For your final project this semester, students will track their media consumption for 24 CONSECUTIVE hours. I know that life has not returned to “normal” but we’re going to do this assignment anyway, and if your media consumption is dramatically different these days, you can talk about that in your paper.
One day of tracking will give you the data that you need to make some relevant observations. We tend to have very different usage of media, depending on whether we’re working or have the day off, and with our worlds a little bit topsy turvy, your consumption may be skewed. So, that can be part of your analysis, discussing how different your usage is now compared with before the pandemic hit. Your tracking time MUST BE 24 CONSECUTIVE HOURS.
Staying up late and then sleeping through 24 hours is not valid. Plan your day accordingly. It is assumed that you will get some sleep during this 24 hours, so an 8-hour gap of media consumption for sleep is permitted. Of course, if you listen to music as you sleep, count that.
For some of you, actually tracking and recording usage, whether it is consumption or production will be the challenging part. We tend to not like writing things down, such as start and stop times, but there are several apps available for tracking that might be helpful for you. However, do not rely solely on your cell phone apps. You will probably have other interactions with media.
Lying is unacceptable! If you do not make it through the entire time frame, please be honest in your paper.Extensions will not be granted. The paper is your final and counts for 100 points in this class or 14% of your grade. The essay is due at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 24th, 2022. The media consumption paper should be a minimum of three typewritten pages, (not including graphs and charts) double spaced, approximately 250 words per page.Your paper should be a Microsoft Word document, saved as .doc or .docx. It also can be copied and pasted into the assignment on CANVAS.
Pick a consecutive 24-hour period between now and the paper due date (before then, actually, because you’ll need time to write your paper).During that 24-hour period you must track:
Television (network and cable, anything viewed on the TV screen)
Online (you will need to break this up according to a. e-mails, b. social media, c. watching movies/TV shows, d. listening to music, e. podcast).
Bonus points if you break down your social media into the sources, such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Blog, Vlog, Tumblr, Tiktok or any other form of social media.
Radio (your car radio or home radio, can be Sirius XM or conventional radio but not ipod or cellphone)
Cell phone (three categories: telephone calls, text, phone as computer)
Video Games, specifically if you engage with other people, not just by yourself.
Print (newspapers, magazines, books, etc.)
Movies (at the theater only, movies viewed online go under the online category, movies viewed on TV go under the TV category.)
If you forget to record major chunks of usage during the day or evening (other than sleep time), you need to start over again.
I recommend you develop some sort of a spreadsheet or form so that you can easily track your activities as the 24-hour period progresses. Many cellphones now provide timed tracking apps.
Please keep the Sunday, July 24th at 11:59 p.m. deadline in mind. Your ability to submit your paper closes at 11:59 p.m. Computer malfunctions are not an excuse.
For your paper (minimum of three typewritten pages), please address the following:
Calculate and summarize how much time you actually spend using media in each of the different categories. If you don’t interact with any print media or radio, thats fine, just comment on that in your paper.
Relate your experiences with various types of media to the corresponding chapters in the book and point out similarities or differences to what the author discussed.
Compare and contrast your experience with the usage norms addressed in the link (You’ll need to cite the Pew studies at the link below or if you find other current information about usage norms, please cite that). This Pew Research study specifically discusses social media usage. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/04/07/social-media-use-in-2021/ (Links to an external site.)
Discuss your own feelings about using media and your media usage tracking experience (If you have children, you may also want to address their media usage)
Exhibit your understanding of the various forms of mass media and how it affects and/or controls our lives.
Identify which forms of mass media you rely on the most. Were any non-electronic?Rank the different types of media you used in terms of time spent with the media. Was this due to work, family or school responsibilities?Evaluate how you were impacted by this tracking assignment? Were there any surprises? Do you spend more time producing or consuming media?
You may want to write chronologically about your 24 hours and incorporate the above items in your narrative. Or you may find it easier to use the above items as headers within your paper. Either approach is acceptable.
REQUIRED You definitely should provide graphs or charts of your results so it is easier to explain your findings. These do not count toward your three pages of report.
You should provide a bibliography that cites the sources you access.
Grading for the paper: 100 Total Points
10 points – followed writing conventions (spelling, capitalization, paragraphs, grammar)
10 points – three page, typewritten paper plus bibliography and graphs
30 points – explored impact of media on self and family
25 points – identified broad and specific forms of mass media usage
25 points – related and compared experiences with media to corresponding chapters in the book and usage norms according to website information
You may find these two sites/samples helpful:
http://www.slideshare.net/s4237287/media-usage-and-production-diary-12215435 (Links to an external site.)
http://s4233650.blogspot.com/2011/08/media-diary.html#!/2011/08/media-diary.html (Links to an external site.)
Please let me know if you have questions or concerns.
