The Struggle of Life Without a Cell Phone

                Recently while at Pyramid Lake in Nevada, my phone got wet and stopped working. This freaked me out at first because I have never broken a phone before and I knew it would be a little bit of time before I could get my phone replaced. Now, I use my phone quite a bit but I in no way consider myself to be "dependent" on my phone. Still, the knowledge that I would not have access to social media or my music for some time scared me. My phone is how I stay in touch with the vast world around me and being table to use my phone gives me a sense of security in knowing I am connected and can simply turn on my phone whenever i desire to know something or I just want to kill some time. Not having a phone also complicates communications between me and my friends or my family which was also something I was not looking forward to.

               That was over a week ago when I broke my phone and I currently am still without a cellphone. The one thing that has surprised me is how easy it has been for the most part to go without a phone. Slipping my hand in my pocket to grab my phone had almost become a reflex when I had my phone and now that I don't have that access, I have spent a lot more time reflecting as opposed to just occupying my mind. Not having a phone has also forced me to be more active and social, as I can no longer remove myself in the way I could when I did have a phone. The lack of time spent watching a screen has also allowed me to realize just how much I used my phone and depended on it from a mental standpoint. When I had a functioning phone i would listen to music and probe the wide variety of information on social media habitually without much consideration as to how much time I spent doing those things and what I was missing because of that. Not having a phone has allowed me some perspective on how my use of media was becoming a bit of over-use.

            The main changes that have resulted from not having a phone is that I have been forced to communicate more frequently with others face to face and that I have had to just sit and be with myself a lot more. With a phone, I could avoid social interactions that did not necessarily appeal to me because I could pop ear buds in or just look busy on my phone. Not having those means of escape has meant that I have had to be more social with people, at school and not at school. I have also had to spend a lot more time my own head and think about things as a result of not having a phone. Our tendency is to occupy our minds so that we are never alone even when we are. We can always listen to music or check what others are doing on snapchat when we are alone, and in that sense we distract ourselves from having to have nothing to visualize or hear. In this last week, I have had to spend a lot more time truly alone and I have become a bit more conscience of my feeling and thoughts because i can't allude them like I could when i had a phone. Overall, this has been an interesting experience for me and one that allows me to see just how much media and quick access to it has had an effect on my life. 

The Mystery of the Brotein Shake- Geico Commercial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AFZQOfj7nw

While watching a show on the discovery channel, this commercial came on. Of course i had seen the commercial previously, but i had never really stopped to consider how it was trying to appeal to the general population or the manner in which it communicated that message. The commercial depicts a man who progressively gets more and more muscular as the camera shifts away from him and then back to him. This visually represents the main idea of the ad which happens to be "more." The interesting thing I saw in the commercial is that it in no way justified its claims for how it would bring more savings and more options. It says that Geico Insurance would bring a customer more savings and more options, however besides the mention that Geico has RV and motorcycle insurance it offers no explanation as to how Geico will get you "more." In addition, the ad uses bits of information about Geico sandwiched in between puns about lifting and the term "bro" to keep the interest of a viewer and to associate the commercial with a funny experience. Puns such as "brotato chip," "Teddy Brosovelt," and "brotein shake" trigger an emotional response from the viewer. The purpose of this is to ensure that people remember the commercial and hopefully buy their insurance. Another device used in the commercial is the appeal to someone who wants to be more muscular or is insecure about their body because the man in the commercial who "knows about more" is the one who is muscular while the man who is less informed is relatively slender in build. To someone who might desire a more muscular body, this gives the message that Geico and getting ripped might somehow be correlated. How exactly, I have no clue. The last style I took away from the ad is the blatant appeal to men. The "bro" puns and men lifting weights clearly appeal mostly to men, and so by tailoring the commercial to men Geico would hope that more men buy their insurance. This may be a reflection of the stereotype that men handle the finances of the family and decide something like which insurance may be best.

"Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley

"Don't worry about a thing

'Cause every little thing gonna be alright

Singing' "Don't worry about a thing

'Cause every little thing gonna be alright!"

Rise up this mornin'

Smiled with the risin' sun

Three little birds

Pitch by my doorstep

Singin' sweet songs

Of melodies pure and true

Saying', ("This is my message to you")

Singing' "Don't worry 'bout a thing

'Cause every little thing gonna be alright."

Singing' "Don't worry (don't worry) 'bout a thing

'Cause every little thing gonna be alright!"

Media is a very powerful medium, so much so that it can influence our moods over the course of just one song or television show. Bob Marley's song "Three Little Birds" is one of my favorite songs because whenever I listen to it, it never fails to have a profound effect on my mood. The melody of the song and its lyrics pick you up when you are down and make you feel a bit better even when you aren't necessarily in a bad mood. The message of letting go of your worries often speaks to me when I am under a lot of stress or just have a whole lot on my mind. The song serves as a reminder that even when you have a lot weighing on you, a positive mentality makes rough moments bearable. To me, it also is trying to say that having a negative mentality or just giving in to your worries doesn't ultimately serve you any good. Problems remain no matter how you view them, so you might as well face them with an attitude that will not weigh you down or make the challenges you face, whatever they may be, seem like something to be feared. This is why I enjoy this song so much, the message is a broad statement of positivity so that no matter what situation you are in, it can still speak to you and its themes still have meaning. That way you can interpret its message into whatever best helps you in that situation. 

  

On top of the overall message of positivity, the lyrics "Smiled with the rising sun. Three little birds, pitch by my doorstep..." remind me that nature and its creatures are a part of what makes our world so great. The idea that nature contributes to a happy or positive outlook speaks to me because I enjoy being out in nature and experiencing what the natural world has in store. Whether it be hiking in the mountains or fishing a creek, the message of a co-existence with the natural world is significant to me. The message of peacefulness with nature is another reason I enjoy the song. 

My Current Relationship With Media

          Media is something that is a prevalent aspect of my life now that I stop and consider the role it plays. I use media almost ever day where I currently stand, it has become a part of my daily routine. Media truly is an addictive force, and in this day and age it is hard to know when you are using media healthily or simply overusing it because it is everywhere. Media can be informative and a means of connecting with people you wouldn't otherwise get to talk to, but i have found that it is easy to abuse media once you get into the habit of using it often. The common interactions I have with media include social media sites such as instagram and snapchat, television, newspapers, and radio. My mom is an avid listener of NPR and we get the Sac Bee delivered to our house every morning, so my experience with media is fairly well rounded. Music is another form of media I enjoy on a regular day basis, and it is one of my favorite media forms. Media comes in many forms and my interactions with the various forms become more and more habitual as i enjoy their benefits each day. 

          Media allows me to absorb new information and to distract myself when I'm in the mood to escape. It is calming and I throughly enjoy learning about other people and world events through media forms such as social media and the internet. Music is a way for me to not only learn something from the lyrics or to get in touch with my emotions but to also just experience someone else's reality. Understanding the world and the way that other people view it differently from me is an important role that media serves in my life. Through media, I relax and enjoy leisure time, the only problem I often have with media is that I can't get serious when it is time to buckle up and get work done because I get distracted. My interaction with media is healthy when it is properly timed, but when I over use media it can become a problem because i don't know when to stop. Overall, media is both a positive and negative force in my life. Media helps me overcome bad days and kill time when I want to, but it also works as a distraction. In the end, media does more positive than negative in my life, but i should work on how use use media, especially social media.