With the use of smartphones and tablets increasing every year and the areas covered by some kind of wireless Internet signal always expanding, people are arguably more connected to mass media now than ever before. For this assignment, I ask you to try and disconnect yourself for a day (if not half the day).
Description
Describe the experience of giving up all media for half a day (or at least half a day)—including television, radio, movies, books, magazines, newspapers, and the internet (even connections on a mobile phone).
Analysis
Analyze the patterns you discover. Which media were the most difficult to avoid using? Which were the easiest?
Interpretation
Interpret what these patterns mean. For example, what missing elements (news, social contact, entertainment) affected your daily life the most? Did the deprivation experience open up new possibilities for you?
Evaluation
Evaluate the role of the media in your life and in your social circle. What is good and bad about it? Is it too easy to demonize all media as “bad”? Is it too easy to overindulge in media content?
Engagement
You are welcome to offer a brief idea on how you could (or intend) to let others know about what you experienced.