Looking back at activity one, I don’t think I fully understood the impact that technology and social media have on my everyday life. I wasn’t aware of how much of my time I actually spend each day using technology/social media. I have a neutral view of how I view technology/social media since the beginning of the project because although it distracts me from doing my homework or tasks at work, it also helps me relax and take my mind off of the monotonous tasks such as homework and other tasks which I think is helpful to my mental health. It also helps me stay connected to my friends and family which is a positive aspect too. My perceptions of my use of social media were pretty accurate to my actual use of it. I think that I am more habitual about using social media as opposed to intentional because I use it without thinking about it sometimes, it has almost become second nature for me to check my email as soon as I wake up or to scroll through Instagram or Twitter while sitting in class or bored at work.
Some aspects of activities three and four that I think I will apply to my everyday life are going to places that I usually don’t go to to do my work such as the Commons on the Green, so that I can relax first for like five to ten minutes and then dive into the work that I need to get done. I found this very helpful because instead of immediately jumping into the boring work and getting annoyed right away because of the work, the time I spent just relaxing helped me transition into wanting to do my work. Also, limiting the amount of distractions while I do my work is something I’m going to implement into my everyday life. I found that I was more productive and able to finish my work at a much quicker pace when I limited my distractions which meant not checking my email and resisting the urge to scroll through Instagram and Twitter and check my Snapchat stories.
I think that everyday life has become more distracted with the rise of social media and technology, people are constantly on their phones, laptops, tablets, etc. which is diverting their attention away from more important things such as paying attention in class or in business meetings. Some problems that social media present in society are lack of interpersonal skills, lack of face-to-face encounters, and unnecessary drama. Some benefits are the ability to connect to friends and family over long distances, ability to access and share information easily, and it’s profitable. I think sociologists can minimize the problems of social media by making society aware that problems exist first, and then addressing these problems in an educational manner.
Social Media Exploration Post 1 