Youtube Dominance

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For many years now my main source of entertainment when it comes to streaming online would have to be Youtube. I would say I have been watching Youtube videos since middle-school and most of what I watch are like family vloggers or influencers who are around my age. Honestly, at first, I thought I was weird for watching these kinds of videos but over time I learned that many people my age also do so as well. I would say within the past 4-5 years these kinds of videos have really taken off and I would say most people have at least one person they follow or watch via Youtube. I think what attracted me most to Youtube videos was the short duration of them as it fits well with my short attention span. I also used to love watching reality shows so this in a way was like a reality show but more personal. In today’s society, we love to have access to things right at the edge of our fingertips and these Youtube videos fulfill that quick turnaround that we love. We often only have to wait a day for new videos whereas on TV we have to wait months on end for new seasons of shows to air.  I also love that I feel as though I can relate to some of these vloggers as many are also in college and are going through many of the same things I am. Recently, I have been really into watching TikTok videos, which I’m a little ashamed to admit. Once again I like the shortness of the videos and the fact that you can upload and create your own content relatively easily. I do watch some shows and movies on Netflix and Hulu but those two combined do not exceed my usage on Youtube.

Media Habits

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Before COVID-19, I definitely did not use media as much as I do now. I usually only watched shows on Netflix and Hulu. I am too lazy to start watching new shows again so I pretty much would just rotate between Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Broad City, That 70s Show, and Schitt’s Creek. I also did not have as much time with physically being in school, having a job, and being able to hangout with friends to be watching more than 3 hours of media a day. When I’m at school I usually watch media in the afternoon or night time when I’m trying to relax.

Since COVID-19 hit, the amount of media I have consumed has drastically increased. I’ve been watching a lot more movies and watching new shows rather than the ones I usually watch in rotation. Since being home I’ve begun watching shows on different platforms like Amazon Prime and Disney Plus, because my family has accounts. My mom and I have begun watching movies every night because we have nothing else to do. School being online has also played a role in the increase in media I’ve been consuming. Online school makes it easy to watch shows in between assignments as a “break”. Not having a job or going to school or being able to see friends really leaves a lot more time to lay in bed, watch a show, and do nothing.

I think it’s incredible that we have the internet during such a crucial time period. Things would be so much worse if people were not able to work from home or we were not able to go to school online. The internet is providing entertainments for billions of people in the world quarantining and I think this whole pandemic would be much different if we did not have the internet. The internet is changing right now to normalize (as much as possible) billions of peoples lives during this time. I think we are now realizing how useful the internet is as a resource.

My Streaming Habits

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Before COVID-19 I consumed around an average of 4 hours of media daily. I normally watch a specific show on Netflix or Hulu or I watch Youtube videos from the Youtubers that I am subscribed to. If I don’t have a lot of time to watch like when I go home in between classes for lunch then I will watch Youtube because I can watch more than just one video. Then I watch Hulu or Netflix whenever I am done with homework, home from work, and need to relax. Whatever I watch is for the purpose of entertainment and to just relax while I watch it. Since COVID-19 hit my streaming time has increased tremendously, I still watch Youtube, Netflix, and Hulu, but now I watch shows or videos as I am doing my school work which can at times be distracting. I also have more free time to watch shows because I work for the College of Charleston as a peer tutor and as part of the front desk staff at the Center for Student learning, where I normally sit and wait for students who need help but I am not allowed to watch things, but now I still work but I work online so I can watch shows while I work.

The internet is an amazing thing during this time because even though we are not allowed to physically be together, we can still be together. During this time of quarantining my best friend and I watched one of the newest Netflix originals that everyone was raving about “Love is Blind,” we were able to watch it together through a browser extension called Netflix Party. Netflix Party allows the people that are watching it to watch it at the same exact time and there is a chat feature. I have also used Zoom to talk to my classes and my friends so that we can feel like we are together even when we are not.

Time Enough at Last

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With social media, it is easy to get lost in the deep rabbit whole of the web. Even with jobs, school, life, we tend to get distracted. For me I never was that much occupied with watching videos on social media until I graduated high school and went away for college and lived in Florida. I began to watch a lot of Netflix and YouTube. And with the situation of the world today, I have done the most streaming that I have done probably ever. Even though I love watching films I tend to just put on what I like and scroll through my phone till I am tired. Now I have noticed that I actually watch different films and even series. A major thing for me is that I finally have been consistent with watching a series. I used to start on a series and then not really pay attention to it and then I would jump to another without finishing the other. I even started watching things I didn’t think I would like but am quite enjoying.
I don’t feel like the internet has changed that much since so much has been already available for streaming digitally including games, live TV, shopping and so on. I think the only thing that has changed is just it’s engagement since everyone has the time to do it a lot more than before. More companies have made it easier for a lot of people out there to have access to streaming services and have early releases on new movies. I also saw that shows like Jimmy Fallon, SNL and reality shows are doing at home filming and continuing with what they could on entertaining segments which is actually cool to think that we have the technology to do that today.

Cable’s Comeback?

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So over the past week, I’ve been overly conscious of my digital habits in order to accurately write this blog post. I personally did not like the way I was feeling or my mindset a few months ago and since then have given up Instagram for fear that could be the cause. I check my facebook a few times a week now in absence of Instagram, but mainly just to see the most recent and ridiculous post my grandma shared. I’ve noticed tons of new “Facebook challenges” that have been created to keep people entertained. For instance, one called on followers to post a landscape photo they had taken with no caption so that although everyone is stuck at home, we could all open our Facebook apps and be transported to beautiful places all over the world. I found it somewhat comforting.  

I’ve also watched at least an hour of the news daily in light of recent global events. My new morning routine consists of waking up and immediately turning it on while I make my coffee. I used to occasionally watch while doing homework in the mornings before but now I pay very close attention and watch with intention. While I believe it is important to remain calm and avoid hysteria, I also know that to remain informed gives one a clearer perspective and can keep one safer in the long run. I also hope that this situation will redirect the way in which news distribution has begun to tilt recently. In the midst of a pandemic I would hope that misinformation and bias could be reversed for the sake of the nation’s viewers during this time.

I also previously primarily streamed TV or films that I would watch, I haven’t watched cable TV in probably two years. Because both of my parents and siblings are now forced to work and learn from home as well, our wifi has been very slow and trying to stream is futile so we’ve gotten back into the Direct TV swing of things. It’s crazy to now be sitting on the couch and the commercial break comes on and the next 5 ads are all COVID-19 oriented. It reinforces how real this entire situation is.

 

The Impact of Entertainment

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While I did watch a lot of movies and TV shows before COVID-19 hit, my habits have definitely changed these past few weeks. When I was still at school, I would sometimes watch a film or an episode of a show before bed on a school night and always watch something on the weekends. Now at home, I do try to do as much school work as I was doing when actually at school, but my screen time has unsurprisingly increased. I have not been watching many TV shows – I watched Tiger King with my family and just started Euphoria – but I have been watching a lot of movies. I made a watchlist full of movies that I have been meaning to watch for a long time that I have slowly been working my way through. Some movies I have watched from it are Come and See, Memories of Murder, and The Passion of Joan of Arc. For me, having a watchlist gives me something to do, as well as creating a goal for myself to watch all these movies. It makes me feel as if I’m accomplishing something while I’m basically stuck in my home. I have also been rewatching some of my favorite movies, like Little Miss Sunshine, It, Napoleon Dynamite, and The Great Dictator. I believe that rewatching these films that mean a lot to me gives a form of comfort and stability in a time where everything seems off balance. 

I still watch most of these before bed, but much more frequently than I was at school. Sometimes I’ll watch three movies in one day just because I have the time to. I do try to keep a somewhat normal schedule (like doing my schoolwork at the times I would normally be doing them), so that is why most of the films I watch are at night. However, once classes end I know that my schedule will basically fall apart. I watch these across many platforms: Netflix, Hulu, Kanopy, my own copies of the films, and more. As of right now I believe that film, and all forms of entertainment, are keeping people sane as they are quarantined and that many people are starting to understand just how much film and TV can impact their lives. Personally, I have enjoyed exposing myself to new films, but I also love being able to find comfort in my old favorites. 

Corona News

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Prior to the Coronavirus, I would rarely watch the news. I would watch it from time to time, and I would still be aware of current events happening in America and around the world, however, I didn’t really have all that much time to just watch the news. Now that we are all being greatly affected by the Coronavirus, I find myself watching the news way more often. I have more time to watch it, and being a science major, I find it quite interesting. Being home and not at college, the news is almost always on my T.V. Not only major news stations such as CNN and FOX, but also small networks like local news. I myself notice reading news about the Coronavirus at all times of the day. Prior to the Coronavirus, the majority of internet use was used by my generation, but since the Coronavirus, every age group uses it. The internet is our source to answer. It allows us to get answers, know what is currently happening, and keep in touch with friends and loved ones. We rely on the internet greatly, without it we would have a challenge to function as a society. The internet has been able to help us work smarter and faster at defeating the “invisible enemy” we all fear. The news is also more of a topic, as the Coronavirus isn’t the only issue talked about in the news. Other issues are getting talked about, and heard more of due to everyone paying more attention.

Throwbacks! Not Just for Thursdays but also for Quarantines!

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My media viewing habits have definitely increases since being COVID-19 hit. When I was living on campus before COVID-19 hit, the majority of my media viewing happened during the evening and more on the weekends because those were the times of the day where I had more free time. However, now that COVID-19 has hit and I am at home I have been viewing media more during the day. I’ve tried not to be online too much, but there is only so many time a person can walk around their neighborhood. I have been on Instagram and Twitter more than I normally would be during the day and I am watching Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Instant Video more than before. I have noticed that, with the exception of Tiger King on Netflix, I have been re-watching shows that I have already finished  such as Downton Abbey on Amazon Prime Instant Video, Call the Midwife, and old Disney movies on Netflix. I’ve also been re-watching old shows that I first watched when I was younger like Victorious and the good Teen Titans. I think that one possible explanation for theses trends that I’ve noticed in my viewing habits is that it takes a lot for me to start and get invested in a new movie and series, so by re-watching shows and movies I’ve already watched, I don’t expend and waste any energy, if I don’t like the series or movie, on a new series or movie. Another explanation for this trend could be that I relate these movies and TV shows to a time when I knew what was going on in terms of school and had some control. This may be a response to how for some of my classes, now that we are doing online learning, I do not know what is going on or what is going to happen in terms of a final exam for one of my classes. Since I spend much of my energy working on classwork and trying to figure out what I have due for certain classes, it is more appealing to me to watch something that I have already watched and can sort of shut my brain off when I watch it.

Killing Time or Staying Pacified?

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My media diet consists mainly of YouTube videos and Netflix shows and movies, with the occasional movie rental or purchase through a service like VUDU. I tend to do most of my viewing on my phone since it provides me with the flexibility to watch anywhere I want, whereas my laptop or the television downstairs don’t afford me the same luxury of consuming media in bed or at the dining room table during lunch. I do still prefer to use my laptop or the television downstairs for movies or longer binges of television shows.

The contents of my media diet is somewhat unchallenging and falls into two fairly distinct categories for me. I mainly watch either light-hearted comedic content or construction based/educational videos. Some examples of the kinds of light-hearted content I consume includes Community, Adventure Time, and most of my news which I get from sources like the Daily Show, The Late Show, or Last Week Tonight. I find that as important as it is to stay vigilant to the atrocities and misfortunes befalling our world, it is also important to have an uncomplicated escape from reality. Having something simple to watch or repackaging harsh news in easy-to-digest terms helps keep each day from becoming an existential battle rooted in moral confusion. For the other half of my media diet I like to watch lots of science videos and maker videos on YouTube. Some of my favorites include Kurzegesagt, Adam Savage’s Tested, Sam O’ Nella Academy (more comedy than fact), Hacksmith, Planet Earth, and Vsauce. Liking content which isn’t challenging does not mean that I don’t like to think and learn. I find filling the quieter moments of my day with the harshness of reality to be unpleasant but filling the still parts of my life with interesting facts and projects is more fulfilling. I like to learn about things that interest me, and by learning more about the world around me I feel safer and more comfortable going through each day. To that end, I highly recommend the Kurzegesagt videos on corona virus and the human immune system for anyone worried about the current state of the world. Neither video will make the problem less significant in our world, but there is something comforting about understanding a threat from an objective point of view and disincentivizing the impulse to panic.

In regard to the specifics of my media consumption, I have found a mass incline in my screen time since the quarantine. I have watched almost the entirety of Community on Netflix and all of Avatar the last Airbender through other online resources. I think the combined boredom of being stuck inside and the nagging unease surrounding the quarantine, virus, and the implications of both have left me craving uncomplicated and comforting content. It may have developed into more of a crutch since the lockdown, but with the limited number of things to do while stuck inside it is hard to tell how much of my viewing is an escape and how much is a tactic to kill time.

Elevated screen time… not so bad?

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An Instagram post from National Geographic as an example of the type of media I consume regularly.

Changes in my own media consumption do not vary significantly from those of others; certainly my use has increased. I have found myself scrolling through Instagram (see above), watching funny pet videos on Pinterest, and viewing independent short films on YouTube much more often than before the quarantine. When I wake up, take breaks from schoolwork, and before I go to sleep, I will pop on these sites for about 10 to 30 minutes. My film and TV consumption has also increased. I have finished three television seasons on Netflix and watched about five movies in the past four weeks alone. Though I maintain as regular a schedule as possible (ie. I ‘go to class’ or do classwork and research at the times I would pre-quarantine, and I maintain my regular exercise, meditation and meal routines), I still have an extra hour or two at the end of the day that I typically would not have before the pandemic. My hypothesis for this phenomenon is that the extra bits of time I used to bike and walk to class and to chat with students, professors and other friends on campus would together amount to those two hours I find free at the end of every quarantine day.

Sometimes I fill portions of those time slots with non-screen activities like playing or listening to music, writing or reading. But for the most part, I am behind a screen for a large chunk of those two hours, chatting with friends and family, on social media or watching movies and television. From these observations, I can reasonably conclude that screen time is an easy fall back for filling my free time. It is accessible, diverse in content and emotionally stimulating. Of course, one’s initial reaction to increased screen time is to scold oneself. But I have found that it’s not all that bad. I have discovered and become up to date with work by current and upcoming filmmakers. I have learned more about the second Queen Elizabeth’s life than I ever would have had I not finished two seasons of The Crown. I have even had more than one fits of belly-laughter from watching cats falling (safely) off kitchen counters on Pinterest. Yes, biking, walking and interacting with humans is certainly a preferred use of my time, but I cannot say than an extra few hours of screen time every day or so has been a complete waste of time.