A Day in My Digital Life

By Liam Kelly

    From the time I wake up to the time I go to bed, the media is always around me, whether I’m scrolling through social media, watching TV, or streaming music. I always knew I used a lot of media, but until I took the time to track it for this assignment, I didn’t realize just how much of my day it takes up. Over 24 hours, I kept a diary of every form of media I used. What I found was both eye-opening and surprisingly routine.

    My day began around 8:00 AM. Like most people, the very first thing I did was check my phone. I opened up Instagram right away and spent about 30 minutes scrolling through my feed, watching stories, and checking DMs. After that, I switched over to Facebook for about 15 minutes, catching up on what friends, family, and a few local pages had posted overnight. It’s kind of my way of easing into the day before I get out of bed.

    While getting ready, showering, brushing my teeth, and making breakfast, I had Apple Music playing. I probably listened to about 45 minutes of music during that time. Music helps wake me up, keeps my mood light, and gives me some energy to start the day.

    The middle part of my day is a mix of tasks, classes, errands, and downtime. During all of it, I had Amazon Music on in the background for about 2 hours. I listen to music while I walk, while I eat, while I study, and even while I clean. Music is one of the most constant parts of my day and plays a big role in setting the tone, whether I need to focus or just want to relax. Throughout the afternoon, I checked Instagram and Facebook a few more times. It was never for long, just 5 or 10 minutes here and there, but throughout the afternoon, that time added up. I’d say I spent an additional 1 hour on Instagram and 30 minutes on Facebook between noon and 6:00 PM.

    Around 7:00 PM, I sat down and turned on the TV. I ended up watching two episodes of a show and then a movie, totaling around 3 hours of television. TV is how I unwind. I don’t usually multitask while watching TV because I want to pay attention and enjoy the story. Sometimes I’ll scroll through my phone during commercials or slow parts, but for the most part, it’s one of the only times I’m focused on just one screen. Later in the evening, I had Apple Music playing again for about 30 more minutes while I texted friends and cleaned up my room. Before going to bed around midnight, I spent one last 30-minute session bouncing between Instagram and Facebook, doing one final check of the day.

    Looking back, I realized that I use different types of media for different reasons. Instagram is all about entertainment and staying in the loop. I use it when I’m bored, when I’m waiting, or when I want a break. Facebook is more for checking up on news, events, and what’s going on with people I don’t see every day. It feels more passive.

Music, on the other hand, is deeply tied to my mood. If I’m happy, I’ll put on upbeat music. If I’m stressed or need to focus, I’ll go for calmer tracks. I’m not using music to kill time, I’m using it to shape how I feel or to help me be more productive.

    I multitask a lot with media. I almost always have music going while doing other things, like walking, studying, or doing chores. Social media is something I use while waiting or relaxing, so I don’t always multitask with it, but I never set aside time just to scroll either. I do nearly everything from my iPhone. From texting and streaming music to checking social media and watching short videos, my phone is basically my media control center. I use my laptop for TV streaming or schoolwork, but even that is less frequent than my phone use.

    Tracking my media use made me realize how automatic it all is. I knew I used Instagram and Apple Music a lot, but I didn’t expect to see how quickly it adds up. Just a few “quick checks” on social media ended up totaling more than two hours. And with music, even though it was mostly background noise, I still listened for over four hours total.

It was also interesting to notice how little I use traditional media. I didn’t touch a newspaper, book, CD, or DVD. Everything I consumed came through a screen, and mostly from apps. That’s something that probably wouldn’t have been true even five or ten years ago.

Media Usage Summary Table

Types of Media | Time Spent

Instagram 2 hours

Facebook 1 hour 15 minutes

Apple Music 2 hours 15 minutes

Amazon Music 2 hours

Television 3 hours