Media Binge and Fast: Blog post 4

Well I guess when I thought about the binge part of this assignment I thought it would be easier than the fasting part. And I was wrong. The thing  I found interesting is that because I was so against always being submerged in my tech-savvy and easy access to entertainment when in the company of actual human beings I wasn't used to being glued to a screen. It was almost harder to stay indulging in the internet via apps throughout my day. I could tell that it bother the relationships I had around me, so much that people were messaging me when they were sitting next to me almost in a mocking manner. I could only handle doing this for about three days minus the whole school factors. I found once I was in the routine of constant web surfing it allowed me to engage in people I haven't spoken to in a while. I got to catch up with a few friends, found a new apartment, and even got to organize some actual people time for the fasting part of this that i'll talk about later.

I'm not a huge online person you could say, or a least I've toned it down quite a bit over the past year, so I felt uncomfortable getting back into it. I don't really enjoy being so submerged into technology or the "digital age" just because I feel like you're in a way missing out on seeing life through your own eyes. Growing up I always thought attention was something you were supposed to want, like the tons of friends constantly engaging with them and "hanging out" or doing whatever kids do. But realizing that you can survive and strive without constant attention and "likes" or "dms" from people opens up a lot of doors, and especially your time overall. On the fasting part of this little project I worked more due to gaining a management position, I had scheduled or planned time with my friends, I got to work on personal things like read and organize some studying outlines all by paper and pen, I even went out to watch a friend's play for a day and I even visited some family members all within 4 days. A lot of the interactions I had were face-to-face events with people so it made it easy to avoid media and technology for the most part. I found myself paying more attention to the forms of media around me along with how the people around me were so into their own media rather than interacting with me.

I don't think media as a whole is bad, but I do see now and understand how people can by paying more attention. Just to realize that not all media is right and to form your own opinions and ideas about the world is the basic purpose of interacting with people and their views, beliefs, and moral opinions about the topics is how communication works. I don't think that people should ever feel silenced, but of course it happens and when you silence yourself then you silence the world. Yes, there are obviously views that dominate the conversations over the course of all topics, but without getting your ideas out the topics wont change. Without communication there is no change.