Media Diary

MEDIA DIARY JOUR1111

After logging my media activity for a period of 10 days there wasn't much I could see except a whole bunch of numbers in a table. 

Media Use

So 10 days of my media use looks something like this;

Table showing my media use recorded over the ten day period.

The table is divided into each media area I used and is recorded across 10 days with an approximation of the minutes spent looking, listening, or reading at each place or on each site.

I divided up my media use into 4 main categories; computer, smart phone, radio and TV. I did this so that I could see the main portals in which my media use was focused and also to gage which was used most to view this media.

Pie graph of the percentage of time spent on media use.

The majority of my media use is done on the computer. It accounts for over 76% and is all on the internet. This could be explained by the fact that I am very paranoid that I will go over my internet limit on my phone and don't want to pay any more than I have to already on that bill. Another reason is that in my house in Brisbane we don't actually have a working TV so my TV use was done when I visited my mum and younger sister on the Sunshine Coast. Also there isn’t anything on TV to watch so it’s a bit of a waste of time. All the music I listen to is mostly on my ipod. I chose not to include music listening in this diary as I am constantly listening to music. I find that I always have some form of music on but I did choose to include the radio. The radio use recorded here is from trips in the car when I was on the Coast and from the portable radio that my housemate has. I believe the time spent on each category would vary each week but they would most likely stay in the same order of most use. 

 
Column graph showing each media use category and the total time spent on each over the ten day period.

I created this graph to better show the time spent on each article. As you can see the time spent watching movies towers over the others. This is because, firstly, I love movies and secondly because much more time is invested in watching a movie. To watch a film you are devoting 2-3 hours each time, depending on the film of course. Youtube comes at a not so close second. The amount of time watching this was so high due to the fact that Youtube always offers the videos that are related to the one you just watched so when you watch one you end up watching quite a few and before you know it the time has accumulated and you’ve been there for hours...And  facebook. It can just be so addictive and I always feel like I have to check it at least a few times a day but nothing is ever any different from when I check it that first time. 

In this record, I mention news. This appertains to written news on the internet accessed via my computer or my smart phone. Most of the time I look at the BBC news page to see what’s going on around the world or at a local webpage (this varies. There is not one specific news site that I visit). I do read newspapers but only really when I am at a cafe or somewhere that provides a paper. I never actively go out a buy a newspaper just to read what going on. The internet is just so much easier and works better for me. And I do watch show like Media Watch and Q&A whenever I get the chance.

Media Production

Table showing the recording of my media production over the ten day period.

This is the table I created for my media production. As is quite obvious, I don’t do much production. I will occasionally write a post or two on Facebook, if I can be bothered and I email only when necessity dictates. The blog however I put quite a bit of time into. (It’s really fun and I thank this course for forcing me to write one.)

Regardless of the minimum media production, I still created a few graphs. Both of which clearly show that the time I spent writing blogs is far higher than the other forms of media production that I recorded and what they all accumulate to is that I don’t do much media production. 

Pie graph depicting my media production and the percentage of time spent.

 
Column graph showing the total time spent on media production over the ten day period.

I believe that part of the reason that I don’t do more production of media is that I am a little selfish in this respect. Most of the time I would much rather watch what someone else has created rather than make something myself for others to watch. But just because I prefer to watch doesn’t mean that I never create things myself. I do produce things myself just very rarely. Maybe if I had chosen a different 10 days the result might have been different but I don’t think it would have effected it much. This record of the 10 days of media use and production rings pretty true for me. 

From the survey that was taken, the results show that I am very much in the majority most of the time. I am female as are 75% of the class, I am in the second biggest age bracket, 18-20, I am studying a Bachelor of Journalism and Arts and I am a domestic student. It also shows that the majority of my peers use their internet enabled smart phones to access Facebook but I use it mostly to access news sites to check the headlines.

 This is mainly because it takes a ridiculously long time for my Facebook app to load my Facebook page so I avoid it because it’s a waste of my time when I can always just check it when I get home. The majority of my peers, as shown in the results of the survey said they spend 2-3 hours on the internet a day. I don’t think I fit into this category. I think my internet use is less than this but it all depends on the assignments I am doing and if they need the internet and also how much procrastinating I am doing.

So does this limited use and production of media affect my relationship to journalism and communications? I don’t believe so. There may be many people out there who are more in the know than I am as they spend much more time looking, watching and listening to various things and surfing the internet and many people who promote themselves by creating YouTube videos or multiple blogs etc but I look at what I want to and believe I have a fairly well rounded view and knowledge on the things that interest me. Just because I don’t spent much time on media production doesn’t mean I don’t have anything to say in this world, it just means that I express it differently. 

I also, like I have mentioned previously, enjoy watching films and spend quite a bit of time doing so. I love reading and I can spend hours reading especially if it is a really good book. And in saying that, I do not own an E-Reader or Tablet as I am against these devices and believe in the true hardcopy book. And if the weather is good, outside is the best place to be. I love playing sport and spend many hours a week doing so if the rain hasn’t cancelled it.

In conclusion, my media use as well as my production could be considered lower than average but it is still a quite significant amount of time that I spend on my computer and on the internet. I don't believe this affects my relationship to Journalsim and communication in a negative manner as I still spend a fair amount of time doing other sorts of things that contribute to journalism and communication.