Time sucker

What is it about the media on the internet that just seems to suck away all our time.  I am not like this everyday, but I do get caught in the trap sometimes.

It starts with something small like checking my email, which is all good and fine.  Then I realize I need to update our budget, and then I check facebook (which in all honesty is becoming kind of boring) but it STILL sucks you in.  Then I want to catch up on the latest episode of one of my favorite shows.  Then I think about what to make for dinner, so of course I check pinterest for ideas and I end up spending 3x as long as I planned.

Hours go by, and what have I accomplished?  Honestly, not too much.

Media has this way of being so enticing to people (and well me), that we think of it as more of a need.  They no longer just want  to watch their favorite show, but they need to.  They feel they have a parasocial relationship with a character and so they must watch the newest show.  We prioritize our daily time to include our favorite media, whether it is reading a magazine, watching tv or a movie, or browsing facebook.  I know I have been guilty in the past of having a TV-show marathon where I would spend hours and hours watching a show that I was hooked on at the time.

For some people their media consumption could be described as an addiction; they could not possibly go on with their lives until they read the latest news or watch their favorite show.

It is clear that media has a great influence on our lives by dictating the trends of today, changing our attitudes or assumptions in life, and taking our time.

I am not saying that the media is bad, in fact the media portrays many good values (as well as bad).  I am merely saying that media has an unmistakably large influence on our lives today.