Thinking and Writing about Digital Media

I’d like to think my personal media consumption is typical. I like the popular media platforms that most of my friends use and like, such as Facebook and Instagram. I not only stay connected on these social media sites, but they offer me a chance to “tell my story” and share my values with others, which I like to do. I also spend at least an hour or more a day on Spotify listening to music. Music brings me a lot of pleasure because it is a form of self-care and expression for me, as well as being entertaining and catchy. Also, my Pinterest profile brings me a lot of pleasure because it is where I can pin quotes and pictures that uplift me, as well as express my creativity and thoughts. In class we discussed how some of us represent or filter ourselves differently on different media forms. I do this, being more honest and vulnerable on Twitter than I am on Facebook. I try to use media for all of it’s positive qualities, like keeping me in touch with my family and listening to audiobooks, scriptures and conference talks. And there is nothing like getting a good laugh from watching a Jimmy Fallon or James Corden talk show or receiving game updates from ESPN. 

As far as my personal guidelines for navigating digital media, I think it is important to develop self-control and awareness. Many kids don’t have these two guidelines when using digital media because they don’t know any better and were born into the media-age. It is my job as a teacher to help students develop these guidelines to have a healthy relationship with media. They don’t realize how it can negatively affect their lives and self-esteem if they’re not careful. I’m sure we all have read articles about increases in depression, anxiety and the need to be constantly entertained in youth because of media use. I can’t imagine what kids are going through, because even I, a somewhat mature, aware 23-year-old college student, fall into the traps of poor self-esteem, unrealistic comparisons and letting digital media consume my life. Recently this has been very close to my heart as my little sister has struggled with body image issues, and it is likely that social media may have contributed to this. But I’m not trying to dwell on the negative aspects of media, because it really is about balance and HOW we choose to use media for the good. We can use it to foster relationships, keep educated and informed about things and keep a history or share happy memories, for instance. I think an important rule of thumb is to limit or monitor the time we spend on technology/media so it is a healthy amount. We don’t want to sacrifice meaningful human interactions and experiences because we are disconnected, isolated and spending too much time on media. Another rule, besides self-regulation, is to be aware of how digital media affects you personally. Be aware of the messages that are being communicated to you by advertisements and social media because sometimes they are false, unhealthy messages. For instance, youth sometimes have a hard time judging between what is real and what is edited on Instagram, leading them to compare themselves to unrealistic expectations and images. I find that Instagram most often, but not always, is the place where people present these edited, ideal images of their lives. We often share the photos that communicate the person we want to be or the ideal life we want to have. This creates holes and gaps in reality, and isn’t the whole picture. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but can get out of control if we are trying to be someone we aren’t or let appearances consume our lives and constant attention. This is just one lesson about using Instagram that would help kids be more aware. Even though it's not her fault, I wish my little sister had more awareness about what messages she believed. I’m sure there are a lot more ideas that could help myself and others navigate media, but self-regulation and awareness are the most important to me and my future students.