avoiding eye contact walking to class, or sitting in class before it starts without having your phone to scroll through. Going three days without my phone was definitely challenging because I am so used to being in contact with people all the time. Whether it be through email, text, Snapchat or even Facebook I am constantly getting notifications. I definitely was able to focus more on my homework when I didn’t have my phone to distract me. It’s crazy how much time you can spend on your phone without realizing it. I was almost “forced” to have that distance that we talked about in class just the other day. I think it is important to take that time to distance yourself from technology, but three days in a row without it was a bit excessive in my opinion. I think for my lifestyle, taking just a few hours off of the internet a day would make a big impact, rather than a full day, or a couple days. Honestly, this experience made me realize I spend a little too much time on my phone, but giving it up just seems unrealistic to me.