Which of your personal characteristics explains why your media use is different than your family, friends, or other people you know? Do you subscribe to powerful or limited media effects?
I am a busy person and rarely feel like I have any spare time. In addition to going to school full time, I have a full-time job, a fairly demanding church calling, and a wife and son that demand all remaining attention. Because of these reasons, I am very selective with my free time. I rarely watch television, but when I do, it’s usually because my wife is watching something and I want to be with her or I need to escape from reality briefly.
Even though I love to play sports, I’m not a sports fanatic and I don’t follow any teams other than BYU. Because of this, the only time I watch sports on TV is when there’s a BYU football game on. I don’t care about celebrities, their problems, or their love lives. In fact, I think it’s a complete waste of time and brain power to keep up with the Hollywood drama.
Because I’m constantly on the move and going from one thing to the next, I end up feeling burning out and overwhelmed. When this happens, I use media as an escape mechanism. I enjoy being able to sit back and watch shows that require little to no though process (which covers most of them)! Movies fall into this category also, because they only require a one to three hour investment of time.
When I choose to sit down and turn on the television, I usually watch the news or stations such as The Discovery Channel, The History Channel, The Food Network, or BYU TV. The programming on these stations is usually either educational or keeps me informed of the world around me. I try to use media to better my life or increase my knowledge whenever possible.
I have to admit that a few shows have sucked me in over the years such as The Office, Friends, and Seinfeld. I hate feeling like I have to watch every week in order to stay in the loop, however, so I purposely try to avoid them. If I really like the show, I will rent or borrow an entire season so that I can sit down and watch the whole thing in series.
When I feel like watching a movie, I tend to pick documentary-style films or movies dealing with history such as National Treasure, Amazing Grace, A More Perfect Union, and The Da Vinci Code. I also love motivational movies based on true stories like Hoosiers, Pistol Pete, Remember the Titans, Miracle, and The Pursuit of Happyness. Unlike most guys, I don’t care for violence, war movies, or martial arts films. I do like comedies and chick flicks however!
I’m reminded of how different my media preferences are when I hang out with my friends. I’m often surprised to find out how much they sit in front of the TV and waste away. I know that my usage of media is very different from that of my friends and family, and I attribute this to my interests and priorities in my life.
The media may have a powerful influence on passive viewers[1], but I think that most of us have our own opinions on most issues. Because of this, I subscribe to a theory of limited media effects. The media may bring certain issues to my attention, but I don’t accept it at face value. I make sure to research things on my own in order to come to a balanced, educated conclusion. If I am affected by the media in any way, it’s through a multi-step flow process not a direct approach.
Works Cited:
[1] Audience Theory – An Introduction, Media Know All, n.d., http://www.mediaknowall.com/alevkeyconcepts/audience.html [23 October 2007].
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