*This post aims to illustrate how I utilize media daily and whether or not I consume reliable content.
10:30 am
At this dreaded time, I wake up to the sound of my alarm at my annoyance, and before beginning my day, I check my texts and emails. I was able to sleep in later than usual as today is a national holiday, Memorial Day. After determining that I have no texts or emails worth noticing, I check the weather app on my phone to see if the bipolar Georgia weather would bring along a storm like the night before. After determining that it was going to be a cloudy day with possible rain, I forced myself out of bed to start my day.
11:00 am
I usually browse around social media while preparing meals, and this time I chose to use TikTok as my platform of choice. With a wide range of material ranging from bizarre conspiracy theories to try-on hauls and food videos, TikTok is a fantastic tool for entertainment. My favorite way to start the day is to have a cup of coffee and browse through my “for you page” to see what kind of crazy stuff is there. Specifically this morning, I noticed a video of a woman talking about her day while sipping her usual Starbucks drink. She had no idea that pro-Palestinian viewers would fill her comments thread with criticism of her choice of beverage. Many brands, like Starbucks, have been accused of supporting Israel since the beginning of the war on Gaza. If somebody is seen using or endorsing these products, many who support Palestine take offense. It’s challenging to decide who is right or wrong, though, because a lot of individuals say that some of these brands do not support Israel while others say they do.
12:00 pm
After finishing my breakfast, I turn on the news to see what is happening around the world. My dad works from home, so he usually keeps the news on all day long. He alternates between CNN, Fox, and BBC, but since today is a holiday, our usual routine was disrupted. As soon as I switched on my favorite news channel, CNN, I learned that tomorrow would mark the start of the closing arguments in Trump’s hush money case. Although CNN has a tendency to skew the left politically, I still trust them more than most news sources.
Most people see news stations as credible sources; nonetheless, there have been instances of misinformation and misleading information broadcast on these media outlets, as well as them being renowned for biases. There is an expectation that new channels would deliver credible and unbiased information to their audience; however, this is generally not the case, since most companies are more concerned with views and appealing headlines than the quality of the material they generate. However, I consider CNN to be one of the more trustworthy news sources, and I rarely question the information they present.
12:30 pm
I also saw a story on CNN News about how former President Trump was heckled during a Libertarian Party convention. The news station carried on the discussion by speaking with Republican Senator Tim Scott to obtain his perspective on the issue. Despite its reputation for having a left-leaning political slant, CNN does allow individuals with other viewpoints and beliefs to be heard.
1:30 pm
Following my news viewing, I decided to catch up on things on Instagram, a social networking site I enjoy. When I opened the app, the first thing I saw was a post from TheShadeRoom, an account that claimed that Lady Gaga, the singer and actress, admitted that she knowingly had COVID-19 at several of her performances. Included in the post is a video of Gaga discussing the matter during a performance, saying that she informed her team of this, allowing them to choose whether or not to perform alongside her. While TheShadeRoom is renowned for its sensationalism and is viewed as an account for pure entertainment, some of its content is accurate and supported by reliable sources. On social media accounts like these, it can be difficult to determine which material is accurate, but this specific post appears to be accurate because the assertions are supported by video footage.
2:30pm
My exercise regimen is non-stop, holiday or not, so while I’m getting ready, I watch 90 Day Fiancé, one of my favorite series. As a way to decompress while working out, I like to watch TV, and one of my favorite shows to watch is 90 Day Fiancé. Millions of people adore reality TV programs like 90 Day Fiance, yet it’s never clear if these programs are staged or real. Even though the majority of reality shows are fabricated, some are more so than others. To indulge in the drama they provide, I usually act as though the reality shows I watch have been lightly scripted. If you like reality TV as much as I do, you probably don’t give much thought if the scenes are over the top; instead, what matters to you is the entertainment value.
4:30pm
After finishing my workout and showering, I start to get ready to see my boyfriend, as it is his birthday. To make the labor of applying makeup seem less like a chore, I again switched on one of my favorite shows to divert my attention from the task at hand. Once again, I’ve chosen a reality program to watch, but this one appears more staged than the last because the unbelievable drama of some of the scenes seems to be too good to be true. The popular reality show Wife Swap features women being switched to live with each other’s families for two weeks. There is a lot of drama and fighting during those two weeks, but it can be difficult to distinguish between those that are real and those that are exaggerated.
6:30pm
When I’m ready, I hop in my car and head down to my boyfriend’s house. Some people prefer to sit in silence or listen to audiobooks or podcasts while driving, but I have to always listen to music. Even the longest of car rides can be made more enjoyable with music. Pop, rap, or R&B music will always be my first choices. I would estimate that I listen to music for at least 25% of the day if I had to calculate how much I listen daily.
8:00pm
My boyfriend, who loves sports, turned on the basketball game as soon as it started; this way, he wouldn’t miss a second. However, we don’t have the same passion for sports, so I don’t know much about either team going into today’s game between the Celtics and Pacers.
11:00pm
Though I didn’t really care who won, the Celtics emerged victorious at the end of the game. Fortunately, the game’s conclusion meant we could watch anything else. We decided on Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, a nostalgic show that Nickelodeon fans may be familiar with.
12:00am
My nightly ritual involves checking my Canvas to see if I have any assignments due the next day and finishing up my last-minute social media check-in to see if anything noteworthy has happened since my last check. This is done after I come home and get ready for bed. But nothing that was remarkable caught my attention, so that is where I ended my day.
Conclusion:
After analyzing my media consumption for a day, I discovered that I tend to believe questionable sources and information more than I would want to admit. I used to think of myself as an expert at recognizing false information and untrustworthy content; nevertheless, I’ve realized how much misinformation I undoubtedly consume daily. It was interesting to observe that, despite my severe criticism of news outlets and my inclination to watch just CNN, I let sensational and exaggerated media surround me. By keeping track of my media consumption, I’ve discovered that I need to be more critical of all the media I take in, including entertainment-oriented content, as I still allow it to influence my judgment and opinions.
