As of writing this my DnD game is still going on. Today is the day my media use is lifted, but the excrement of playing DnD has offset any urge I had to use media (despite abling to use it). I've noticed how liberating it is to just talk to people face to face, have fun, rather than through an online means.

As for my lost of urge to use media. It probably has something to do with my need to be engaged, socialize, and active. Our media gives us all of these things in small tidbit in constant flows that our need to be engaged, socialize, and active become dependent on our current form of media. It just does it job so well. But my lost of urge to use (today) was due to having a even more engaging, socializing, and active experience than my current form of media can give me.

Got really sick yesterday from the weather. I have perked up today and confirming everyone's schedule for our DnD game tomorrow. It will seem to be a very late into morning game as in 5pm to whenever we pass out. Just to note all of us are Asian and Thanksgiving isn't really celebrated within our families which is why Thursday is free to us.

I grew very anxious today of wanting to play video games, check online forums, and reading online articles. I'm actually a bit surprised at how I feel as if I have some sort of addiction to media. It feels as if I'm in that phase of withdrawal and I need my dose of media really bad. I grabbed my laptop, drove to the nearest outdoor area with a bench, and wrote my English Research Paper so I'm not tempted to go on the Internet. I even left my phone home so I won't get tempted to use it's Internet features.

After around 5:30 and reaching home, I'm planning to spend the next couple hours of just immersing myself in reading so I'm not tempted to use any form of media.

As of 6:30 and writing this, I noticed the instant I stopped reading my book, the urge to use media came back and I'm quickly typing this to not fall into the urge.

I've gotten together my friends to plan a DnD game on Thursday. Always wanted to try it out and it seems like a good time to try it. Today was spent making our DnD characters. We had one of my friend (Henry), get his co-worker to DM (Dungeon Master) for us. Surprisingly enough, it takes a while to create a character for DnD. First you pick the race, the class, then the backstory. The backstory being the most time consuming, as each on of us ( I have 4 friends who are playing, Henry, Jan, Alain, Alton) wanted to make our character wacky or unique. The DM (Roger, Henry's co-worker) gave us a lot of leeway of what we could make are characters to be like. For example I made a human paladin that was blessed by the gods 2 millenniums ago but was stripped of his power for his questioning of the gods actions and imprisoned for 2,000 years. But now is free with all of his powers stripped and wanders a new land with a world vastly different. 

My other friends made a human wizard, dwarf fighter, and a human thief/rogue. I'm not too sure what their backstory is as the DM told us to not reveal anything to each other, but only in game. 

At this point with no forms of media at my hands, I'm just looking for any way to kill time in this period with activities. I realize how bored I would be if I didn't have a group of friends who shared interests as I do. Our media today seems to encourage behavior of staying at home with little real interaction with other people. Watching movies, playing video games, twitter, etc. They seem so impersonal. Having none of that and forced to find other ways to have "fun" has made me realize how attached we all are to our current media.

Filler

Nov 23, 2013

Could not use any media for leisure even if I desired it. Went to weekend calculus class and proceeded to spend the entire day working on English Research Paper. Although I was tempted to do something on my computer while conducting my Research Paper, ie: check twitter or play a game, but remained resolved by reading the Wheel of Time for the rest of the night before going to sleep.

Nov 22, 2013

I spent most of my day studying using my computer only for Physics, Math, and of course this class. My little brother came over today. We talked about what has been going on in his high school. Our talk lead to card games with things like Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, Yu-gi-oh, and my invigoration for card games ignited once again. We decided to play a couple games in Magic.

I found it interesting while playing with my brother that I found it quite refreshing to spend time with brother just talking face to face and spending our time together just talking while playing. Usually when he comes over we play video games, but since I'm unable to do that, we took out some old TCGs and played for hours. This got me to think how much fun I used to have as a kid playing board games. I'm quite interested in obtaining a couple board games like Munchkins, Takenoko, or Dark Sisters. I'm actually get quite excited to play some of them with the family.

In terms of book reading, I've resumed reading The Wheel of Time series that I've put on backlogged for a while. Getting to book 3 and I actually feel glad I can't play video games, watch TV, use netflix, etc. Usually I get so engrossed in my other activities that I forget that I can't find time to read. Now that most of my free time is freed up, I actually am excited every time it's time for me to open my book and see how the story of The Wheel of Time progresses. On book 3, 9 more books to go.

I also haven't caught up with any news since the lack of use of media entertainment. None of my friends keep up with the news, so talking to them won't grant me any new information. I've been wanting to pick up the local newspaper, but it slips my mind every morning, which is ironic since I used to read the newspaper nearly everyday while in San Francisco. Thinking back on newspapers, I really missed reading them. They were a fun read, a nice way to look up news, and everything was there for you to decide what to read. I'll try to remember to pick up a newspaper tomorrow morning.

Nov 21, 2013

Interesting enough, use of barely any media hasn't really change anything. I've not watched TV since last year, and spending less time on my computer has given me ample time to catch up with my reading. Though my one gripe is that I don't really know what's going on around the world any more. It's weird being ignorant of world news as I can't pick up anything to read. Perhaps I will check if I can pick up a local newspaper and get my news there. I have been tempted many times to go on my computer, but I luckily have good books I bought last months to read upon. 

It's weird how much of an addict I feel towards my phone and computer. They have been integrated into my daily life since I was a kid, and taking them away felt like a part of myself is gone. Though funny enough, I don't seem to miss them much. My time has been pretty busy, studying for physics, calculus, and doing my research paper in the library for English, leaves me actually almost no free time but 8pm at night. I just spend my remaining hours reading before falling asleep.