Media Diet Foreshadows Loss of Intimacy.

Go back to a time when phones were just invented. They were meant as a way to connect with someone almost instantaneously. You could hear their voice and the sound of their breathing.

Come back to today where phones can not only call, but also, they can do almost anything else you can think of. They can send videos, emails, texts, take pictures, design, play games and much more.

It seems that media consumption is at an all-time high. Unfortunately, the most common way that our devices are used now is not related to the original invention in any way. Based on current screen time data contracted from my own phone, I spend an average of three hours and 44 minutes on my phone a day for a weekly total of 26 hours and 12 minutes.

Eight of these hours are on Instagram and Twitter alone. That’s a full work day. Text messages take up an hour and a half, but where are the other seventeen hours? For the most part, they are spent on social media or entertainment.

Nearly all of my phone use is for something other than the original purpose of the invention. We call them cellphones, but very rarely I use it for calling.

Looking back on average screen time a day, the weekends boast the largest amount of screen time. This means most of my screen time comes from sheer boredom or a feeling that I need to be entertained. This is the time when I’m scrolling through social media the most.

Moving forward, I pick my phone up for an average of 104 times in a day. That doesn’t even count the times I have a notification. That number simply represents the number of times I feel the need to look at my phone despite any noises or notifications.

Now, I’m a full-time college student who works 16–20 hours or more a week. Between homework and after school groups I still spend a full day or more of time on my phone. Think of people who might not have jobs or an empty schedule, what does their media diet look like?

What does all of this mean? We, or more specifically, I’m losing intimacy. The phone helped peoplegain and understand social cues, but with all our not-talking and more typing we are losing the positive aspect of a phone. In general, we are aren’t communicating like we once did. I might go as far to say that without our phones, we aren’t as confident in face-to-face interactions.

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