Interview with my Roommate

Me: Emily, What do you think is the medium that you rely on most today?

Emily: Definitely my computer.

Me: How often do you use your favorite medium a day?

Emily: I'm on my computer at least fives times a day for about 30 minutes to an hour each time.

Me: Do you consider this normal or healthy?

Emily: Yes because I need to do it for the emails, work, and my facebook!

Me: Why is this so important to you?

Emily: Because all my assignments are on the computer. All my information is on my computer and I rely on it heavily for things other than entertainment. It's a way for me to get all my online and writing assignments done with the most convenience.

Me: What would you do if this was taken away from you for say a week? a month? forever?

Emily: For a week: I'd probably fail a few assignments in my classes. I'd feel out of sort with the social world: facebook, etc. I just would feel out of contact with all my friends. I'd have no email or ways of getting in touch. I'd definitely go through withdrawal of entertainment and online sources. I don't watch much TV so i'd be outdated with information on the world. For a Month: All of the above. except a lot worse. Forever: Let's not even joke about that.

Me: What do you think about today's society and the way we use media?

Emily: I think technology advances and we have to go with the flow. I don't know if we're necessarily taking advantage of it but there's always going to be a down or up side to advancement. For example: pornography. It's always been around probably since the beginning of society. Now that we have a computer, it's easier access. I don't endorse it but there's definitely a way that society can abuse it.

Me: Are there ways we can improve upon our usage?

Emily: Not that I can think of. People rely too much on our computers, TVs etc. Technology is there to help up, not hurt. It's there to improve our lives. Therefore, there's no way we can really abuse it.

Me: Do you think we abuse certain media types? Which ones?

Emily: I think we definitely abuse cell phones and texting. When you have a technology, you're going to have negative aspects. Phones are being used while driving and we need to ensure that we're being safe as we're using all these different media.

Me: There are four theorists that my class has studied so far. Of the four, which one do you believe that gotten our society's viewpoint on media the most correct? Why?

Emily: I think Winston has the most accurate description of our society today. Facebook allows us to look into other's lives even though we normally wouldn't be able to.

Me: Think about todays media. Does this influence our behavior and the way we look at the world?

Emily: Yea. I think things are a lot more liberal. From a social and moral standpoint, I think things are a lot more liberal. We all watch TV a lot and we're seeing these negative messages about sex and violence that change the way we look at things.

Me: Thanks a bunch, Em!