Denise Del Rasario
Being a typical college student, spending one hour consuming media was a piece of cake. Speaking of cake, yesterday was my birthday, which gave me an even greater excuse to spend time online. It started off by checking Facebook, which is where most of my family and friends wished me a happy birthday. I spent a good chunk of time just reading their messages and individually replying to each of them. Some messages were from distant relatives that I barely recall meeting in person, while others were from friends I recently made in college. After logging off, I switched apps to Instagram and Snapchat, which is where the rest of my friends were posting. Some posts were embarrassing pictures and videos, while others were touching memories. Finally, I spent time replying to individual texts, video calls, and phone calls. For one person, I had to even download an app called “Marco Polo” and create an account so they could send me a video message.
(I am not comfortable sharing my exact location for personal reasons)
My hour in nature was spent at a local beach near my home. Every summer, my family makes sure to head out to the beach to go crabbing and fishing. We decided to begin around 6pm, which was when the tide would change, and the crabs/fish were easier to catch. I helped my dad, who is quite the expert, set up the crabbing station and began catching them on my own. We fished and crabbed until our cooler was full. During this time, I also had a chance to rest and watch the sunset. There were many things to remember—the colors of the sky, the birds flying above us, the smell of the saltwater, the slight breeze passing by, the sound of my mother’s voice, the sound of the waves crashing gently, and the stillness of the moment. I felt very at peace during this time. Sitting on the beach with my family was definitely one of the highlights of my week and I felt very thankful to have that opportunity.
This experience was enjoyable for me. While it was fun reading all the birthday wishes I received, I found more peace and happiness just being in nature. My one hour in media was a unique situation and is typically not as fun as I described. Usually after I log out of social media, I find myself in a worse mood than when I started. It just so happened that this log entry was on my birthday. Social media usually leaves me feeling unsatisfied and wanting more, whether it be hanging out with people or having the newest clothing. However, in nature, I feel at ease. I become more present in the moment and the people that I’m with. I have the chance to reflect and process during that time as well. When I consume media, I have the attention span of a goldfish. I scroll through post after post and watch videos that are usually less than 10 seconds. But when I’m in nature, I slow down. It becomes easier for me to focus and I get to realign myself during that time.