If you look out across the American social landscape, one distinction is clear—we are consumers. Consumption has replaced the old American dream. In 1865 a Frenchman named Jules Verne accurately predicted America would be the first nation to put men on the moon because, as he said, “The Yankees, the world’s best mechanics, are engineers the way Italians are musicians and Germans are metaphysicians: by birth.” Sadly, our dreams are no longer of putting men on the moon, and boldly going where no man has gone before; no, our dreams are filled with who Tiger Woods shagged and Team Edward vs Team Jacob.
If one consumes massive amounts of alcohol, we call them a drunk. If one consumes massive amounts of indiscriminate sex, we call them a deviant. If one consumes massive amounts of drugs, we call them an addict. If one consumes massive amounts of media, what do we call them? Informed, relevant, hip, popular? Like the eighteen year old who has never been taught how to drink responsibly, we consume our mass media and then get behind the wheel and expect the car to drive itself. It’s not surprising then we find our beloved
The last two days I have compiled a media log of all my personal consumption in the realm of mass media. While I don’t consider myself a drunk yet, there is definitely some bingeing I am not so proud of. Of late, I have been giving much thought to how, economically, I can move from a consumer to a producer. My internet usage reflects this quite accurately. On April 12th I checked my stocks three times, and my wife’s book ranking four times; all during a twelve hour school day. At first glance I could say I spend most of my time working on the internet and be proud of myself; I am afraid you might be smarter then that. Is it really a productive use of my time to check my stocks three times a day? Would not my time be best spent reading a book that could teach me better ways to invests in stocks? What about checking book sales that I have no control over? Above my desk sits a sign that reads, “Don’t waste time.” It has proven a flimsy dam against the currents of mass media entertainment and only I am to blame.
Checking stock prices and book ranking is a form of entertainment to me; as boring as that sounds, it’s true. Ironically, the more conventional entertainment listed on my log—watching “Chuck” on Hulu—I am more proud of than I am of my work. When I watched “Chuck” it was with my wife. I watched the show not simply for the merits of the show but because it was an event to share with my wife. Thinking long term, we are both adamant that our children will not be raised by television, Wii, or i-anything. It is not that they are bad in and of themselves (I love my iPhone), it is more that we desire our entertainment to be a family event, something that brings us together as a whole. We will teach our children how to drink responsibly when they come of age, just as we will teach them how to watch TV responsibly. We might even read a book or two to them.
In conclusion, I have found keeping a media log very helpful and a bit damning at the same time. Just like when my wife made me start keeping a budget, I found I am not as well off as my pride leads me to believe. I sit here as a consumer. This consumer though has started to swim against the current. I am no longer floating by on a river of ignorance believing that what I consume does not matter; don’t look for me to partake in that drunken revelry.
Media Log
April 12th – April 13th.
April 12th
7:05-7:15am Checked stocks/ book sales/ e-mail/ news, on personal computer.
8:04-8:37am Printed
11:20-11:50am Checked stocks/ e-mail/ read Oregonian online at
1:30-2:00pm Read the
7:35-7:42pm Checked e-mail on iPhone while waiting for ride home from classes.
7:46-8:00pm Listened to radio in the car on ride home.
8:55-9:12pm Checked book rankings/ Facebook on home computer.
April 13th
6:30-6:48am Checked stocks/ book sales/ e-mail/ news, on personal computer.
7:43-8:23am Listened to radio in the car on ride to school/ read Wall St. Journal in
car.
11:30-12:22am Listened to radio in the car on ride home.
1:31-2:20pm Checked stocks/ book sales/ e-mail/ searched for book blogs on
personal computer.
4:03-5:30pm Listened to radio on Pandora (internet radio) at home/ read text book.
5:30-6:15pm Watched “Chuck” on Hulu.com on personal computer.
6:12-9:09pm Listened to radio on Pandora on personal computer.
9:09-10:00pm. Posted Media Log on personal blog/ checked email.
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