What Kind of Tech-Whore Are You?

By Amanda

The New York Times is reporting on a new study of American media consumption that says the average person spends 8.5 hours every day in front of some sort of media screen (television, computer, cellphone, etc.). If you think about it in terms of your average day, that is a HUGE portion of your time. More than the average night of sleep, more than a day spent at the office, probably more than you study or even go to class. Math may not be my strong point, but I figured that we are devoting more than one-third of our entire day to media exposure.

The study also organized data by age group to show, among other things, that “18-to-24-year-olds — generally college students and new entrants into the work force — watch the smallest amount of live TV of any age group (three and a half hours a day).” While television isn’t at the top of a college student’s to-do list, text messaging and watching videos online are.

This new information got me thinking about what our media choices say about us. We already know that if you are text messaging a total of 29 minutes a day, you probably fall into the age bracket of a college student. But what else does it say? Is my character defined by my loyalty to a specific brand of media? I like to think so, so here is my professional opinion on what your media preferences say about you:

The text messager is the always on the go. You choose to take your media with you wherever  your travels take you. Your messages are short and to the point and grammar isn’t a priority. You’re on the cutting edge of new technology to look for smaller, more efficient keyboards. Unlimited messaging plans are all you will tolerate.

The Facebooker is the social butterfly. You are keeping in touch with old friends and always on the lookout for new ones. You remember birthdays and don’t hesitate to express your warmest wishes on the walls of loved ones and strangers alike.

The e-mailer is classic and nostalgic. With the fast pace of ever changing technology, email has been your rock. You still welcome those three comforting words “You’ve got mail” and stick to what you know best.

The Twitterer is trendy and perhaps celebrity obsessed. You start off your day with an inspirational message from Diddy before adding your 140 character update to let the world know you are eating a breakfast burrito. You appreciate the little things in life, even if they are short fragmented sentences.

The Youtuber enjoys a good chuckle every now and then. You use your searching skills to find the most ridiculous nonsense the internet has to offer. Whether its a cat in a cardboard box or a drag queen singing show tunes, you’ll tune in for some quick entertainment.

The Instant Messenger is a muti-tasking force not to be reckoned with. You can focus on multiple tabs and windows without breaking a sweat. You like to stay organized and keep all your friends in one place, and instant messenger can meet all your demands.

Where do you fall? I think I’m somewhere between a Twitterer and an Instant Messanger.