my im(media)te relationship to media

Media. This is an extremely loaded word, I think, one that carries the weight of so many different emotions, purposes, and experiences. And exactly what specific emotions, purposes, and experiences it contains is always in fluctuation, is always evolving and changing -- at least for me.  Currently, my relationship to media is at an all-time high; it's become an immense part of my day-to-day life, and as much as it pains me to say this, I honestly don't know what I would do without much of it.

I'd say that the form of media I consume most abundantly is social media -- whenever there's a lull in activity around me, or when I'm doing homework but cannot stay focused, I pull out my phone and scroll through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat. It's a great way to stay connected to the world around me and the people in it, as well as to relax during stressful times, but unfortunately not so great of a way to get tasks done in an efficient manner and it drastically worsens my time-management skills.  For example, right after I wrote the previous sentence, my hand automatically reached for my phone to check Snapchat -- the habit is so deeply ingrained.  Media leads to procrastination at its finest.

However, another type of media that I utilize very often, and one that is definitively more beneficial, is music.  Currently, I have an addiction to the soundtrack of Hamilton, and listen to it at almost every available opportunity -- during passing period, in the car, while doing homework.  Through this, I know far more than I ever wanted to about the founding fathers and the American Revolution -- I can't really tell if this is good or bad, but at least it's educational! And, most of the songs actually increase my focus when writing and make me more motivated to finish my assignments.

The last form of media I actively consume is scholarly journals or news articles mainly regarding social issues.  Debate has led me to become much more passionate about things such as race, disability, feminism (everydayfeminism.com is lovely!), etc., due to increasing my awareness, and thus I enjoy reading about them in my spare time. It's also required me to stay up to date on politics and world events, which means I'm constantly doing research on them via newspapers or sites like CNN (although a lot of time this is grudgingly).

I do watch television, such as The Fosters and Gossip Girl, but not enough to constitute a key element of my life. I also am involved in online shopping, mostly at Urban Outfitters, but again, I wouldn't consider that something I cannot survive without.  Overall, the main forms of media I consume are above, and my relationship to them is very strong -- in a few cases, probably stronger than is beneficial. I hope to grow more aware of my media usage as this project progresses!

xoxo, elyse