Note: This is an assignment for my MCO 425 Digital Literacy class.
I didn’t grow up with the Internet. I didn’t get my first phone until I was starting middle school, and my only access to a computer was at the public library for an hour. In retrospect, this was a blessing in disguise- but this didn’t stop me from being captivated by what the Internet had to offer. Hence, I’m here getting a degree for a career dependent on the digital age.
I tracked my digital and media consumption for an entire day. A fun experiment that showed how online I am, and I can’t wait to show you all too.
4:46 a.m. – I’m awake, and the first thing I do is check my smartwatch. I wear it to track my sleep (sleepwalking sucks) but I take time to view any messages and news reports I get on the watch.
4:55 a.m. – I’m on my phone in the bathroom now. I check the Cronkite News newsletter for the articles of the day. I also go on X (Twitter) and mindlessly scroll through pop culture news accounts.
5:31 a.m. – After my shower and morning bathroom rituals, I’m back in my room on my laptop. I’m on Canvas, checking the syllabus and looking up a tutorial online on how to actually use WordPress. I also have a few YouTube videos playing on the TV for background noise; I personally like listening to “Financial Audit” by Caleb Hammer. Also, more checking emails- I love checking my email.
8:03 a.m. – Went for a morning walk. Our neighborhood flooded in some areas, which was surprisingly very pretty looking. I used my smartwatch to track my steps to log on to my health app. I also listened to music on YouTube Music. If anyone’s curious: I listened to lots of Grimes on my walk.
8:45 a.m. – Back home and applied for jobs and internships on Handshake. It took a lot of research to create a good cover letter and a resume that can be read by AI tools recruiters love to use these days. I also played a dress-up fashion game called Life Makeover to kill time.
9:25 a.m. – I ate breakfast while looking at the New York Times’ coverage on Hurricane Erin. I again opened X to look at more pop culture and film news.
11:45 a.m. – I went on Discord to talk with friends again while waiting for my telehealth appointment. After that, I booted up YouTube on my TV to rewatch “The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals” for the third time. It’s a great musical, I recommend it.
12:30 p.m. – Workout time for me. I used YouTube to look up some at-home workouts. I ended up doing an abs and glutes workout and an arms and back workout. I’m not ashamed to admit I have my priorities.
1:20 p.m. – I read more NYT articles on global news and American politics as I eat lunch. I like to be as aware as possible of what’s going on around me, even if it will never affect me.
4:45 p.m. – I looked up recipes online to find meal inspiration for dinner. I listened to music while I cooked vegan breakfast quesadillas.
5:35 p.m. – I checked another notification for a NYT article I was interested in reading. Afterwards, I did a quick aerobic workout. My nightly routine included checking Instagram and watching Reels as I brushed my teeth and got my hair in order.
9:37 p.m. – It’s time for bed. I respond to my friends on Discord and Instagram one last time, and check more emails, before I put my phone down. I set my smartwatch up to track my sleep for tonight. Then, it’s finally bedtime.
This was interesting to document. To be fully transparent: If I documented every time I watched a YouTube video to play in the background, this timeline would be way longer. I’m not afraid to admit that I am online. I enjoy it, it’s my future career, and these days the only way you can escape it is by being a hermit in the woods.
Most surprising was how frequently I checked the news compared to anyone else in my family. It makes sense because I’m a journalism major, but I never expected to open news pages more than any social media. Like I said, I do like being aware. But I wonder if this habit of checking the news is both a good habit and a sense of anxiety I feel?
Despite my most used application being YouTube, I don’t really trust it. Anyone can say anything on YouTube; it’s full of clickbait and inescapable bias. Out of all the things I used during this day, I would say I trust the New York Times out of all of them. It’s not perfect, but it’s at least less subjective than social media. I feel that I can put my faith in it a little more- another reason why I check it so frequently.
Does the world and its people becoming more reliant on digital media scare me? Sometimes. But I learned to play the virtual cards I’m given, and I hope I can at least do some good with them.
Akiyah's Diary 
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