I'm Meg...and the irony of this blog is that I am NOT a heavy digital media user. I'm kind of a hermit in real life, and even more so online. I don't have a Facebook account, Twitter account, or whatever the latest social media thing is. I'm basically Ron, from Parks and Recreation. Here's a clip of him trying to help Tom purge his screen use.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWFJgZOqeBk&list=RDrcVPPjQciCY&index=2
For some reason this clip is really short and I can't find the rest, but basically Tom goes on and on about all the different ways he uses technology/the internet until Ron freaks out.
Like I said, I'm not a heavy user of digital media, at least not for my own personal use (I'm a graphic designer, so obviously I spend plenty of time at my desk using Adobe). A typical day for me, as far as digital media usage, goes something like this:
I have the NPR news app on my phone, so most mornings I look at this while having breakfast. I also have the NPR One app for actually listening to stories, which I use when I'm shelving books (I work at a library) or cleaning, any task that I can do while still paying attention to audio. Speaking of, I also subscribe to Audible right now, for audio books, but I'm undecided on whether or not I'll keep that. I'm a gmail user so I am often interacting with the gmail site or the app on my phone. I also use YouTube fairly regularly, if I need to look up how to do something mainly. I'm an Amazon Prime member and do use it fairly frequently. I'm not sure that I would "identify" with any of these sites or applications. I think of them more as tools that I use to accomplish a task or satisfy a need.
Think I'm a freak yet? Or at least have digital media habits resembling your grandmother? (I'm 34 by the way)
For a short time a few years ago I tried using Facebook, both to branch out socially and to promote myself as a designer/photographer. I found that I had a very negative reaction to Facebook. It made me feel anxious, and uncomfortable, and when I did try to use it it often boxed me into doing it "the Facebook way" or made me install a new app on my phone or something...it did not take but a couple of months for me to say "I'm out." Even getting out of Facebook proved annoying, with shutting down my account requiring a month waiting period. Never again will I be a part of that site (at least personally, I realize I may need to use it in professional settings, and have often helped businesses/organizations with creating content for Facebook).
I can't think of any site that I have a particularly positive reaction to. I often find myself at least a little annoyed when using digital media. Perhaps just Google, like the ability to find the answer to any question I might have almost instantly does create a positive feeling in me. I have a ten year old daughter, and anytime she asks me a question I don't know the answer to I can say, "I don't know, let's look it up," which is really satisfying.
I find that using digital media that does not contain a social media component meets my needs far better than sites/apps that expect you to create a profile, interact with other users, etc.
I am probably an outlier when it comes to my response to email marketing as well. I don't sign up for email alerts and if I happen to get them I mark them as spam or set up a filter so I don't anymore. I find that any sort of targeted advertising at me turns me off almost instantly and makes me less likely to buy a product or shop with a particular retailer. Sometimes I realize that this isn't fair or logical, but it's just my natural, gut reaction. If I want to interact with a company, I want to initiate that, not the other way around.
Basically, I pay as little attention to digital media and marketing as I can get away with. I think this has to do with trends towards more targeted advertising, which as I said, really turns me off and kind of gives me the creeps. I realize that everything out there is collecting data on me, and mostly I'm okay with that, but when I see the results of that data collection in advertising aimed at me I find it off putting.
So any other digital media hermits out there? If so I guess you're probably not reading this blog! From those digital media natives, any advice for me as I attempt to navigate the professional and social world of 2018 without social media?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWFJgZOqeBk&list=RDrcVPPjQciCY&index=2
For some reason this clip is really short and I can't find the rest, but basically Tom goes on and on about all the different ways he uses technology/the internet until Ron freaks out.
Like I said, I'm not a heavy user of digital media, at least not for my own personal use (I'm a graphic designer, so obviously I spend plenty of time at my desk using Adobe). A typical day for me, as far as digital media usage, goes something like this:
I have the NPR news app on my phone, so most mornings I look at this while having breakfast. I also have the NPR One app for actually listening to stories, which I use when I'm shelving books (I work at a library) or cleaning, any task that I can do while still paying attention to audio. Speaking of, I also subscribe to Audible right now, for audio books, but I'm undecided on whether or not I'll keep that. I'm a gmail user so I am often interacting with the gmail site or the app on my phone. I also use YouTube fairly regularly, if I need to look up how to do something mainly. I'm an Amazon Prime member and do use it fairly frequently. I'm not sure that I would "identify" with any of these sites or applications. I think of them more as tools that I use to accomplish a task or satisfy a need.
Think I'm a freak yet? Or at least have digital media habits resembling your grandmother? (I'm 34 by the way)
For a short time a few years ago I tried using Facebook, both to branch out socially and to promote myself as a designer/photographer. I found that I had a very negative reaction to Facebook. It made me feel anxious, and uncomfortable, and when I did try to use it it often boxed me into doing it "the Facebook way" or made me install a new app on my phone or something...it did not take but a couple of months for me to say "I'm out." Even getting out of Facebook proved annoying, with shutting down my account requiring a month waiting period. Never again will I be a part of that site (at least personally, I realize I may need to use it in professional settings, and have often helped businesses/organizations with creating content for Facebook).
I can't think of any site that I have a particularly positive reaction to. I often find myself at least a little annoyed when using digital media. Perhaps just Google, like the ability to find the answer to any question I might have almost instantly does create a positive feeling in me. I have a ten year old daughter, and anytime she asks me a question I don't know the answer to I can say, "I don't know, let's look it up," which is really satisfying.
I find that using digital media that does not contain a social media component meets my needs far better than sites/apps that expect you to create a profile, interact with other users, etc.
I am probably an outlier when it comes to my response to email marketing as well. I don't sign up for email alerts and if I happen to get them I mark them as spam or set up a filter so I don't anymore. I find that any sort of targeted advertising at me turns me off almost instantly and makes me less likely to buy a product or shop with a particular retailer. Sometimes I realize that this isn't fair or logical, but it's just my natural, gut reaction. If I want to interact with a company, I want to initiate that, not the other way around.
Basically, I pay as little attention to digital media and marketing as I can get away with. I think this has to do with trends towards more targeted advertising, which as I said, really turns me off and kind of gives me the creeps. I realize that everything out there is collecting data on me, and mostly I'm okay with that, but when I see the results of that data collection in advertising aimed at me I find it off putting.
So any other digital media hermits out there? If so I guess you're probably not reading this blog! From those digital media natives, any advice for me as I attempt to navigate the professional and social world of 2018 without social media?
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