Overall Summary

This blog assignment has really opened my eyes to the many roles, both positive and negative, that the media has in my life. Social media has been so useful for me; it helps me stay on top of my sorority events, allows me to connect with new friends, classmates, and friends far away at other schools, and keeps me updated with daily news regarding topics such as politics, religions, important breakthroughs, and even something as simple as celebrity gossip. Some social media sites also provide me with a form of relaxation. Whenever I need a break from homework, I'll scroll through Pinterest or Instagram and enjoy myself as I look through fun and exciting pictures. It also allows for quick communication. I am easily able to get connected with others through texting, Facebook messaging, a phone call, or an email; this form of communication is extremely convenient and allows me to stay connected constantly with friends and family.

As stated above, there are many benefits of social media in my life; however, there are also a number of drawbacks that accompany those benefits. Because we have such easy access to social media and communication on our phones and computers, we often get very distracted and entranced by what's going on on our screens rather than what's happening in real life. Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, etc. have drawn me away from real-life conversations and have led me to sit in silence with my phone rather than enjoy others' company. I'd rather focus on real life and the relationships I have with close friends and family rather than scrolling through a celebrity's pictures on Instagram or being notified of an acquaintance's birthday on Facebook.

Many people, companies, schools, etc. benefit from the power of social media. It allows people to stay connected, companies to advertise their products, schools to promote admission and cheer on their sports teams, and it also unites people based on similar interests or experiences. We are a technologically-advanced nation and it's important to keep up with this growth; however, it is also important to live in the moment and in real-life rather than focusing on the screens of our phones, TVs, and computers all day. I have learned through this blog assignment that the best way to approach social media is through a balance. I can use social media for communication between friends, family, sorority sisters, etc. and for relaxing as I scroll through Pinterest and Instagram, but I don't want social media to consume my life. I want to learn to put my phone away when I'm engaged in a conversation or simply sitting around with friends. It's okay to indulge in social media every so often, but I have learned that I need to avoid letting it consume my time and my interest. I want to enjoy the world around me and live in real life and in the moment.

Monday - April 4, 2016

Today, I feel like I wasn't exposed to the media as much as I was the past couple of days - probably due to the fact that I was in class or busy doing schoolwork. I did, however, turn on the TV this morning to HGTV as I was getting ready for class. I thought of how this channel along with many others was an example of demassificiation, which is what happens when the media targets specific members of an audience and focuses on special interests. HGTV is targeted to a specific audience - people who are interested in home and garden improvement, house hunting, and interior and exterior design. I, personally, like the idea of demassification. I like that I know which channel to go to when I'm in the mood to watch home improvement, watch a movie, or watch a sports game. It makes your interests more easily accessible and categorizes them for you so that they are right at your fingertips.

I also experienced social media through my sorority today. We get an email each morning listing important information that we need to keep up with throughout the week, like events, philanthropy information, recruitment information, etc. This type of social media contact is a great way to keep up with these sorts of things and it is very informative for all of the members. The emails cover all sorts of topics that the members need to know about; the mode of communication is very effective because it allows my sorority secretary to relay a lot of information to about 400 girls at once. This type of social media contact is very beneficial and effective and it's a quick and easy way to communicate.

Sunday - April 3, 2016

On Sunday morning, my sister, her roommate, and my roommate all went to Arsaga's for lunch. As usual, the wait was very long - forty-five minutes to an hour. After putting our names on the list, I immediately asked the host what the wifi password was. Since we were going to be waiting for quite a while, I knew that I was going to be scrolling through the internet or through social media apps on my phone and I didn't want to use up a lot of data. I gave the password to my sister and friends and before we knew it, we were all on our phones, more interested in them than with each other. I looked around at all of us, and it made me a little sad that we were so entranced by what we were looking at on Instagram and Facebook rather than having a real-life conversation with each other. Once we all checked Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat, we finally put our phones down and started talking to each other like we should have done in the first place. Once we finally let go of our social media distractions, we had a fun lunch with nonstop conversation, and it was a good time for everyone.

Later in the afternoon, my roommate and I went back to our dorm and tried to get some homework done which took quite a while. I let myself get distracted by my phone once again, checking my usual social media sites instead of focusing and getting work done. After a few unsuccessful attempts, I finally put my phone down and got to work. I continued to get distracted, however, due to my screen lighting up from Snapchats from friends and from my little sister. Instead of turning my phone over like I should have, I often picked it up and responded to the Snapchats rather than staying focused on my assignments. That day, in particular, made me realize the more negative and distracting aspects of social media. If I would put my phone away and refrain from checking Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook so often, I would be more involved in fun, real-life conversation and I would stay focused and be much more productive with schoolwork.

Saturday - April 2, 2016

Saturday began bright (or should I say dark) and early at 5 a.m. as my friends and I got up to volunteer for the Bentonville Half Marathon. One of the first things my friend did when we got to the location was take a Snapchat showing her followers where we were and why we were there so early in the morning. It seems that everything we do today is documented by pictures and social media. As we waited to be told what to do by the people in charge, my friends and I scrolled through our phones. Finally, the race started and the three of us put our phones away and didn't use them for the next five hours. It was really nice to be free of the distractions of social media for a while and just focus on the event and the runners. 

Later that day after we took very long naps and caught up on our sleep, my roommate and I went to Andy's for some ice cream. We sat and talked for a long time about all sorts of things. She talked about her big in her sorority; I couldn't remember what she looked like as she was talking about her so my roommate quickly pulled up her picture on Instagram for me. I realized that my friends and I do this all the time - we pull up pictures of people in our sororities, our classes, etc. So much information and so many pictures of people are right at our fingertips. It seems convenient when we're trying to remember what someone looks like or when their birthday is, but when you really think about it, it's kind of creepy! Our lives revolve so strongly around social media and we're willing to share so much information with people we know - and even with people we don't know. Although having this information so close at hand can be very convenient, I often wish that our lives were more private and that if we wanted to find out more information about someone, we would actually make the effort to get to know them rather than just search their birthday on Facebook or see what sorority or clubs their involved in through their pictures on Instagram. Social media has many positive aspects to it, but sharing so much of our lives that probably should stay private is one aspect that needs to change. 

Friday - April 1, 2016

On Friday after class, my sister, my roommate, and I went shopping. I kept this blog assignment in mind, and kept my eyes open for social media contacts I had that day. I figured that, since I was going to be shopping, I probably wouldn't be in much contact with social media because my phone was in my bag; however, I often forget to realize that social media is all around us. I was standing in line at Target and I picked up a magazine and read the cover and scanned through the pictures and headlines, which covered a story on Donald Trump, Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris's relationship, and celebrities' secrets to success. I never buy magazines to read; instead I just quickly breeze through the covers and main headlines when I'm at the grocery store. These quick glimpses in line still give me an idea of what's going on in the media and what celebrities are being covered each month. A simple scan of the magazine often leaves me wanting more; I still don't usually buy them, but they definitely gain my attention. Magazines, although they are read less due to so many online news sources, are still great media outlets and not only gain your attention quickly, but are also entertaining and resourceful.

After shopping, we then went to the 112 Drive-In theater to see Zootopia. One of my favorite parts about going to see movies (besides the popcorn, of course) is watching previews. I love seeing what movies are coming out soon and planning fun dates with friends to go see the ones that catch our interest. They previewed everything from the third Ice Age movie to another Disney Nature movie featuring pandas in China. There were movies previewed for everyone's interests. As the screen went dark after the previews and the movie began to start, I looked around at the other cars and saw little kids and families, young couples, and groups of friends. It was interesting how a movie typically targeted to young children attracted such a mixed group of people. During the funny parts, everyone laughed together and during the sad parts, everyone's smiles turned into frowns. Movies like Zootopia and many others have the power to unite an audience with a wide variety of people with all kinds of different interests.

Thursday - March 31, 2016

Today, I came in contact with quite a few different media platforms - television and several social media sites. First, I went for a run with my friend and we used Spotify, a music app that allows you to create your own playlists or listen to playlists created by others. My friend played the music out loud from her phone while we ran around the neighborhood; I often don't realize that simple apps like these can connect people in different ways - through messaging, photos, or even music, like Spotify. After our run, we went back to the workout room where the TV was on. The volume was muted, but the show still caught our attention despite this. The season finale of American Idol was playing; neither of us had kept up with the season, but we both became distracted from our workout as the four finalists were shown onscreen. We struck up a conversation about which singer we thought would win and what kind of music we liked and thought was most popular; this simple experience showed me that a television show, even with the volume muted, can have the power to start conversations, create distractions, and unite an entire country through music, sports, news, etc.

As the day wound down, I decided to relax a little bit after my classes and my workout. My favorite way to relax is scrolling through Pinterest. This blog assignment brought to my attention just how powerful Pinterest is as a social media site. It covers just about every topic you can imagine, from cooking, fashion, and celebrities to art, exercise tips, and home improvement. You can personalize your "boards" to make them fit to your interests and follow other accounts that "pin" the same types of things that you like. For example, I have boards for clothes, recipes, fitness tips, home decorating, and more. This is a fantastic way for companies or shops to advertise their products. You simply click on the pictures you see, and it will lead you to a link that tells you where to buy a certain product, how to make a certain dish, how to decorate your home to make it look like it came out of a magazine, etc. Another interesting feature is that it gives you recommendations for "boards" or "pinners" you might like to follow based on your interests and what you pin. Pinterest is a great way to unite people based on their interests, to advertise products, and simply to relax while scrolling through pictures of the many different topics you enjoy.