During my hour of online activity, I realized that I had used a variety of platforms and apps to either get work done, entertain myself, or to communicate with other people. Whether it was through Facebook, Instagram, or the online web, I was able to access all such platforms through my phone. Although there were some activities that I could’ve done without digital media, a majority of the tasks I had completed in the hour were done because of my access to digital media. The convenience provided to the user by digital media is one that entices and urges the user to come back time and time again. With digital media as a tool to access several different channels of productivity, it can also be a powerful tool in losing yourself to counter-productivity. It ultimately boils down to the habits you create in regards to this powerful tool called Digital media.

Although there are several activities that computerization and digitization can not yet execute/replicate, it has improved human activities in many ways. From a personal stance, I witnessed the vast improvements it has made in enabling people to communicate during my hour of online activity. While I was scrolling through Instagram, I noticed my mother was also on her phone doing her first video call with my grandmother, living in Mexico, who she hasn’t seen in person for over 20 years. Although my mother wasn’t able to physically hug her mother or give her kisses on the cheek, the implementation of computerization and digitization into our daily lives has facilitated their ways of communicating with each other from across the world. After finally seeing her mother for the first time over the last 20 years, this simple yet meaningful activity of doing a video chat adds sentimental value over just a simple phone call.

Within that same hour, I also witnessed the negative consequences of using digital media, as I had suddenly ended up watching a dancing dog on youtube;a video that held no educational or self-improving content. Despite the convenience and several benefits that come with digital media, one can often find that their attention span has diminished over its extended use. In this Forbes article, Kiisel highlights real life situations in which people of all ages can relate too. If you too are an vid user of digital media, you can often find yourself distracted with something completely irrelevant to the task you originally had at hand. It is important to note that although digital media can be a powerful tool/outlet for your work/thoughts, the way in which you choose to use your media is important too, as Couldry stated “Habits of use are crucial, and habit is more than just a repetition: any habit is stabilized through multiple practices that construct new ways of living, whether in the home or in everyday culture more generally” (17).

(the video:)

In essence, digital media brings both positive and negative effects to our society. It is ultimately how you use digital media that will shape your positive/negative experiences. It has revolutionized the way we as a society do things and has created cultures in such a short amount of time that they are evolving and changing just as quickly as they are being integrated. With that in mind, as well as the exchange my mother had via video phone call, I want to ask these questions:

1.) How will the rising cultures in digital media affect the generation gaps between families?

and

2) How have these different generations adapted to the rise in use of digital media?