Gina Tiret
CDM535 Visual Criticism
25 October 2010
Media in Everyday Life
My day starts with the alarm on my cell phone going off to make sure I don’t sleep until noon. I get out of bed, say good morning to my roommates if they are there and turn on the TV in the living room if it isn’t already on. I don’t usually find anything too interesting to watch at this point, just something to make background noise while I concentrate on my laptop. I go into the kitchen to make some tea, and while it’s warming up I check my cell phone for texts and open my laptop to check my e-mail and Facebook page. The water’s probably boiling at this point, so I get up to take care of that, leave the tea to steep for about 5-7 minutes depending on how cold it is in the apartment, setting the timer on the microwave.
I sit down to wait and check my favorite webcomics and Cheezburger network sites (Senor Gif, Lolcats, Failblog, Failbook, XKCD, PennyArcade, Hark! A Vagrant, among others). If there’s something interesting enough on Facebook, I won’t even get to the webcomics until several hours later, though if I find some interesting things from other regions of the Internet I’ll probably post them on Facebook (most pages these days have a posting option that will go straight to Facebook). If I have something to do that day I stick with just the essentials: the e-mail and Facebook, and possibly some of the webcomics. Usually though, I have some time to spend on just the computer. I then get around to things that I need to do, like getting ready or work or school, or doing some homework.
If I go to work that day, I’ll be spending time ringing people up and checking them out at the grocery store. I’ll work either a cash register or the self-checkouts, which.
If I go to school, I’ll either be working on a computer or participating in class discussions about things like computers and the effects things like that have on people, societies, communities, and the world. If I have some extra leisure time, I’ll go to a different grocery store than the one I work at and just walk around, or I’ll go to the Chippewa Nature Center if it’s still light out, and walk the 2.7 mile Oxbow trail.
Also, every time I’m in my car, I’m listening to my iPod with the radio adaptor, since my car was made too early in the 90s for iPod’s widespread use and too late for it to be created with a tape-deck, so I can’t use that adaptor (which is actually superior to the radio adaptor for several reasons). Also, the whole time I’m out, I’m very likely to be texting one or two people on my cell phone (never in my car), commenting on weird things I find or something I’ve been thinking about lately and answering other people’s comments on weird things and what they have been thinking about lately.
The moment I get home I’m likely to open my laptop and check everything all over again except for the webcomics that I know update rarely. Sometimes I’ll even turn the TV on first and not open my laptop, depending on how I feel.
When I’m ready for bed, I’ll say goodnight to my friends that I text, either via text-messaging or on Trillian (an instant-messaging service), say goodnight to my roommates if they are there, and make my final comments and posts on Facebook. I’ll turn on the Wii in my room, go to Netflix via the Wii, and most likely will watch an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 while I go to sleep.
Danialle Dube
CDM 535 – Visual Criticism
TYPICAL MEDIA EXPERIENCE
On a typical day, I wake up to the radio and continue to listen on the way to work. When I get to work, I check my email, read the days news on yahoo.com and check a few blogs and websites. I then create internet content for the next 8 hours.
When I get home, I check my personal email, and facebook for about 15-20 minutes and watch a couple hours of TV or Netflix.
Danielle Wright
CDM 535
My Typical Day with Media
10.25.10
In the morning I wake up to the sound of crickets coming from my iPod Touch. After showering, I watch television while I prepare for my day starting with the Weather Channel and the “Local on the 8s.” This is the time I usually listen to any messages on my cell phone. I then navigate to the computer and check my three email accounts followed by a quick lurking experience with Facebook to see what my friends and contacts have posted.
When on my way to work/school, I two-way my husband with my cell phone and then listen to the radio the rest of the way. At work (Delta College), I log into the wireless internet system and check my faculty account for email from my students. Often I will email my students or make announcements regarding my course through myPortal (a faculty/student site much like V-Space). I generally check SVSU’s V-Space for any announcements from my professors. I also check the daily news via a variety of sources on the web.
I listen to the radio after leaving Delta on my way to SVSU. Again, I will two-way my husband and check the messages on my phone after arriving at the university. Generally, I enter the school and find a place to settle into and log-in to SVSU’s wireless system. Again, I check my email accounts, V-Space, and lurk around Facebook. I also generally visit Fark, Woot, and eBay if I don’t have any homework or reading to do. In class, if computers are available, I log-in to the computer and into V-Space, open any software applications and work on my assignments.
On my way home, I two-way my husband again followed by listening to the radio. At home, I will watch a few hours of television while I lurk around Facebook on my laptop for a bit. Instead of television or sometimes at the same time, I will play a few word games on my iPod Touch or listen to music. If I have homework to do, I open up the necessary applications and work on the computer for a few hours. Before going to sleep I set my alarm on my iPod and often watch the evening news on television.
Elaine Martin
CDM 535
Media in my life today
10/25/10
My first exposure to media in the morning is after the kids go to school I check Facebook and my other mail sites. I catch up on my friends and read the news highlights on Yahoo.
I never watch TV.
I usually want some adult interaction by 10 or 11 and will text my older kids and call my friends, hoping one will respond. Usually I get a simply short message on text. That is it until Isaiah needs me. Then, texting becomes regular for the rest of the day.
Around noon, I check my Facebook posts again. It doesn’t take long because I don’t have thousands of friends on there. So catching up only takes a few minutes.
Again around 3 and around 8 and again at bedtime, I repeat the Facebook process and might check my other mail if I’m expecting something.
I don’t listen to the radio unless I’m in my van.
On Mondays and Wednesdays, I listen to the radio in my car for about 4 hours while I’m driving. I spend 6 to 9 hours using the computer to do my homework.
On the weekends, I do some research and typing when there is a paper due. This usually takes about 10 to 20 hours.
