As we established at the very beginning of the semester, mass media in its many forms dominates every waking moment of our lives. TV, Internet, MP3s, video games, cell phones, movies, and radio are just some of the many forms mass media takes today—and we are all subject to its stranglehold whether we know it or not. The point of this experiment is threefold:
1. To see just how powerful that stranglehold is on our daily routine.
2. To discover the advantages of being free of mass media’s many distractions.
3. To leave our cocoons of indoor media consumption and be more active – more social!
The following guidelines will help you determine when you can and cannot use a form of mass media in your daily routine. ***Media Deprivation begins when you wake up on Friday or Saturday and ends when you wake up on Sunday or Monday (You may choose which two days as long as they are consecutive, and you can still use an alarm clock)***
CELL PHONE/TELEPHONE USE:
• DO use your cell phone and/or telephone for basic contact purposes. You may call or text message but only if it’s for an important reason. Use your better judgment here.
• DO NOT pass the time texting or talking. Only reply to text messages if it’s urgent.
• Finally, DO NOT use your cell phone for web surfing, SOCIAL NETWORKING, or gaming. You may check email, but no games, videos, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
COMPUTER/INTERNET USE:
• DO use your computer/laptop for educational purposes such as writing papers, doing research, checking email, etc.
• But DO NOT use it for recreational purposes such as gaming, online shopping, fantasy sports, SOCIAL NETWORKING, file-sharing, etc. Academic purposes only!
RADIO/MP3 PLAYER USE:
• DO NOT listen to the radio, stereo, or any MP3 players under almost any circumstance.
• The only instance you can listen to music is if you’re at a restaurant/bar/party and there happens to be music playing in the background, so social situations are encouraged.
• DO NOT listen to your iPod or stereo while working out or studying and DO NOT listen to the radio while driving. NO MUSIC!
TV/DVD/MOVIE THEATER USE:
• DO NOT watch any TV or DVDs under almost any circumstance. NO VIDEO GAMES!
• The only instance you can watch TV is if you’re at a restaurant/bar/party and there happens to be a TV playing in the background. Going to the movies is acceptable, too.
NEWSPAPER/BOOK/MAGAZINE USE:
• DO read the newspaper, but only the print edition.
• DO NOT get your news online or on your phone. But you may watch the news on TV.
• DO read books and magazines, both for academic and recreational purposes. Graphic novels and/or comic books are acceptable reading, too.
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