Keeping in Touch- Easier Than Ever

One of the most profound changes in the world from our history is how we keep in touch.  Families used to live all in the same neighborhood, and letters and news were as fast as a horse could deliver them.  Now, in such a fast paced world, it is hard to imagine not having news instantaneously in our hands.  We would feel cut off and uninformed without it, because we are now in a world where information is always at our fingertips.  With the aid of media, there is no excuse for not keeping in touch, but no one wants that disconnection anyways.  

To this day, one of the most effective ways to stay connected on a personal level, for me, is to use the phone.  I moved across the country when I was 9, leaving friends and half my family behind.  Without the use of the phone, I would have never kept connected with any of them.  They keep me posted on the news in their lives, and that of that side of the U.S.A.  Of course, emailing and other electronic forms of communication help send quick hellos, but it is nothing like physically talking during a conversation to keep connected.  Even to this day, I prefer talking to anyone on the phone over than anything else.  

As far as the news goes, the Internet and television mainly keep me posted on the world in which we live.  Newspapers are a perfect way to get the news as well, and I enjoy having a hard copy of the history we are creating, but honestly, it is just not as easy.  It is not as instant as TV or the Internet, and I hate to wrestle with the size and awkward folds of the newspaper (which, for some reason, I can never get back to making it as neat as before).  

Over the years, I have also discovered who to go to in my family for news.  If it is the weather, I can always discuss it with my Grandma in Michigan.  She knows what the weather is doing in Florida more than I do.  And if it is local news and gossip from around town, I can talk to my other Grandma.  My parents know most of what is going on in my hometown, and my brother, who works in the Capitol, always knows politics and international affairs.  I also have a lot of friends who talk with me about all the recent movies, release dates, gossip and anything else that may be relevant to our lives. I will say, however, I am glad to find the gossip is at a minimum in the group.  That's not being connected- that's just a useless passage of time.  

The desire to remain connected exists in everyone- it's human nature to feel involved and informed.  It makes us feel part of the community, part of the world.  We (myself included!) would much rather hear of topics that specifically interest us, or what effects us personally, but it is up to us to make the decisions on what to be informed of.  It is up to the media to give all that they have and allow us to decide what we want to tune in to...how we keep in touch.

A Day In The Life

When reflecting on the media habits I have developed, I find I am quite media dependent, but not anywhere near harmful or extravagant. I will watch television for some downtime, or watch the weather for rain or freezing temperatures (which are not uncommon these days).  I like music and movies just as all the generations before, expect it is now so much more accessible then it used to be. When all my media uses are looked upon, the use of my computer and cellphone dominate all other forms of media because they are the tools that connect me to the media.  

Television may be a source of entertainment or easy news, but it is not a necessary item in my day-to-day life.  I love to watch certain shows, such as The Office (which I never miss if I can help it) and I always watch CNN for news, but it is not as vital to me personally as my phone and my computer.  

My phone is the biggest attachment because it does allow me to connect with the outside world, and it is it's own form of media.  It is a connection to media. It also is a easy way to talk to family and friends around the United States and to keep me informed of their news as well. 

The computer is different in a sense of what kind of media it brings me.  It is a Mac computer, so that in itself is a public form of advertisement for Apple products that I am happy to support.  It also connects me to the Internet, where I check my email many times a day, whether for important school updates, or the latest Facebook message.  The Internet is defiantly a huge form of media that I access every day. I would not say I was addicted to any of these gadgets that connect me to different medias, but they have changed the way I live and it is nice to have the options because they are so readily available.  

Watching movies is also the most frequent way I pass the time, so the television and computer are easy ways to watch whatever I choose, when I choose.  Computers make it possible for on-the-go viewing, and my television offers a widescreen presentation on a bigger scale.  Movies are the biggest specific media form I use, and I can't imagine not having this particular form of entertainment.  I will not go as far to say I could not live without them, but it is a form of media that can educate, instruct, entertain and move anyone who watches them.  The same goes to music as well.  I use music to elevate my mood, get me moving, and share with friends.  We all associate music with different things, as well as all other forms of media.

These media routines were established by habit, personal interests and how I was raised.  I have gotten into a habit to using my phone because I have had a cell since I was in seventh grade.  I first got one from my parents to be used for safety when I went on bike rides, or stayed late after school, and although I still have it for safety, I now use it to connect to media as well.  Movies and music are based off a personal interest and the interaction with other people with similar interests.  

The habits people establish can tell a lot about them, and when I look at my personal interests and habits, I see that although I am defiantly dependent, I am only that way because I am used to it.  I do not know of anything else, and nor do most people of our generation.  We say we can't live without our phone or computer, but I think everyone knows that is an over reaction.  Just how obsessed I, or anyone else, is is based off of what we are used to, what we are exposed to and how we perceive the necessities of our chosen media.