When I think about the impact media has in the way that communicate I have to take a step back. Media impacts so much in my life that it seems invisible at first. At a second glance I begin to think about exactly what media constitutes. Media has completely altered our lifestyles in both positive and negative ways. We can see how technology has made communication much faster and more effective, with e-mail and phone calls making conversations happen instantly. However, the time spent in front of the computer and television competes with physical activities and face to face interaction. We have come along way from the days of communication being used for economic purposes, with media being so little as a notched stick to keep count. Now there a millions of way to communicate with others and many different types of media to do it with.
Media is my cell phone. Since I got a cell phone I have used it more and more, at first just calling my friends, and then texting. I communicate with almost everyone in my life through my phone. I text my friends, my coworkers, my siblings, and even my parents daily. I do not know what I would do without my unlimited texting plan because I send so many all of the time. Texting has changed the way I communicate because it is no longer necessary to call someone to ask them a question or talk to them about something when you do not really want to have a full length conversation. Texting is a very expedient way to send and receive short bits of information. You can easily text and not have to pay attention to a person’s voice, or create a distraction in a quiet environment. Not only texting, but just being able to call anyone, anywhere makes things so easy. Thinking about a time when you did not always have a phone on your body to be able to call people seems ridiculous.
Media is the internet. Social networking sites have become a part of my life that I do not take the time to think about anymore. I got my own Myspace when I was in ninth grade and now it just seems natural to check it every day and use it to keep in touch with old friends. Eventually I caught onto the Facebook trend as well. As with Myspace, I often use it to communicate with other people. The grape vine becomes a lot shorter when the latest relationship news is broadcasted right to your news feed. These sites make it so easy to find things out about other people which is not always a good thing when it comes to your own life. I remember not wanting to change my relationship status after my boyfriend and I broke up this past summer because of the bombardment of people wanting to know the details which I was dreading and eventually had to deal with.
While these sites and my cell phone usage have become an integral part of the way I communicate, I still prefer face to face interaction. Texting or instant messaging takes away some of the awkwardness that may accompany some conversations you would have in person so it can seem like the easier route. However, talking to someone in person is a lot more meaningful and personal to me. When people completely immerse themselves in using technology to meet and talk to other people they lose a lot of important social skills that later can affect their relationships. Using the computer to meet people online can make it awkward when you are in a situation where you must interact with people in real life. For instance, if you spent high school surrounded by an online community of friends that you felt comfortable with and was never forced to step outside of that to meet friends; you could have a very hard time when you enter college and are pushed outside of that comfort zone. Talking to people in person can be hard if you have always had a screen to guard yourself with, and you could retreat back to this safe place, missing out on a lot of interesting people and the experience of college life. I do not feel as though my reliance on communicating with technology has hindered my social skills. I do see how this reliance is time consuming and is problematic in my life in that way.
Media is my cell phone. Since I got a cell phone I have used it more and more, at first just calling my friends, and then texting. I communicate with almost everyone in my life through my phone. I text my friends, my coworkers, my siblings, and even my parents daily. I do not know what I would do without my unlimited texting plan because I send so many all of the time. Texting has changed the way I communicate because it is no longer necessary to call someone to ask them a question or talk to them about something when you do not really want to have a full length conversation. Texting is a very expedient way to send and receive short bits of information. You can easily text and not have to pay attention to a person’s voice, or create a distraction in a quiet environment. Not only texting, but just being able to call anyone, anywhere makes things so easy. Thinking about a time when you did not always have a phone on your body to be able to call people seems ridiculous.
Media is the internet. Social networking sites have become a part of my life that I do not take the time to think about anymore. I got my own Myspace when I was in ninth grade and now it just seems natural to check it every day and use it to keep in touch with old friends. Eventually I caught onto the Facebook trend as well. As with Myspace, I often use it to communicate with other people. The grape vine becomes a lot shorter when the latest relationship news is broadcasted right to your news feed. These sites make it so easy to find things out about other people which is not always a good thing when it comes to your own life. I remember not wanting to change my relationship status after my boyfriend and I broke up this past summer because of the bombardment of people wanting to know the details which I was dreading and eventually had to deal with.
While these sites and my cell phone usage have become an integral part of the way I communicate, I still prefer face to face interaction. Texting or instant messaging takes away some of the awkwardness that may accompany some conversations you would have in person so it can seem like the easier route. However, talking to someone in person is a lot more meaningful and personal to me. When people completely immerse themselves in using technology to meet and talk to other people they lose a lot of important social skills that later can affect their relationships. Using the computer to meet people online can make it awkward when you are in a situation where you must interact with people in real life. For instance, if you spent high school surrounded by an online community of friends that you felt comfortable with and was never forced to step outside of that to meet friends; you could have a very hard time when you enter college and are pushed outside of that comfort zone. Talking to people in person can be hard if you have always had a screen to guard yourself with, and you could retreat back to this safe place, missing out on a lot of interesting people and the experience of college life. I do not feel as though my reliance on communicating with technology has hindered my social skills. I do see how this reliance is time consuming and is problematic in my life in that way.
