Yesterday, I posted at length about a challenge to see how you use technology and social media for a day. I did this myself, and wanted to share some of what happened on my part.
First, simply as a result of knowing that I was keeping a record, I noticed that I had a tendency to want not to use some of the various media and technologies that I typically do. Where I might typically spend more time looking over a website, say, one of my Dallas Cowboys, I noticed that I would spend less time reading and browsing over it than I normally would. The same goes for the two games that I will often find a few minutes to play (these two are a Mahjong game and one of those popular matching games, called Homescapes). Instead of spending more time on them, I found that I wasn't quite as keen in playing them, knowing that I would be putting my usage out there for whoever to read.
Overall, my day demonstrated a marked lower usage of technology and social media overall, around a whole hour less usage. Yes, I still had to use my computer while at work, but I devoted my time much more to getting work done and less surfing the web. While I tend to have my Twitter feed open, I also spent less time reading over it (15 total minutes on the day today).
One thing that I typically make a very intentional effort to do is to put away my phone when I get home. That was the same today. From my time arriving at home until the kids are asleep, I usually only check my phone about 2-3 times total, and that stayed the same. I truly believe in having face to face time with them and my wife, without any screen interruptions. So that is something that I intentionally do no matter what.
My evenings are often spent checking Facebook for about 15 minutes, then putting my blog entry and my daily Facebook post together. That is going to be the same tonight. Some evenings, I will give myself a little time to play my phone games, and other nights, I focus on reading to continue my learning. Tonight is going to be an evening where I look over some items for the congregation at which I worship for Sunday, as I will be leading a service at an assisted living center during the Sunday School hour. Then I will devote a few minutes to deciding which book to start next for my continuing education. So tonight, I anticipate about another 15-20 minutes of social media/game usage.
The main point from yesterday that I wanted to emphasize was simply checking to see if your usage matched what you thought it would be. In my case, I am sure that I used less today than I normally do, simply because I was aware that I was doing so. I also noticed that I did not miss that time that I usually spend on it. While I am far from a social media junkie, I realize that even that extra hour or so in the day could be put to far better use, far more than in me spending it on myself.
What were your observations, if you participated in the challenge? If you didn't, what do you suspect you might discover? What is keeping you from recording your technology and social media usage?
First, simply as a result of knowing that I was keeping a record, I noticed that I had a tendency to want not to use some of the various media and technologies that I typically do. Where I might typically spend more time looking over a website, say, one of my Dallas Cowboys, I noticed that I would spend less time reading and browsing over it than I normally would. The same goes for the two games that I will often find a few minutes to play (these two are a Mahjong game and one of those popular matching games, called Homescapes). Instead of spending more time on them, I found that I wasn't quite as keen in playing them, knowing that I would be putting my usage out there for whoever to read.
Overall, my day demonstrated a marked lower usage of technology and social media overall, around a whole hour less usage. Yes, I still had to use my computer while at work, but I devoted my time much more to getting work done and less surfing the web. While I tend to have my Twitter feed open, I also spent less time reading over it (15 total minutes on the day today).
One thing that I typically make a very intentional effort to do is to put away my phone when I get home. That was the same today. From my time arriving at home until the kids are asleep, I usually only check my phone about 2-3 times total, and that stayed the same. I truly believe in having face to face time with them and my wife, without any screen interruptions. So that is something that I intentionally do no matter what.
My evenings are often spent checking Facebook for about 15 minutes, then putting my blog entry and my daily Facebook post together. That is going to be the same tonight. Some evenings, I will give myself a little time to play my phone games, and other nights, I focus on reading to continue my learning. Tonight is going to be an evening where I look over some items for the congregation at which I worship for Sunday, as I will be leading a service at an assisted living center during the Sunday School hour. Then I will devote a few minutes to deciding which book to start next for my continuing education. So tonight, I anticipate about another 15-20 minutes of social media/game usage.
The main point from yesterday that I wanted to emphasize was simply checking to see if your usage matched what you thought it would be. In my case, I am sure that I used less today than I normally do, simply because I was aware that I was doing so. I also noticed that I did not miss that time that I usually spend on it. While I am far from a social media junkie, I realize that even that extra hour or so in the day could be put to far better use, far more than in me spending it on myself.
What were your observations, if you participated in the challenge? If you didn't, what do you suspect you might discover? What is keeping you from recording your technology and social media usage?
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