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336Media Blackout Paper I planned to do my Media Blackout on Saturday January 20 I woke up at 10 am and I saw my phone on my nightstand unconsciously I picked it up and started to check my messages However instantly I realized it was my Media Blackout day So I turned my phone off I was planning to start my Media Blackout day by cleaning my kitchen first but I was so hungry so I went to Giant Eagle to buy some eggs and milk When I got home I cooked my breakfast and cleaned the kitchen At 2 pm I had plans with two of my friends to play Indoor soccer at the Gym I finished probably at 4 pm After I went back home I saw my roommate in the living room watching TV so I went straight to my room and locked the door Then he came knocking my door telling me why my phone is off I totally forgot to tell him about my Media Blackout day I opened the door and explained to him my assignment I was surprised when he told me that he will help me and turn off the TV We sat in the living room and had an extensive discussion about varieties of subjects We talked about God religions philosophy and the meaning of life It was long yet very interesting chat After we had finished I decided to cook dinner as a first time try But it went terribly bad So we just went out to eat at Chick fil A When we got back I went to clean my room and did my laundry Finally my roommate and I played Chess for almost two hours before I went to sleep I think my experience had both positive and negative aspects Let me start with the positives
For a start more free time I felt like I had more free time in my day I could cook clean and do laundry in the same day and that something I would never have done if I am using media during my day Second long discussion in a real life I really enjoyed talking with my roommate about our different ideas and perspectives in life it has been a while since I had a two hours discussion with a person in reality I normally discuss such topics in the internet with totally random people so it was a great change However I cannot deny the Media Blackout day had a negative aspect as well First feeling lost When I went to play Indoor soccer at the gym my friends and I were all in the changing room when they started talking about a soccer news from Twitter I had no idea what they were talking about I felt like I was disconnected and lost from the real world and living inside my own bubble It was really a strange situation for me I did not like it and I felt like I am being cut off from information I was so uncomfortable The second negative thing is going without music I realized I was so addicted to music and I cannot function well in my day without fulfilling this need It was so stressful when I drove my car without listening to any music Actually I guess that was the hardest thing I have done on my Media Blackout day I think the most media technology I missed were Twitter and Spotify Twitter is the app where I can know what is happening in the world especially in my country Saudi Arabia Since my government is controlling a bunch of social media in the country such as TV and newspapers people tend to use different sources to get the correct news Twitter is the most popular app in Saudi Arabia people trust it more than they trust national channels so I got used to check Twitter every day In fact I probably use Twitter more than
4 hours per day so it was so annoying and stressful not using it on Saturday I felt like my only source to know what is happening in my country is gone In addition to Twitter I missed listening to music Spotify so bad I usually sleep while I am listening to Metallica Pink Floyd and led zeppelin As I mentioned before I have an addiction to music I work out study drive cook and sleep while using Spotify On my Media Blackout day I felt empty It sounds like there is something missing from my day and nothing could fill that void Not a conversation with my roommate nor making food Thus I realized how music was a huge part of my life and how it can affect my daily mood I have not produce any media during my Media Blackout day Actually I tried to go back and write in my journal like I used to do three years ago yet I did not write anything significant Finally I would describe my relationship to modern media after this experience as strongly addicted to media I feel like modern media has made my life so much easier and comfortable Thus I am not ashamed to describe myself as a person who has an addiction to media I do not think I can handle another 24 hours without technology In my opinion consuming more media in daily basis has changed my life significantly It helped me to develop my English language really fast since I watch lots of movies and listen continuously to music This experience made me appreciate media more than I did before and now I am certain that modern media is not only a teaching tool for me but it also can fill a huge void inside me