My Personal Media Consumption

            I would not consider myself the most media savvy person, but, like everyone else, media has become a huge part of my daily life. In the days before the smart phone, my media usage consisted mostly of a few Facebook checks a day and whatever news happened to show up on the Yahoo home page, but now I am surrounded by media. My phone is constantly updating and keeps me connected to everything. My personal media consumption is centered on a few social media sites: Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. I access those media sites many times each day. They help me to feel connected to my friends near and far. The amount I use each particular site depends on how my current friends are using them. Before my mission most of my friends used Facebook to connect, but now I have found that it has become less popular and more of my friends use Instagram and Snapchat so I have begun to spend more time with that media. My mission also changed the way that I value social media. I now have hundreds of friends who live in Italy. Social media is the only cost effective way that I can stay in contact with them and so I have begun to use it more to stay connected with my Italians. Beyond social media that helps me stay connected to my friends I also follow the occasional blog (shout out to the Rockstar Diaries), watch Friends reruns religiously, and read the highlights of the news on my phone.

            With access to so much media it can be hard to decide what to view and how to use it. Honestly, I have never taken time to determine exact standards for myself, but I use the same principles that guide the rest of my life. As with choosing what movies to watch and what music to listen to, I try to choose media that uplifts, entertains, and makes me happy. If I feel like something is degrading or drives that Spirit way I turn it off. For example, when someone posts things on Facebook that make me uncomfortable I remove them from newsfeed. I also try to avoid using forms of media that take up too much of my time and do not help me to interact with others or stay informed. I know that lots of people use Twitter. My best friend is a Twitter queen and has made many friends because of it. However, for me Twitter has always seemed too time consuming. I have a slightly obsessive personality and know that I would spend way too much time on it, so I have simply decided to avoid it.

            I know that it is becoming increasingly popular to use media in the classroom. I think that it is something that can be incredibly engaging and can help students feel more involved. In many of my classes at BYU we use blogs or conversations on Digital Dialog to connect and to discuss issues with what we are studying. I have found that to be very useful. Often I will say things online that I was not willing to share in class. This helps me to feel more connected and improves my learning. However, I can see a few drawbacks. Sometimes those posts begin to feel like a chore because they are so regimented. There are weeks when I don’t have anything to say, but I still have to post. I don’t want students to feel that the media we use in class is a burden.