Boy, do I use my phone a lot.
How did I never check my screen time until I had to track my media use for a class? Talk about a wake up call.
8 AM: Wake up and scroll through the notifications that I missed while I was asleep. The day has already started on the east coast, so a lot of things could have already happened (specifically in the sports world, my area of focus). I go back to bed and wake up closer to game-time (it’s an NFL Sunday and the first round of the playoffs and I was up late watching the second season of Last Chance U on Netflix… does that count since it was yesterday?)
10:30AM: I officially get up this time and do the same thing as I did at 8 AM, but this time I go through my morning routine with AirPods in listening to Apple Music (better than Spotify). I also make breakfast while doing this.
11 AM: I sit down with my breakfast and transition from one form of media to another (phone to TV). I sit down with my roommate (his team is playing today and he is very anxious about the result) and watch the pregame.
(11:30 AM – 8:30 PM): This is where I really get in trouble with my media usage, specifically on my phone. On a football Sunday, for example, there are numerous TV breaks, timeouts, halftime and other forms of game stoppages where the broadcast from the TV (the main media of focus) goes to commercial and I look down to my phone (my new main media of focus) until the game comes back on the TV. I made this an elongated time slot because football is on consistently for this entire time frame and I catch myself doing this quite often. The activity will range from social media (mostly) to texting friends and relatives to searching the web for player or team news to even sports betting.
7 PM: I use my phone and call my parents, which I try to do almost daily. I chat it up with my dad about the games and ask how he is doing with work and my other two siblings. I say hi to my step mom and then hang up with them only to check in on my mom next. She’s working on homework since she is trying to get another degree at age 56 (what can’t she do?). She’s an empty nester again with my sister leaving for college, so I try to spark some conversation and let her know I miss her.
10 PM: I hop onto my computer to check what homework I have to do outside of this blog post and try to gauge how much time I have to get it done (this is all on my MacBook Pro).
12 AM: Once my homework is finished, I hop onto another WordPress and SEO related website that I use to write (I work for one of the biggest Steelers blogs on the internet and utilize SEO often). I grind out an article talking about what the Steelers should do in this next draft (personally, I think they need a stud offensive tackle to protect our rookie QB’s blindside which could help him progress for the long-run).
1 AM: Even though it’s late, I feel a hankering to continue my binge of Last Chance U on Netflix. I know it’s late and I should get my sleep, but I don’t care that much. I’m in college! When else will I be able to do it?
How Do I Rate News Outlets?
To be honest, I do not get a ton of news outside of what I see on Twitter, which is very sporadic in terms of media companies or news sources or outlets, but tailored for my interests. I believe all of the top journalism outlets pump out whatever they can do to get clicks or views, which has really ruined what used to be.
(Please excuse the unfinished website! Still toying around with things. While writing this, I feel like the “still under construction” signs at airports or theme parks).
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