Oriwa's Log

This is the log Oriwa kept for a week:

Date	Medium	Duration	Setting	Involvement	Purpose
Monday 21/03	Youtube- an online  site where the public can upload and share videos	4:30- 6:15pm	In the kitchen on my brothers laptop	I was watching Jason Mraz music video’s. Then I started to watch some random baking shows.	I ussually listen to music to unwind after a long day, I find baking shows entertaining
Tuesday 22/03	Vogue – a fashion magazine	4:45-5:12pm	In my bedroom	I read the trend section.	To keep up with the latest trends
Wednesday 23/03	Youtube	6:10- 6:20pm	In the kitchen on the laptop	I was watching some Nigela Lawson videos on baking.	To learn how to make better cookies.
Thursday 24/03	Youttube	4:30- 4:40pm	In the kitchen on the laptop	Listening to Thristy Merc songs.	A close friend had recommended the song, also to entertain myself while working.
Friday 25/03	Xbox 360	7:00- 9:00pm	In the lounge on xbox 360	Watching Hot fuzz	Entertainment
Saturday 26/03	Xbox 360- a video game console that can also be used for playing dvds	9:45pm- 1:15am	In the lounge with my brothers watching a movie on my brothers Xbox 360	Watching Paranormal activity one and two.	Sibling movie night.
Sunday 27/03	Xbox 360	1:30 – 3:45pm	In the lounge on the xbox	Playing Fallout 3. I created a new character and leveled up two levels.	Entertainment

How we use Media - Essay

How we use the Media

The world is a changing place, with new technology and ideas being created and discovered every day. The media is a main part of this process, its purpose being to promote these changes. The world evolves because we as humans evolve, and as we become more advanced, our demand for modern media increases too. For the past few weeks I have attempted to understand the similarities and differences between individuals’ media interactions. The people I chose to study and make comparisons with are myself, and a fellow student at Burnside High school, Oriwa Nicholas- Rakatau.

In my hypothesis for Oriwa’s media use, I stated that she would use the internet for YouTube and research. This is one of the major similarities between our media interactions, we both rely on the internet as our main source of information. The reasons are that the internet’s range of resources is very vast, you can access information quickly and simultaneously, and the internet is very modern. This media trend signifies that a lot of us try to find the easiest, most advanced way to access information. Our world relies heavily on technology, which is one of the reasons why new media products always appeal to consumers. We are constantly trying to find better ways to accomplish tasks.

Oriwa and I are both interested in fashion, so a similarity in our media use, is that we both read fashion magazines. To name some specific examples, VOGUE and HARPER’s BAZAAR. From this media trend, I discovered that a person’s interests and personality contributes vastly to their media interactions. I am an aspiring fashion designer, and Oriwa expresses great interest in the subject. Oriwa and I also have similar personalities, we are independent, reserved, and thoughtful, and we both crave creativity in our work. From these facts I can conclude that people do have similar interests, and at times, similar personalities. This is why one particular media will have more users than one. Companies and promoters prey on this fact, in order to sell products to specific groups of people who crave similar things.

Another similarity in our media interactions is that we both watch cooking shows on television. This trend happens because of a similarity in skill between Oriwa and I. The media people use or can use, partly depends on how much skill they have. Oriwa and I are both skilled in that we ‘understand’ cooking, and have a ‘feel’ for it. If we didn’t understand the logic behind cooking, then the cooking show on TV wouldn’t make sense to us, and therefore wouldn’t appeal to us. The relation between skill and media use can be seen in a much wider sense. People who are more skilled can use more advanced technology, and understand more complicated media, compared to those who are unskilled. With that’s said, by using a wider range of media, you can also increase your skill. This proves Oriwa and I also use more media than a percentage of people in the world.

There are similarities between Oriwa and I’s media use, but most notably, there are also differences. One of those differences is that I have a penchant for foreign film, while Oriwa gravitated towards Hollywood movies. This difference between our media use, is mostly due to our dissimilar cultural backgrounds. I am Chinese while Oriwa is NZ-Maori, so that is one obvious reason why we would enjoy different types of film. I have a deeper understanding of foreign culture, as China’s history is longer than New Zealand’s. Oriwa’s native tongue is English, which is the second most spoken language on earth, and Hollywood is the entertainment central of the English speaking world. It’s no surprise that Oriwa and many others like Hollywood movies. Most Hollywood movies however, are rather basic compared to foreign films; they rely on modern special effects and clichéd scripts to capture attention. This shows a person’s lack of culture can mean that they like media that’s more ‘advanced’ or ‘popular’, rather than media that’s un-commercial but meaningful.

Another difference I discovered in our media interactions is that I use the iPad and iPod, but Oriwa doesn’t. This is because I buy into media products much easier than Oriwa. I grew up in Shanghai, an industrialized, commercially driven city in China made up of metropolitans. In such a place, people always try to keep up with the latest technology, and being modern is the purpose of life for some people. The amount of media I was exposed to in Asia, exceeds the amount of media Oriwa has been exposed to in her entire life. Buying new technology has become a habit for me because of this. The types of media people use, the media products people are interested in, and how much they use it depends on how much the media affects that person.

The last difference between Oriwa’s media use, and my media use, is in the types of music we listen to. Oriwa likes to listen to Reggae, Pop, and feel-good music, while I like Rock, Electronica, and Indie-Pop music. This difference in media interaction arises from our different interests, and the fact that we all want specific things out of the media. I mentioned before that two people can have similar interests, but often they have different interests too. I’m engaged in music that has beat and rhythm, music that brings out emotion and energy. Oriwa enjoys soothing, ‘free’ music that relaxes her mind. We also want specific outcomes from our music. I listen to music for motivation and inspiration, while Oriwa listens to music for relaxation and distraction. A person’s interests and purposes for using media, decide the genre of media the person engages in. In society, some people want more out of media than others, and as a result they receive more.

As a result of this media project, I have also made another important discovery about the usage of media. Many types of media are all inter-related. For example if a person enjoys watching horror movies, they may also enjoy loud rock music, and TV shows to do with the supernatural. Horror movies, loud rock music, and supernatural TV shows are similar in that they all surround the same genre of media, and they all give people thrills. Media inter-relation can also be seen in Oriwa’s media interactions, and my own. I enjoy watching cooking shows, I watch movies concerning cuisine, and I also watch podcasts to do with food. Oriwa is interested in Fashion, so she reads fashion magazines, watches design shows on TV like ‘Project Runway’, and visits fashion sites on the web.

How a person interacts with media, or consumes media comes down to their interests, personality, skills, demands from media, and also how much the media affects that person. Some people are more commercial than others; they feel the need to keep up with modern technology, while others can live on life’s basics. Those people feel no need for nor want of advanced gadgets. Humans can also have similar or dissimilar interests, and therefore they can have similar or different media preferences. Humans also have skills, some have more than others. Those with more skills can use far more advanced media than those who don’t have much skill. Some of us also want more out of media than others, and those who try to get the most out of readily-available media generally achieve their goal. Another discovery I made is that media are all inter-related, so use of one type of media can lead to the use of another similar type media.

We are a world of evolution, with individuals striving to be different. The world and its media will continue to change for a long time.

My Media Log

This is the media log I kept for two weeks:

Results (Graph)

This is the Double Bubble Graph displaying the confirmed similarities in Oriwa's media interests/usage and my own:

Predictions (Graph)

This is my double bubble graph, predicting the similarities in the media interest Oriwa and I have:

Hypothesis (Official)

I think Oriwa and I will have noticeable similarities in our media usage, because we are both the same age, gender, and we have some hobbies/interests in common. We both live in the city, so we are very much what people call 'metropolitans'. I think during the course of two weeks, in which I will be interviewing Oriwa, and she will be keeping a media log, she will interact with music, television, and art. What she will be able to do during the two weeks is limited, because she has is a busy high school student. 

I think Oriwa will definitely read a magazine, most likely a magazine related to fashion, which is one of her preferred interests. She will read it in the weekends, because during the week she will have school work and family issues she needs to attend to. She has alot of things she wants to do, but can't because she has homework, after school programmes. Oriwa is interested in the latest styles and trends, so I predict she will read the Fashion Report in Cosmopolitan, or Marie Claire. Oriwa will also read The Press some time in the week, she likes to be up to date with current affairs. To be precise, she will read the 'World' section in The Press. I don't think Oriwa will be interested in any sports related media, the only sport she attends to is running, but that is just a casual way for her to keep fit. She especially will not be interested in any media to do with Rugby, Cricket, etc. 

During the weekdays, after she comes home from school, Oriwa will probably go on the internet, to view YouTube videos. I think she will watch video to do with baking, as that is one of her passions. I don't think Oriwa will use any social networking sites like Facebook in the weekdays. Facebook is only one of her minor interests, and the fact that she has to share a computer with her siblings limits the time she can go on the internet. On a Friday afternoon, Oriwa may go to the mall, and watch a recent movie showing at Hoyts movie theatre. On occasion Oriwa enjoys a good movie, and I think that she will watch an animated feature (for example the animated movie Rango). 

When she has time in the afternoons, Oriwa will play on her XBox 360° (game) console, or create some digital pictures, since she is interested in art. This is what I think she will be engaged in, in her leisure time. If she plays a video game, it will probably be Grand Theft Auto: China Town Wars, because Oriwa is interested in asian culture.

Hypothesis (her interests and media usage)

Due to her age (she is a teenager), and the fact that she is living in one of the major New Zealand cities, Oriwa will be reasonably involved with the media. Since Oriwa has been living in New Zealand her entire life, and hasn't travelled overseas, she will not be as involved in the media as people who have visited places around the world. I think Oriwa's major media involvements will be: Listening to music, watching television, and creating arts and crafts.

I think Oriwa will be interested in watching cartoons, when we have conversations she often discusses ‘Family Guy’ (a cartoon on Four). That is different to what I enjoy watching, I am more interested in cinema, and foreign film. If I had to watch a recent movie from Hollywood, it would be action or drama, instead of an animated feature. I think during the two weeks in which she will be keeping a media log, she will watch Family Guy on TV.

Oriwa may like travel related media; she told me she wanted to visit Asia. She also loves learning about cultural differences, so she may be watching ‘An Idiot Abroad’ (a travel show on TV). I also enjoy traveling, so I think she and I will have that in common. 

A skill that she has is drawing, so she probably will have appreciation for art and craft. I think Oriwa will be more interested in painting and textiles, rather than designing, or  anything to do with fashion. Because of this, she won't read any fashion related magazines either. However, I think she will read the weekend press. She is always very updated on the latest news and events in the world.

Oriwa loves to listen to folk music and indie, she doesn’t have an iPod and can’t play any instruments, so I think she listens to music on YouTube – it’s easy to access and free. If she accesses YouTube using the internet, I think she will also go on the web for MSN (chat service owned by Hotmail.com). She likes keeping up to date with friends, and some of her family members live overseas, and around New Zealand, so MSN will help her connect with them.