Term Paper - 1

Jeremy Langston

Professor Reppert

Mass Communication

September 3, 2020

Word count: 1090


            Personal Media Usage

 

    I use mass media quite a bit more than I thought before this assignment. I probably use less media than the average person though. I am an artist, musician, and photographer besides being a student, so my usage generally revolves around art and my education. On a daily basis, I use mass media to communicate with people, get news & entertainment, showcase and promote my artwork, and keep up with my coursework.

    In the mornings, I check the YouTube channels I follow and see who’s posted new videos. YouTube is how I like to keep up with the news. Then I check Instagram for new posts from the artists I follow. I spend about 15 to 30 minutes scrolling through posts among Facebook and Instagram. After breakfast, I turn on Spotify, log into Blackboard, my school email, and other apps required for my courses and spend about 2 to 3 hours on schoolwork.

    Throughout the morning, I take occasional breaks and talk with my girlfriend, my kids, and other friends and family using Messenger. I use the Messenger Kids app to communicate with my 12-year-old daughter. That allows me to see her as much as I can with my visual impairment. Talking to her without typing or having to read text is much easier for me and seeing her is way better anyway. We usually chat for about 15-20 minutes and there will be screenshots of us wearing various filters of pink hair or kitty cat whiskers. I use social media to talk to my son as well. He’s 20 and in college, so our communications usually take place over text and Cash App.

    The media I use for school includes Twitter, VoiceThread, Blackboard, email, Google Blogger, and YouTube. In a day, I usually spend 2-3 hours working on each of those platforms, watching or reading the material for class and submitting assignments. After I have spent enough time on school, I eat lunch and spend the next 2 hours on physical fitness.

    I walk to the gym that is about a mile from my apartment and I use the MapMyRun app for 15-20 to chart my trek.  I listen to Spotify during my walk to and from the gym and also while working out for a total of about 2 hours.

           

    On my walk back from the gym, I take my time and stop to take pictures of flowers, clouds, and anything that catches my interest.



    In the afternoons, I use Google Photos to access the pictures I take, and I use my phone to edit them. I’ll spend about 30 minutes on editing and then I share some of them on social media. I’ll scroll through Instagram and Facebook posts and listen to music videos from artists I follow. I spend about 30 minutes catching up on what my friends share.

    I also use banking apps to keep up with my finances. In the afternoons, I make sure everything is set to clear and on track to pay. I spend about 15 to 20 minutes managing my transactions. Also in the afternoons, I revisit Blackboard and email for announcements and I check Twitter for any updates and forecasts on #MCOM1003.

    In the evening, I’ll use the DoorDash or Domino’s apps to have food delivered, and my girlfriend and I will stream shows or movies on various apps like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, or YouTube for 2 to 3 hours. I use the weather app to plan for the next day and that takes a few minutes or so. I’m a night owl and will listen to Joseph Campbell on Amazon Prime while I paint. If I have trouble falling asleep, I listen to white noise or water sounds on Spotify and that helps.



    The most mass media I use would be YouTube or Spotify. I also use Messenger throughout the day. The app on my phone most used would be the camera. If I had a camera, I would use it a lot too, but my camera is an app on my phone, so it becomes my most used app.

    In comparison to the media habits of my friends, we are similar in ways, yes, but I don’t know how much they use social media. I believe that I probably spend less time than most people on the internet and social media. My friends are artists too, so they also spend their time playing instruments or on other artistic projects.

    A few of my friends are in a band with me and one of them uses computer software to record our practices and he uploads videos of the recordings to YouTube. As a band, we have a group chat on Messenger, and we share music videos and ideas. When we play, I make digital fliers for the gigs out of pictures I’ve taken. I share the fliers on Facebook and Instagram. Social media is helpful in marketing.

    Media has both positive and negative effects on my personal lifestyle as well as my academic efforts. Some positive effects are seeing and talking to my kids, other family and friends on Messenger is good for my visual impairment, sharing my art helps me connect to the outside world, and I’m able to find freedom of expression through my art using public platforms. The one negative of media is that it takes away from my peace of mind. Occasionally I take breaks from social media by getting out and engaging in nature.

    Art is therapeutic and the act of taking pictures is meditative for me. It’s good for my mental health and well-being. Music is a universal language and I find joy in sharing it with others. I try to use social media to express myself. Instagram is like a journal. Seeing the progress in my timeline is encouraging and challenging to myself. I recently started running again because of pictures I’d posted from running in years past. Over time, you can see yourself change and evolve.

    Timelines and social media show your progress and helps keep you motivated when you reflect and set new goals. In earlier videos of myself singing, I sounded rough. In more recent ones, I sound better! I can see the progress. I can use media to learn more about art. Videos about film and directors who show me how to better frame things and show my perspective.

    If you share something that you created, and it connects with someone else, it can be a lifesaver. I go out and find something beautiful in nature. I take a picture of it and share it, and someone sees it and likes it too. That’s a connection made.

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