Awhile ago I got rid of cable. For what I paid there was little that interested me, and most of what I did watch was online, availabe on Netflix, on Hulu, etc. I rather liked the idea of freeing myself from cable and also wanted to see what happened.
I actually found myself quite happy without it, and as I’ve been watching all the (legal) options out there for getting content – the web, netflix, etc. it’s made me ask just why we consume media the way we do. Sure we all have theories, but they’re usually theories about other people.
So I’m trying an experiment in being aware of how I use media – games, television, the web, and so on. My goal is to understand why I do what I do, look for patterns, look for ways to improve it, and look at how I can leverage technology to get more of what I need media-wise.
The technique is simple (and you may recognize it from other psychological techniques): I keep a notebook and write down why I consumed the meida that I did and what it was. The goal is not to judge (but believe me, that’ll happen), but to understand and observe. I’m interested in seeing why I do what I do, and what it tells me.
I think this is important in an information age (especially one where so much ignorance seems to be prevalent), information technology, and for people with related careers.
If you feel like joining me, let me know. Let’s see what happens.
Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach. He blogs on careers at http://www.fantopro.com/, nerd and geek culture at http://www.nerdcaliber.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.