My Media Diet

By -On

 




 My first venture into the world of Media was Facebook. One sunny afternoon, while my parents were about their busy day, I creeped into the computer room. With my sister watching the door for my parents (Dad especially, because he will always come checking), I carefully created an unrecognizable profile, which hinted I was slightly older, and more sophisticated than I was in real life, and then followed the days of growing my following list, awkward status and embarrassing photo updates, and constant fear of being caught.

Fast forward to today, my media life has evolved significantly. I would now like to describe myself as a social media hermit, as I am more likely to consume media for entertainment purposes, learning, and of course getting reliable news from home. You'll most likely catch me binge-watching documentaries, or afro skits on YouTube. However, while my activities may never show up on my feeds on Facebook and Instagram, media has now become a lifeline for me, as it now makes communication a lot more easier for me now that I live thousands of miles away from home, from getting daily doses of pictures and videos of my latest nephew, giving my parents a virtual tour of my new city, to sharing every little detail of my daily adventure with my sibling. I would say media has played such an important part in bridging the distance between me and my family, allowing us to share precious little moments as a family.

Back in the days of very little media, it had become a habit for me to read the daily paper for both global and national news, and I must say that I still haven't still lost that habit, as lately I would rely on BBC and CNN for the global news, and Nigerian blogs like Instablog for current homebased news.

Overall, media for me is a blend of entertainment, information, and connection, so I’ll usually fit this into my leisure hours, and this is why I will always pick visuals over words.  I no longer feel the need to put out content about myself for public consumption, as I now usually just enjoy a few quite minutes of just scrolling. 

In a world where we are increasingly interconnected, media plays a very important role in seeing that we better understand the people, and the world around us, and though I might not be the most influential media citizen, I am content, and at the same time grateful for my own little corner in a big world of media……. And for those curious readers, my secret Facebook profile never got found out.

                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                                        - Brenda


Comments

  1. Cesilia22 January 2025 at 04:41

    I myself also use media for entertainment as well as learning from others.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nitesh kumar Tharu23 January 2025 at 08:09

    Great!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Emeka23 January 2025 at 13:53

    Your journey from a curious Facebook newbie to a thoughtful media consumer is relatable and heartwarming. I love how you have embraced media as a bridge to your family and home while maintaining balance. The nostalgic touch adds such depth.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thevnee24 January 2025 at 05:15

    I remember teachers at my school discouraged us from creating Facebook profiles, deeming it as this dark web space where nobody should dwell.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Phuc Chuong27 January 2025 at 00:33

    Thanks for your sharing

    ReplyDelete
  6. Johannes28 January 2025 at 01:32

    I really enjoyed your personal story telling view at the beginning. It reminds me on my childhood days as I experienced a similar Media experience

    ReplyDelete
  7. Emma9 March 2025 at 12:34

    Story telling is great! You really shine in that!

    ReplyDelete

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