Overall,
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While keeping tabs on my social media usage, I have noticed that I check social media more out of routine than interest in the content, itself. Interestingly, I still seem to keep a consistent schedule of when I check social media the most. It has become clear to me that my motivations in using technology, in general, lie in trying to keep constant communication with my close friends and family. Hence, I have little interest in Twitter, where I believe content serves to update more than communicate.
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Field Notes
TIME
I find myself steadily checking social media when I wake up in the morning, before I go to bed at night, when I am not busy at work, and when I am commuting back and forth between campuses. These are just the times when my media usage is most consistent over the course of a day, but more usage is certainly peppered in between these times.
PATTERNS IN USE
HOW I FELT
A lot of times, I check my media when I am feeling bored and when my mind is not being stimulated in any way. I've realized that I won't check social media during class, but I will occasionally respond to texts. These texts will typically be from my mom and my boyfriend, but not group texts. I have observed that I don't check my texts because I'm bored, but because I want to keep in contact with people that are immediately related to me. I am more inclined to be interested in a conversation than an "update" from a loosely-related friend or celebrity. I guess that is why I rarely check Twitter.
MEDIA, ME, AND OTHER PEOPLE
I think I might be hyper-conscious about how I am perceived when it comes to media use. I will go out of my way to not check my phone when I am around older adults, because I am always under the impression that they think I am trivial and dumb for engaging in social media. I notice that I typically get really annoyed when I am talking to someone and they are using media, specifically someone I know well. However, I notice that when I am with someone that I don't know well, I am more inclined to use my phone as a crutch if there are ever lulls in conversation or if the other person is already on his or her phone.
WHAT ARE MY INTENTIONS?
When I use Facebook, it is sometimes as a tool to find people or photos, and sometimes as a device for passively looking through my newsfeed. I've realized that I typically don't seek out Facebook because I am really interested in the posts, but because I am bored or feel the need to stay updated with the information that comes through my Facebook groups. Admittedly, I will sometimes look at my phone so that I will not have to have to participate in small-talk with people that I have met, but don't know well.
WHO IS ON THE OTHER END?
WHAT MOTIVATES ME?
I am motivated to use social media now, more than ever, because my close friends are studying abroad in different countries and have limited access to texting. With social media, I am afforded a glance into what they are doing and seeing. I can also use Facebook message to communicate with my friend that went swimming with his phone in his pocket, in place of using iMessage.
I am also very motivated to check my Facebook notifications and messages because my sorority often feeds us important information through
SOCIAL EXPECTATIONS
As the PR chair of my sorority, I am expected to help maintain its official Twitter and Instagram accounts. It is difficult for me to do this because I have very little interest in Twitter. I'm not positive if this is because I am a very visual person, or if I find that I can find other media that have more purpose. Which is where I will draw my proposal...
I find myself steadily checking social media when I wake up in the morning, before I go to bed at night, when I am not busy at work, and when I am commuting back and forth between campuses. These are just the times when my media usage is most consistent over the course of a day, but more usage is certainly peppered in between these times.
PATTERNS IN USE
- When I wake up, I typically check both my Loyola e-mail account and my AT&T e-mail account, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.
- When I am at work, I usually only check my phone when I receive texts, and that provokes me to click on the notifications that I may have on Facebook. From there, I typically check Instagram and scroll up until the last point that I had viewed, and then check my Snapchats. After that, I will sometimes check the Snapchat stories of my close friends.
- At night before bed, I usually look at my phone as I fall asleep. Sometimes it will be reading an article, sometimes scrolling through Pinterest or Tumblr. At this point of the day, I have usually retired Instagram and Facebook, because nothing new or that exciting has been posted, or I don't care.
HOW I FELT
A lot of times, I check my media when I am feeling bored and when my mind is not being stimulated in any way. I've realized that I won't check social media during class, but I will occasionally respond to texts. These texts will typically be from my mom and my boyfriend, but not group texts. I have observed that I don't check my texts because I'm bored, but because I want to keep in contact with people that are immediately related to me. I am more inclined to be interested in a conversation than an "update" from a loosely-related friend or celebrity. I guess that is why I rarely check Twitter.
MEDIA, ME, AND OTHER PEOPLE
I think I might be hyper-conscious about how I am perceived when it comes to media use. I will go out of my way to not check my phone when I am around older adults, because I am always under the impression that they think I am trivial and dumb for engaging in social media. I notice that I typically get really annoyed when I am talking to someone and they are using media, specifically someone I know well. However, I notice that when I am with someone that I don't know well, I am more inclined to use my phone as a crutch if there are ever lulls in conversation or if the other person is already on his or her phone.
WHAT ARE MY INTENTIONS?
When I use Facebook, it is sometimes as a tool to find people or photos, and sometimes as a device for passively looking through my newsfeed. I've realized that I typically don't seek out Facebook because I am really interested in the posts, but because I am bored or feel the need to stay updated with the information that comes through my Facebook groups. Admittedly, I will sometimes look at my phone so that I will not have to have to participate in small-talk with people that I have met, but don't know well.
WHO IS ON THE OTHER END?
- Facebook– I typically communicate with my close friends, roommates, and family members
- Snapchat– I really only communicate with my close friends.
- Twitter– I hardly communicate through Twitter.
- Instagram– I am more inclined to "like" photos that were not posted by my immediate friends.
WHAT MOTIVATES ME?
I am motivated to use social media now, more than ever, because my close friends are studying abroad in different countries and have limited access to texting. With social media, I am afforded a glance into what they are doing and seeing. I can also use Facebook message to communicate with my friend that went swimming with his phone in his pocket, in place of using iMessage.
I am also very motivated to check my Facebook notifications and messages because my sorority often feeds us important information through
SOCIAL EXPECTATIONS
As the PR chair of my sorority, I am expected to help maintain its official Twitter and Instagram accounts. It is difficult for me to do this because I have very little interest in Twitter. I'm not positive if this is because I am a very visual person, or if I find that I can find other media that have more purpose. Which is where I will draw my proposal...