Byte Me: Day 3

Media Fast Log

Day 3- June 17, 2012

     Today, I started off my morning with a shortened workout filled with another viewing of Hatfields & McCoys, Part Two. I was working a double at the high class burger joint that is my job and so was out of the house by 11:15 a.m. My place of work is a media smorgasbord. Not only do we have Top 40 pop music piped in throughout the restaurant, but there is a warring radio station in the kitchen, and an iPod hookup in the dishwashing area. While my ears were constantly assaulted, my eyes were also forced to avert left and right the numerous television screens hanging from every nook and cranny, including the bathroom. The need for humans to be distracted from doing the most basic and natural human function astounds me. This from a girl who, before she left it on the Boston T, would never go to the bathroom without smartphone in hand. I think it was a blessing that I lost my phone because I have recaptured the art of the peaceful poop. 

     At any rate, besides the media that was forced upon me at my job, my personal rejection of it enabled me to create better connections with my co-workers. The majority of my co-workers have iPhones, which they periodically check, especially on break. Because I was not screen-gazing midst  conversing, I noticed that that was the normal protocol for human interactions these days. Where was the eye contact? Who was really paying attention? When had Facebook replaced the actual face? And, the most pressing question of all, was that person on Twitter actually funnier than me? What I learned from this experience is that I don't like it when people try to split their time and attention between media and a living, breathing person. Even though I used to do it all the time, and I never meant it or saw it as a lack of respect, I think that is what it may be. Perhaps it is not a lack of respect, but a lack of appreciation. Of course, I am no longer referring just to me. I think that every person should be appreciated just for being here, making it through another day. Oh, you're still alive? Congratulations. Tell us how you got here. We'll listen; we'll pay attention. I think that we, as a society, have forgotten to truly appreciate each other's fleshy forms. This saddens me because it is when we are our most natural selves that we are our most imperfect, which is kind of beautiful. Anyway, this is what I did from 11:30 am to 10 p.m. today. 

      Once I got home, I made myself a chocolate strawberry-banana smoothie for dinner and ate some of my vegan cookie dough while writing this blog post. Then, I texted with my friend for a little bit as she was in need of advice, and who better to give good advice than someone who doesn't take it? All the while, I was reading Tom Cooper's book Fast Media, Media Fast, and planning out tweets for its twitter, @fastmedia-mediafast. I encourage my readers to follow this twitter if they want to learn more about media fasting (and also just because I could use some more followers!), and to check out the book's Facebook page. They're both pretty good resources for information about the book and media fasting in general, if I do say so myself. 

     Well, now that the shameless plug is over, it is on to Day 4 of my media fast. I'm really excited for tomorrow because this will mark the longest amount of time I have lived without media, and I already feel really accomplished for making it this far.