Have you ever tracked your social media usage?

 Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! This previous week was a pretty hectic one for me. In my COMM 373 class, we had an assignment that required us to log our media usage. That means that each time we were to get on our phones, check notifications, or even just scroll through apps, we had to log the data in our journal. This was hard for me because it is obviously not something I normally do. Can you imagine having to write down each time you checked Instagram throughout the day? I don't know about you, but for me, that's a lot of writing.  I would often forget to even log how much time I spent on each app individually because I was so focused on the media I was using. This assignment made me realize, that I spend an excessive amount of time on my phone. I became so invested in the assignment that afterward, I checked the setting app on my phone to get the exact daily average of usage. In total from the last week, I spent about 3 hours and 43 minutes on my phone daily. 

I did not enjoy this assignment because it required me to focus on the exact amount of time I spent on my phone. It was very time-consuming and sometimes annoying to remember that I had to pay so much attention to the exact app I was using and the time spent while using it. I didn't like that it made me realize that I don't know how to function without constantly using my phone. Whether I'm using it to just check my notifications or to scroll through TikTok, the majority of my time spent throughout the day is staring at a screen. Even when I'm doing homework, my phone is still being used somehow. I'll have music streaming in the background or take a break (which is usually longer than expected) and scroll through my Instagram/TikTok. I also use my phone a lot at work when I am not supposed to. If I'm not busy at the exact moment I'll check for notifications or send messages.

While doing this media log, I noticed that I make a lot of calls throughout the day. I call my mom and brother almost 4 times a day. Don't get me wrong I love hearing from them but I think the reason I call so much is that I get bored from just scrolling through social media all day. The main reason behind my excessive social media usage is that I'm either bored or have nothing else to do. I realized through my new media log, that social media not only tackles my boredom but also helps me stay in touch with my family and friends. Throughout the week I was mostly texting in my family's group chat and making calls. Although I didn't enjoy this week's assignment, it did help me realize that I spend too much time looking at a screen and that I should try decreasing my screen time every now and then. 

- VANESSA