Time is ticking, but are you keeping up?

Have you ever felt that there is not enough time in your day to do everything that you want do? Have you ever wished that there were more hours in a day, perhaps 28 as opposed to 24? Ask your parents if they ever felt this way when they were your age. I'd bet that they would say no.

Time passes whether we are keeping track of it or not. We know that in the morning the sun comes up, and at night then sun goes down. Thus we have established days, and throughout history have broken them down into weeks, months and years. If humans have been keeping track of time for milleniums, why is it that our race suddenly feels that they are lacking time? It is because we belong to a fast-paced culture in which everyday media distractions are unavoidable. If you wake up in the morning to the sound of an alarm clock, you are being mediated. By dressing for court in a brand new business suit, you are being mediated.

Technology is largely to blame for our lack of time as well. Going back to my comment on our parents' past, the previous generation did not rely on television, telephones or computers to get by in their day. The global village that we make daily contributions to today had not yet been established.

On Wednesday, I wake up at 8:30 sharp. My routine consists of showering, using the washroom, eating, brushing my teeth, getting changed, and getting into my car to drive to school. I know that by waking up at a specific time I will, in turn, arrive at school at a certain time. Everyone in my first class will know if I am not on time if I have arrived to school at 10:00 instead of 9:55. This routine that I, and so many others practice on a daily basis would not be possible without time. Not only has the influence of time shaped daily human routines, but it has also structured modern day society. We use time to be able to watch our favourite television shows, to plan meal arrangements and most importantly, to get to class ON TIME.

We have discovered yet another vital medium that structures our lives in the 21st century, and as Mass Communication continues, I'm getting the feeling that this is just the beginning.