SUMMARIZING PARAGRAPH:
Throughout my 7 day journery through everyday life I observed numerous objects and surroundings which I find myself in a constant encounter with daily here at The University of Maryland. Everyday life may seem repetitve therefore making encounters with objects and scenes we become unnoticed to casual. Due to the careful in-depth analyzation of these aspects within my life I found I take most things for granted often acting too fast to accurately realize the value of even the smallest things which impact my life the most. Within this journey analyizing these aspects such as; boredom, tiredness, happiness, what I use most often and even what I find myself accustomed to due to cultural expectations, all play a vital part into who I am as in individual here in my everyday life. I have found that our patterns everyday often serve as a description to who we are. One of the aspects that surprised me was how I always described myself as an independent person never influenced by what others thought, however upon seeing my everyday life under careful observation I found many of the actions and items I used were often influenced by our cultural way of life in today’s society. Below is my personal analyzation of my own everyday life some of the objects within it and aspects which I have found to relate closely to my life patterns.
Day 1: Daily Morning Hygienes
Each day start’s off with early morning hygiene as my personal routine. Maintaining good health is an important factor in my life, this daily practice will prevent health issues for tomorrow plus refreshes for the new day ahead. Honestly, I do not consider all of the health risks or think about all the risks of not brushing my teeth as this practice comes as a routine to me. I’ve overlooked the process of completing this task as it has become accustomed to a part of who I am. The actions feel as if they are automatically programed within me. The action of dental hygene is socially accepted and expected for us all to undertake hopefully we all choose to do so!
Day 2: Boredom Cleaning
Occasionally there are times within my days I find myself bored due to inactivity, lack of motivation to complete certain tasks and sometimes it takes just a need for something new to help pass the time. One of the ways I recently found myself passing the time in a productive way was when I found myself cleaning. Taking water, a sponge and bleach I scrubbed and washed my apartment and before I knew it hours had passed. This sense of boredom was replaced by an active decision to clean. Although I would have had to clean at some point, finding spare time within my day enabled me to do things I normally would find tiresome. I thought to myself how our past ansestors also compleated these tasks but it must of been difficult to find a source of water, a chemical component such as bleach or disenfectent and how improvements had been made over time to make this labor more time effective.
Day 3: Homework
One of the most time consuming daily activities I complete here at The University of Maryland is homework. Every night I take time and complete the various tasks required to prepare for classes the next day. I certainly don’t enjoy this part of my day but understand it is a part of life that has to be completed to achieve a rewarding goal in the future. That goal would be a successful graduation and compleation of college thus leading to a variety of opportunities. With the completion of this homework it will further my education and help me later in life. I also realized how beneficial technology was to complete this task as well. My laptop computer enables me to store large files, complete papers easily and really makes everything much more efficient. My overall dependence on technology is greatly shown throughout my daily academic life.
Day 4: Breakfast
Unlike my roommates, I make sure to wake up early and eat breakfast each day. Personally I feel breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The type of breakfast I make usually depends on how awake I really am. Upon analyzing this daily routine I found the action of obtaining a bowl for cereal, the milk and spoon all became mundane almost automatic. I often make large breakfasts on weekends and the simple cereal, toast, waffles and bagel usually are the choices throughout the week. Thinking back to the past this food must of been difficult to obtain not nearly as easy as it is for me. I simply reach into the fridge for milk where as in the past cows had to be milked and the process wasn’t as easy. I learned to appreciate the smallest things such as the spoon, a simple object at first glance but I wondered how the design first became what it is today. How this object is universal practically found in homes, restaurants and other establishments throughout the world. Regardless of the culture the design and identity of this object can be described as universal.
Day 5: Communication
One of the items I use most during my daily life is the cell phone. My cellphone is not just an object to me as I have become aware of but it is something I feel I can’t normally function without. Communication is vital during my day as I often find enjoyment talking to friends, connecting through various social websites and even researching ideas presented to me throughout the day. Having the use of the cell phone allows me to network with friends, family and stay connected wherever I find myself throughout the day. I often question what the days would be like without the introduction of this technology in our lives how difficult it would be to communicate but also how we as a society would be forced to personally interact more with one another.
Day 6: Dinner
One of the most rewarding times of the day for me is dinner time. This is a time for relaxation but also requires the effort and knowledge to cook. After analyzing the process I became aware of how many aspects are needed to actually prepare an enjoyable healthy meal. You need something to actually heat and cook the food, utensils to help eat the food, plates to hold while eating and the knowledge to understand how to prepare a meal. The ease of having all of these items nearby helps make this experience easier in our society today much more effective then years ago.
Day 7: Entertainment
One of the many forms of entertainment I enjoy in my everyday life is television. Television for me offers a relaxing sense of relief after a long busy day. Although watching too much TV isn’t necessarily a productive idea it offers a balance to a busy life. Television stimulates our minds and ideas giving a sense of enjoyment and for me it allows an escape from the everyday world. After realizing this form of relaxation it has made me aware of how dependent I am on technology itself and how it has revolutionized our society over time. We often rely so much on technology these days we lose sense of what other options there are for entertaining us without the use of various media objects.
Digital Media and Everyday Life 