I was asked to track my media usage for a day. I’ll start off by saying that I wanted to embellish going into it. You know, mind my P’s and Q’s, and prove that I am aware and in control of what comes in.
I am happy to report that today, on January 16th, 2020, I did not open my Instagram feed 32 times. However, for transparency’s sake, that’s only because I worked for five flights and we are not allowed to have our cell phones out on the plane. I am not addicted to social media enough to get written up for having my phone out.
What can I say? I am a rule follower.
7:00 AM – My day started with several alarms and 5-minute snoozes. I caught a red-eye flight back to base and slept in the crew room. The first thing I do is check my flight schedule for changes and then, I send my husband and children a few text messages.
I get up, drink some water, and hit the online books for three hours before getting ready for work as planned. When I walk out of the crew room, I look up at the airport monitors to confirm my gate.
The first news I get comes from the Captain by way of Air Traffic Control (ATC). He gives me the weather forecast as it pertains to our flights for the day.
I interact with plenty of media during flights. This includes reading a manifest for each flight that indicates the flight number, passenger names, seat assignments, special needs or privileges on the flight, connecting gates, and so on. I also read my announcement script and fill out a count form during each flight.
I’ve printed a portion of my school book to read between trips.
10:20 PM – I am done for the day. I use signs throughout the Jackson Airport to find my way to our hotel shuttle. The driver gives me a binder with a sign-in sheet and a room key.
During the ride to the hotel, I call my kids on WhatsApp video chat. They’ve lost track of time. So, I guide them through their bedtime routine. Brush teeth. Set out school clothes. Turn off electronics. Virtual loves and hugs. All the things. Dad is sick or he would have already done it.
I also take a quick peek at how my investments have done today in the Robinhood app.
The following article catches my attention: Aurora Cannabis Stock Has Erased 2020 Losses After Analysis Reiterate Support. This app is the only place I seek financial news. I may click through to the original link or search for other sources, but it usually begins in the app.
10:40 PM – I open Instagram for less than a minute and realize that for now, I could be doing something better with my time. Accordingly, my phone buzzes. It’s the calendar reminder I set to continue tracking my media usage for this very blog.
I scroll through the news on the Yahoo! Homepage a few moments. This is generally where I go to browse pop culture and celebrity news before clearing emails. Finally, I check my school notebook to confirm my due dates and the assignment I need to complete by the next day before Netflixing.
I’ve seen so many memes referencing Netflix’s new show, You in the past week and I heard a few coworkers talking about the show. So, I decide to check out the first episode before going to bed. I end up watching two.
January 17th, 2020
I head down to eat breakfast at the hotel our crew is staying at. They have local news on the television. In addition to the weather forecast for Jackson, Mississippi, I hear their take on the following stories:
- Scans show benefit of reading vs. screen time
- Sneak peek: Chacey Poynter: Witness to Murder…
- Kacey Musgraves calls out country radio station for not playing women back to back: ‘Smells like white male bull****’
Note: These are links to the stories from other sources, not the local news channel.
I wonder why this Chacey Poynter woman gets a chance to cry on national television about murdering her husband. It reminds me of the two-sides fallacy spoken of in Mediactive. We don’t need to hear this.
8:40 AM – My husband calls on WhatsApp so that I can talk to him and the children while they drive to school. It’s our thing.
Next? Computer use for school with the occasional social media interruption. All. Day.
I open Instagram and watch the following video before getting refocused on school work.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/B7bQEH8J2gK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
3:00 PM – I swipe through finance news in the Robinhood app and read the following articles from my Bloglovin’ daily email before taking a dinner break. This daily email is where I find my wellness-related news.
After 54 Days, The CDC Says It’s Finally Safe To Eat Romaine Again
This is important. I am a vegetarian.
Advertising is Making You Unhappy. Here are Some Ways to Avoid It.
When I get back from dinner I browse through stories curated by Pocket. I see this curated feed each time I open a blank Firefox browser.
I work on school assignments until 12:06 AM. I hoped I would have enough time for another episode of You, but I have to be up at 4:00 AM for work.
Media Source Credibility Ratings
(9) Weather briefing from Captain – We rely on this information to answer one question: Is it safe to fly? If ATC says no, we trust that. If ATC says it’s a yes, then we trust that. The bottom line is that my airline hasn’t had any planes fall out of the sky due to weather complications.
(9) Mind, Body, Green and Becoming Minimalist delivered by Bloglovin’ – Both of these websites do their research and make it easy for readers to visit their sources. One article links to the CDC press release and the other links to original research on the Harvard Business Review.
I may not trust the CDC’s judgment on vaccinations, but I do trust them to tell me if I can start eating lettuce again.
(6) Local news on television – I expect local news to be an echo of national news with local weather, events, and stories sprinkled in. Television news, in general, is biased.
(6) Yahoo! News – This news platform is hit and miss. Sometimes they follow quick news trends and appear to be biased.
(5) Pocket – Honestly, I read the headlines for entertainment purposes and rarely click through. They are all for sensationalism, but who doesn’t love a juicy story from time-to-time?
