Day One of Media Deprivation

I woke up on Saturday morning completely forgetting that it was media deprivation day until about 12 noon. But as soon as I remembered, I did the best I could at trying not to use my cell phone or radio or IPod or TV throughout the rest of the day. I did use my cell phone to get a hold of my boyfriend because I had no other way of doing so. I also had gotten a few texts from friends that I just could NOT ignore. However, in the car when I drove to CVS to buy makeup, I didn’t listen to the radio at all, and I have to admit, that was extremely difficult. Sitting in silence even just driving down the street from my house was weird because I felt like I was all alone with just me and my thoughts, which I sure wasn’t used to at all.
My boyfriend picked me up around 3:00 pm that day, and while I waited for him, I felt a little stir crazy not being able to watch TV or listen to music or even get on facebook. I’ll admit though, I cracked and did get on facebook for a few minutes while I waited for my boyfriend to pick me up from my house. When we rode in his car we did listen to music from one of his CD’s, and a little bit of the radio. We went to eat at Texas Roadhouse where there is always music playing, but this made it easier for me not to pick up my phone and text. We ended up going back to his place after that where, I swear to you, the TV is ALWAYS on. So it was a little difficult for me not to watch a little of it here and there. However, once he picked me up, I was able to not use my cell phone or the internet all day until I had to call one of my friends around 9:00 pm to meet up because we were all going to the movies together to see Nightmare on Elm Street. After the movies, we all went home and my friend had been on a date with a guy and was texting me all about it and it was SO hard for me to tell her that I couldn’t text her and I would have to talk to her about it in person. She was very understanding and knew I was only doing this for school purposes but it still made me feel so out of touch with the world and with my friends. The fact that I had to ignore my friends’ texts all day and not be able to get on facebook made me feel not only out of the loop but also very lonely. I never really think about how the media has an impact on my life until I am not able to use it. It’s crazy how a simple ignored text message can end up ruining relationships and cause friendships to be challenged. I feel that if I hadn’t cracked and answered the phone when my boyfriend called (after I already texted him the deal for my comm class) then there would’ve been conflict or tension between us. However, the fact that I spent the whole day with him in person instead of just talking on the phone all day actually made things easier and more fun.
I feel that media deprivation can also help relationships and friendships because it challenges people to be more physical and be together rather than more cyber. I realized that doing things like going to the movies and going out to eat and going to the mall are more fun and exciting than sitting at home chatting on facebook or texting or shopping online. I feel that actually being able to hangout in person, without the confusions of the media, is healthier and brings you closer to your friends and boyfriends/girlfriends. Although this thought may seem very obvious, it is surprising to me really how often and how powerfully we let the media control our lives and relationships.
What I got out of this assignment on the first day is that it is possible for me not to use my cell phone, although it is the hardest thing, and it is also possible for me not to listen to the radio in the car, which is also extremely difficult. I’m glad I’m able to experience this because it has also given me a lot more time to myself to think and learn more about myself. This is something that I feel we all lose touch of with all the media that surrounds us on a daily basis and prevents us from ever being able to sit in silence and think; and that, I believe, is something we all need to do once in awhile so we don’t lose touch of who we are amidst all of the confusion of the media.