Reflections
Melissa’s Reflection #2
0Sorry this is a little late!
1. While I’ve never official experienced a social media withdrawal, I kind of go through one every summer. Where I live I don’t have a lot of time and/or energy to spend on the computer on a daily basis, so I only get on Facebook, Twitter, etc., maybe once a week; in the middle of summer it is often longer. At Butler, however, is a completely different matter. The browser I use is actually plugged in through Facebook, so I can access my newsfeed, for it, Twitter, and several other sites anytime I’m online, without having to be on the side directly. I tend to spend time looking at the new information between classes a lot of times, when I don’t have enough time to be productive, and during lunch when I need a break from classes and a chance to relax. In my free time, I tend to spend more of it reading or doing other things than being on social media outlets, so honestly the biggest effect a social media withdrawal would have on me would be between classes and other short amount of times throughout the day. The hard part will be not using my usual internet browser.
2. I decided to unplug from Facebook, which lead to unplugging from RockMelt, which is the only real way I access Twitter, so ultimately I went without them both. So I had every intention of completing my “unplug” from Facebook on Monday, however the problem I foresaw took place and I started my day like usual, using RockMelt and checking Facebook. So I did Tuesday. Since I had a midterm on Tuesday the lack of Facebook gave me the opportunity to study in my down time, which was useful. Though when I had a large break and just wanted something to get my mind off Latin for a short amount of time I was kind of at a loss of what to do. Facebook is quick and mindless, allowing me to shift my focus to social for a while instead of academic. (My favorite browser also has all of my fun websites I don’t know the url for saved, so I didn’t have those either.) The biggest thing I noticed with being disconnect from Facebook was that the support system I feel I’m part of and have was missing. I couldn’t check for and like funny comments from class or easily say “Happy Birthday” to my friends from MO or “good luck” to someone with a big test that day or show support or sympathy to people having a rough day. Nothing big may have happened on Tuesday that I HAD to post about/comment on, but at the same time I also couldn’t tell people in little ways that for a couple minutes that day I was thinking about them either.
3. Alternatives that I use are studying, reading (something I enjoy more than I should), and talking to the people around you, socializing on another level. I think a balance is necessary, turn Facebook off when you’re studying, in class, or need to focus, but use it for a break between classes. The hardest thing to do I think is not getting lost in it. Spending hours at a time on Sims Social, or Farmville, etc. make it difficult to get things done or go out in the world.
Bridget’s Reflection #2
0As much as I hate to admit it, a withdrawal from social media would likely affect me. These websites have become so ingrained into our culture and everyday lives that being without them is strange. Every morning I get up; check my email, Facebook and Twitter. When I need a study break I again go back to Facebook and Twitter. If I was unplugged I would definitely have more time in my day overall and because I would probably finish my homework sooner.
I decided to become unplugged from Twitter. I don’t have a smartphone, but I am able to text tweets. I do this various times during the week and I wanted to challenge myself to stop the text tweeting. When I actually unplugged I made it a day or so, which is really kind of sad that I only made it that long. It was nice not thinking about Twitter and what the world was tweeting constantly. This was kind of difficult because I could easily just tweet from my phone, but stopping before doing so definitely required an interesting thought process.
Fully unplugging from these websites can be extremely difficult. I know that Facebook is a lot of times a method of communication between groups or organizations. Therefore there is a lot of information that is necessary to read every day. But in reality there are others ways to communicate. Social media is seemingly taking over our lives and living with it in moderation needs to be a top priority.
Ginnye Cubel Reflection #2
0Reflection #2 : Social Media Withdraw
Without having experienced a complete social media withdraw I think I would have to say I don’t think it would really affect my daily routine. I’m pretty low key when it comes to social media to begin with (I forget I have it half the time!) so a complete unplugging would probably wouldn’t be that much different than what I do now.
Now that I’ve spent a few days “unplugged” it was a little harder than I imagined. I think the hardest thing about it was feeling out of the loop, especially when friends would ask me if I was going to such-and-such event and I had no idea what they were talking about because it was a Facebook only invite. But overall it wasn’t too bad—I found I had a lot less stress when I wasn’t worrying about Facebook updates or racing to get on Twitter between classes. So in the process I learned that social media tends to create a lot more stress in my life than anything. Sitting quietly 5 minutes before class starts is a lot more calming than frantically checking my Facebook page.
I think a good compromise between social media and the social world is to disconnect them somewhat from one another. Mainly I think when you’re out and about in the social world you should try putting social media to the side and instead focus on making genuine connections with the people around you. Basically I would suggest using social media only when it doesn’t infringe on your interaction with the social world. So don’t be checking your Twitter newsfeed when you’re meeting your best friend for coffee!
I really enjoyed “unplugging” for a few days! I definitely think it’s going to be something I start incorporating into my everyday life.
Erica’s Reflection #2
0When I was a teenager, my youth group at church would do a media fast every year. We would dedicate anywhere from one to three weeks of time where we unplugged from all media types, including internet, television, gaming systems, and phones. Our decision was that instead of dedicating time to do these recreational things that often consume our waking hours, we instead were going to dedicate time to reading our Bibles and praying. So ever since I was in seventh grade, I have gone through a social media “blackout” once every year. I can’t say that our media fasts were life altering in the sense that I never re-acquired my social media “addictions”. Usually, as soon as the fast was over, I would go back to my normal media use. But it has given me a new perspective on how I spend my time.
I wasn’t born in a time where instant entertainment was the norm. Yet by the time I had reached middle school–the prime of social awareness–the new millennium had ushered in it’s barrage of entertainment and social outlets. For the majority of my “social life”, as I shall call it, I have owned a cell phone, had access to high-speed internet at home, and been a member of at least one social media group. And just like every other human being who hasn’t grown up in complete solitude, I have soaked in the society around me. Social media and instant entertainment have become expectations of life for me. Not that I allow them to consume or define who I am, but I am constantly connected to the world outside of my four walls in some media-related way.
Realizing that makes me both cautious and grateful. Cautious because I don’t want entertainment to become an addiction that I put before the important things in my life. Grateful because it has allowed me to add to my learning, keep connections that would otherwise not be possible, and engage with the world at large. On a large scale, I feel that social media is beneficial for my life. On a small scale, I can see it’s negative affects and what I need to change about my habits.
For this reflection, I decided to unplug for just one day. The day I chose happened to be really busy, so it wasn’t that hard to do. Most of the day I was either in class, working, getting ready for church, in church, or with friends. I found that having a busy schedule translated into less time thinking about missing social media, but I still had my moments where I almost got onto Facebook or Twitter until I remember I was unplugging. I have to admit, after sitting in a car for 45 minutes and then realizing it was fifteen minutes after midnight (thus the end of my blackout), I promptly checked my Facebook.
The one thing I am always reminded of when I unplug is how much social media and entertainment permeate my life. I often get into the habit of checking my Facebook page as I stroll to class, spending time on Pinterest when I have an hour break, or reading posts from the blogs I follow when I’m waiting for something. There are few other things in my life that I dedicate so much free time to beside my social media craving. And now it makes me wonder, what if my every free moment was filled with a craving to pray or read the Bible? What if I used my times of wait to meet someone new I’m standing next to or catch up with an old friend. What if I used Facebook as a way to develop connections with people instead of just using it as my personal news channel for what’s going on in other people’s lives. Social media has made parts of my life so un-interactive. And what would happen if I changed that?
I think initiating a campus-wide social media blackout would be a great experience for everyone. No matter how hard it may be for some people to pull the plug, in the end I think everyone would learn something from it. But I have also begun to understand the importance of having personal media blackouts throughout my day, every day. I’ve never been someone who is attached to my phone, in fact, I often leave it places and have several missed calls and texts. But my computer almost never leaves my side when I’m at home or in my apartment. This week, I started to realize how distracting my computer is for me during homework or study times. So, I started using computer time as a reward for finishing homework. Once I complete a reading or problem set, I reward myself by checking Facebook or pinning for a few minutes. I think a similar plan like this would be beneficial for a lot of college students to adapt. Make yourself unplug during the times you need to be focused and see how much more productive you can be.
Jessica Marie – Unplugging Reflection
0My reflection can be seen using the following link:
http://blogs.butler.edu/jmbiggs/information-commons/reflections/unplugging-reflection/
Kate Shambrook Reflection 2
0Reflection #2
- Completely unplugging from social media would greatly affect my daily routine because I would instantly begin to feel withdrawal. During a typical day, I utilize my iPhone, Facebook, and Twitter as a way to communicate with friends and combat boredom. I would say that I use my iPhone the most for texting and making plans as well as checking up on my Facebook page and managing tweets on Twitter. In between classes, I would feel slightly lost because I typically spend the time surfing the Internet to check up on my social media accounts. I typically have Facebook up on my computer while I’m doing homework so that if someone needs to talk to me they can chat me or I can scroll through the news feed and get updates from what people are doing.
- For the unplugging experiment, I chose to “unplug” from Facebook for a day to see what it felt like and what I would miss. I decided upon Facebook because I typically use that the most out of all the social media that I communicate with. The day started out as any normal day would but with a small exception. Instead of checking my news feed at the start of the day, I had about 10 minutes to kill before class that I filled with chatting with my roommates. Since I was unable to use Facebook, I felt oddly un-connected as I was walking to classes and I did not check my Facebook on my iPhone in between classes. When it came to homework time, I did not have my Facebook up on my computer screen so while I felt slightly lost, I also got a lot more accomplished than I regularly do. I was able to stay unplugged for the entire day but I was pretty thrilled to get it back the next day and catch up on what I missed. One of the biggest lessons I learned from this process is that I can survive without my Facebook and it does actually make me more productive. The hardest part about being unplugged from Facebook was that the pull to get on Facebook became much stronger. I felt tempted to break the challenge at least 5 times during the day because I felt strangely unconnected and bored some of the time.
- One suggestion that I would make and that I will start to live by as well is that homework is a time for getting stuff done and does not need to be paired with social media. Through my experiment of unplugging completely, I found that I got a lot more homework done in a shorter amount of time when I wasn’t distracted with Facebook. I think that Facebook has a time, place, and purpose but during homework time it is often better to focus.
Jessica Lynn Reflection 2
01. I think the social media withdraw will greatly affect my day. I normally take time to look at facebook during breaks in class or homework. This is how I relax and get my mind off of the stresses of the day. I’m not sure that I could stay off of facebook for very long, because some of my friends don’t have access to a cell phone at all times and so we communicate over facebook. I’m also worried that I will fill my time that I would be on facebook with an even more time consuming habit.
2. I planned to unplug from facebook starting Tuesday (Oct. 4) at 8:00 am. This is the only social media site that I use. I was able to stay unplugged until Wednesday (Oct. 5) at about 5:00 pm. It’s sad that I could only make it a day and a half. It shows me how much I rely on facebook in my day to day life. I’m not sure that I could have even made it as long as I had if I didn’t have classes all day Tuesday and until 4:00 on Wednesday. I found it difficult to stay off of facebook once I was back from class on Wednesday. I have a full schedule Monday-Wednesday and by the time my classes are done for the week I normally spend a good portion of the day unwinding from the tough 3 days. I first tried to replace facebook with TV, but there wasn’t anything on and I eventually caved in.
3. I think the best way to complete an “unplugging” is don’t let yourself get as addicted to social media as I am. I have become reliant on facebook for communicating with friends and family when I should have found healthier ways to communicate (Facebook isn’t real communication anyway!). Also my homepage is facebook (which I changed for the experiment), but I ‘ve noticed that even if I am doing homework and I have to open blackboard or another website to research something I take the time to look at facebook. I think if it wasn’t set as my homepage it would be easier to skip checking it first thing when I got online.
Hannah Reflection 2
0Reflection 2
- I feel having a social media withdrawal would be frustrating at first but would eventually give me more time to do other things that I love or need to do. I usually check my Facebook once when I wake up and when I go to bed. I also browse Facebook between classes when I feel like I don’t have enough time to get anything productive done or homework completed. If I did not have Facebook I would hope that during that open time I would try to start a homework assignment, work ahead or read for a class. I also think I would feel out of touch with friends from back home because Facebook is a much quicker was of communicating opposed to texting which may take them a bit to respond or calling them because they might be in class and can’t answer.
- Since I do not have a Smartphone or utilize my Twitter account I decided to try and unplug from Facebook. I lasted up until midnight then shamelessly check my Facebook. I decided that it was okay to go on Facebook because technically it was the next day and being disconnected for a day was good enough for me. The hardest thing about it was trying to get out of the routine. It was almost muscle memory for me to sit down at my computer, scroll down my favorites list and select Facebook. Sometime I would sit down with my lap top to do something else and I’d feel like I would automatically go to the Facebook homepage without realizing it. I sort of liked all the extra time not going on Facebook gave me. Some of my friends deactivate their Facebook during finals week and I may do that this year because without Facebook there as a distraction I got so much more stuff done! I learned that I waste a LOT of time on Facebook, even if I write I paper I may have Facebook open in a second tab which is distraction if I get a new notification.
- I don’t think having a prolonged period of total “unplugging” would doable for college students much less helpful. Social networking affects every part of our life, friends, family, school, and work. But not allowing networking we would be harming relationships, hindering job opportunities or even falling behind in school. Instead maybe limiting the amount of time you spend on social networking would be a good compromise. Even taking twenty minutes each day to turn off your blackberry, disconnect from Facebook, twitter, MySpace etc., and just sit silence could be extremely refreshing and beneficial. I think in the future I will consider de- activating my Facebook for just a day or so, just to have a break. If my Facebook is de-activated my friends wont be able to find me on Facebook, send me a message or post on my wall so I won’t be like I am missing out on anything.
Reflection #2
0Read http://campustechnology.com/Articles/2011/09/28/Harrisburg-U-Suffers-Withdrawal-of-Social-Media.aspx?p=1
Then answer the following questions. Reflections are due this Monday 10/10/11
1. Without having experienced a social media withdrawal, how can you imagine it would it affect your daily routine?
2. Once you have answered 1 above, complete a self-imposed “unplugging” from one or more social networks that you typically use. Fully dis-engage from your iPhone, Facebook, Twitter or other social tool. How long were you able to stay unplugged? What was easiest/hardest about disengaging? What did you learn in the process?
3. What alternatives to completely unplugging might be good suggestions for your peers as they learn to balance social engagement in online and real-world environments?
Your reflection can include details about what you did and which tool you chose, but the majority of your writing should reflect your inquiry about and understanding of how the exercise impacted you.
Reflection #2
0Blackout Social Networking Article
1. Without having experienced a social media withdrawal, how can you imagine it would it affect your daily routine?
I would feel out of the loop. I use social networking, mainly facebook, to keep in contact with my friends, find out what people are doing, and share what I’m doing. There are other ways to communicate for sure, but without social networking it would be more awkward. I imagine I would get about the same amount of things done. I use facebook when I’m bored. If not facebook, then something else like stumbleupon.
2. Once you have answered 1 above, complete a self-imposed “unplugging” from one or more social networks that you typically use. Fully dis-engage from your iPhone, Facebook, Twitter or other social tool. How long were you able to stay unplugged? What was easiest/hardest about disengaging? What did you learn in the process?
DAY 1:
It is my first 12 hours of being unplugged from Facebook. It’s hard because it seems so second nature to check it. Before going to bed, or when I get up in the morning it’s the same process each time; open email, check the weather, check Facebook. I wouldn’t say that I NEED to check Facebook, but it feels like I know that I have messages waiting for me, people trying to get in contact with me. I suppose if I needed to I could always send them an email. I know I’ll have to cheat a little this week, two of my classes use Facebook for discussion. I’m going to try and not let that be an excuse. It’s still pretty hard. I figured in the last 12 hours I would have been on Facebook maybe an hour total; like 4 or 5 times checking it just for ten to fifteen minutes. I don’t know which I feel worse about, that I can’t check it out (even though in reality nothing has probably changed online) or that I can’t go about my normal day without checking in online.
DAY 2:
First full day done, and another just started. It has been tough not being active on Facebook only because I know I have messages from friends waiting for me. It’s hard when you become so reliant on something to give it up. It would be like if someone didn’t email or text for a week; especially if you know that you are receiving emails and texts. It highlights how interconnected we are and how much the world has changed. 20-30 years ago few people had cell phone, there wasn’t texting, and the internet wasn’t in the palm of your hand. If you didn’t hear from someone for a while that was ok, because the access to people was smaller. Today, it’s still ok that you don’t hear from a person but at least you’ll know immediately.The access and speed is really bothering me.
However, the reality is probably that not much has gone on in my digital world in 36 hours.
DAY 3:
Finally broke the blackout. Checked Facebook last night. As I assumed nothing new in my digital world had drastically changed; just a few messages from my friends. That being said, it was quite the experience of not having Facebook. Unfortunately most of my time that would have been spent on Facebook was spent in boredom wondering about what was happening on Facebook. I have learned a lesson through this: moderation. Some of the down time that I normally spend on Facebook didn’t necessarily go to more productive things. I spent the most part of my extra time on StumbleUpon. Which I suppose is kind of productive given that my interest include things about current events, politics, technology, etc. So the time that I would have used socializing was spent instead gaining knowledge. However, during this I noticed for example, that when I found a really interesting website I wanted to share it, obviously via Facebook.
3. What alternatives to completely unplugging might be good suggestions for your peers as they learn to balance social engagement in online and real-world environments?
I would ask how imbalanced the engagement is between their real world and digital world? Even through this ephemeral experiment I still praise the value that Facebook has evolved to in society. It provides another public sphere of discourse that is easily readable to a much larger population. That being said, moderation of anything including Facebook is essential to a balanced life. I would recommend designating time away from all digital interactions. For example, staying connected via Facebook, Blackboard, or email is essential during the busy school week in order to stay up to date with friends, professors, and current events. From my personal life I can recommend disconnect when it is not necessary to be constantly informed. In my circumstances, my last classes are done on Thursday. I tend to only check email in the morning and nights from Thursday to Sunday and Facebook only when I know I’ll need to get in contact with someone that I would rather not call or text. A disclaimer however; I don’t have a Blackberry, iPhone, or Android. I imagine if I did have the Internet in the palm of my hand there would be two possibilities: 1) Social networking, email, and other forms of communication would become normalized to me, similar to text messaging. 2) The imbalance in my life between the digital world and real world be become even greater.
Can someone with a smartphone perhaps provide insight to how they deal with social networking and communication with constant access?