Since my major literally has the word media in it, my PC is basically my homebase. My days are spent learning, producing, and consuming media. But to be fair, whose isn't by now? But I think there is a tendency to portray media consumption as a negative thing, when it's just an every day part of life. Of course, there is addiction, obsession, and other negative affects that can come about. But too much of anything is a bad thing, but digital content doesn't have to be. There are many benefits to our modern lifestyles thanks to digital media. It helps us be productive, informs us, and entertains us. It gives me a job centered around media (which might make my opinion a little biased, but no need to focus on that).

When I wake up, I start the day to the sound of an alarm clock, like any average American.

Starting the Day

Normally, I’ll get ready for the day with some music or a show in the background. I usually prefer to listen to something in the morning rather than watch something, I find that it helps me focus better throughout the day. I use Spotify for streaming music. I've used it ever since I was a kid. I can't tell you how long I've had a subscription to it. I usually keep monthly playlists sorted by new music and favorites. I also have some sorted by the general vibe I want to hear. It makes it easy for me to pick something to listen to and save new music without wasting time. I’ll also listen on my way to class or during any other downtime.

Productivity: School and Work

For class, I’ve started to keep my notes digitally using OneNote. Since I have ADHD, it makes it much easier to organize notes however I want. I use it to take notes during class and at work, keep track of my day-to-day tasks, and also jot down things I might otherwise forget. I appreciate how versatile it is since I can write or type on the application from my PC or my phone.

I’m a graphic design intern on the side, so if I'm not in class or studying, I’m usually designing something. The main things that I use are Adobe Creative Suite for editing photos, designing, and drawing anything from pamphlets to signs. I also use Canva for quick designs. You might be familiar with it, if not, I highly recommend it. Canva is a really nice application, for designers and non-designers alike since it has a user-friendly interface. As a designer, it’s great for quick one-off designs for class presentations or simple images.

I also work remotely part-time. This is where Trello comes in handy to submit designs. People can comment, view, and assign tasks for me quickly and easily. It’s much easier than going back and forth through chains of emails for revisions. I only really send emails if I have a file that’s too big to upload.

Evening Downtime

Later in the evening, after I get home, I usually chill for a bit by watching YouTube or Twitch. I have a few streamers I follow on Twitch. Some are study streams that have a Pomodoro timer to help you focus by working at the same time as others. These study streams also act as a nice community for people to share about their stresses and there's usually a break day once a week where people play video games online together. Another one I watch frequenty is a news commentator, and the rest are mostly niche streamers that talk about whatever or react to videos. YouTube is mostly for keeping up with content creators I like or watching crafting and design tutorials.

If I have more time, then I’ll watch a few episodes of a show on Netflix. I mainly use Hulu for watching reality tv, like America’s Next Top Model, RuPaul’s Drag Race, or Love Island, but not that often.

If I don’t feel like watching anything then I’ll listen to a podcast or audiobook while I knit or make something. I really like Overdrive for reading or listening to a book. The app connects with your local library (mine is the Garland County Library since I’m from Hot Springs) and allows you to access their digital content. If they don’t have a book I want available, all I have to do is request it and normally they’ll get it within a few days to a week. I can check out content for 1-3 weeks like I would in person.

When it comes to social media, I’ll scroll through If I have some downtime between classes or at work. I mostly use Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter (in that order). I use Pinterest whenever I want to do crafts and it’s where I gather ideas for a lot of my design work too. It's perfect for that since it’s such a visual application, with an easy way to save things without taking up space on my phone or PC. I organize it by category, kind of obsessively, just like by Spotify. That's probably why I spend most of my time on there.

I mainly use Instagram for following designers, artists, and photographers that I like. I also use it to keep up with my friends, and they'll dm me cool posts. Instagram's mostly how I communicate with people if it's not through phone. I used to have Snapchat to talk with people, but I don't use it anymore. I would get really anxious because there would be so many notifications from constant snap streaks, and it would really bother me that I'd have to clear my notifications all the time. I hated having to scroll through and open snaps and check Snap stories since it would waste so much time. So Snapchat was not a good platform for me.

Twitter is nice because it just takes a quick scroll through to get updated on the news that I care about. I don't use it quite as much, but I'll check it maybe once every day or every other day. I get notifications from the people I care about, which is mostly just artists and musicians. They'll usually update whenever they've released a new album or a new music video and any events that are coming up.

If I’m looking for someway to waste the day or a whole weekend, then I turn to video games. I play on PC, PlayStation, and on my cell phone. My top three games are probably The Sims 4 (PC), Minecraft (All), and Stardew Valley (PC and mobile). I also get a lot of mods for my PC games on Patreon from Custom Content creators. I don't really spend as much time gaming during the semester, but during the summer there’s much more time to waste.

I usually end my day by recording an audio journal, listening to music, or watching a video.

Final Thoughts

In the modern day, digital media is a double edged sword. It can be helpful for gathering information and communicating with others. However it can also be full of excessive opinions, false information, and distractions. As a person with ADHD, it definitely helps me through my day-to-day and helps me be more productive, but it's also the very thing constantly competing for my attention. But I think when it comes down to it, digital media is something that improves our modern society as much, if not more, as it harms it. Digital media is a "necessary evil" to some, but it doesn't have to be that way by creating a good balance of time away from the digital world too.