1. Personal video usage

 Personal Video Usage 

    From Tik Toks to Instagram reels and YouTube videos we as a society are constantly surrounded by a rotation of videos. I watch videos on a daily basis, myself. Watching a video is one of the best ways for me to learn something new or to keep myself entertained during my free time. 

    My personal video usage starts out early every morning. Whenever I wake up, I am usually greeted by a very impatient dog who just cannot wait a second longer to be let outside. Even though I don't get to slowly wake up by staying in bed and watching Tik Tok or scrolling Instagram, I can usually get my social media fix for the morning while I wait for my dog to take care of his business. I will then put on some music, usually through Apple music or YouTube Music, while I throw on some clothes and go feed my horses and then eat some breakfast for myself. 

    Since I do not have classes until eleven this semester, I have started to use the extra time to accomplish my 2026 New Years resolution. Like majority of people coming into to the New Years, I stated that I would like to commit more time to working out and making healthier choices. I know that this resolution is something that everyone declares as their resolution every year... and this time they are serious about it. However, I have decided that I am determined that I am going to make this resolution work- even when things come up that make it not so convenient for me to get a workout in. My greatest weapon to help me conquer my resolution is the ALO Wellness Club app. It is a free app that provides free workout videos for everything from Pilates, yoga, sculpt, meditation, and so much more. With multiple different instructors and experience levels this app has been a huge help in creating workouts for me to do every day and helps me to ensure that I am getting the most out of my workouts. 

    While I am scrolling on social media in between classes, I might come across a video on my feeds but for the most part I won't stay on a video for long especially since most of the time I cannot listen with the sound on. 

    After I am done with classes for the day I might sit down with a snack and scroll on Tik Tok for a little bit or watch something on Netflix or another streaming service before heading out to the barn or doing work for class. 

    I mainly find recipes on TikTok or Pinterest . I like being able to watch someone make recipe especially since I am still learning. This helps me to make sure that I am doing everything right and that the recipe that I am working on turns out perfectly. I feel like that by searching for recipes on Tik Tok it has helped me to branch out more and try new things. As well as learn new skills in the kitchen. While I am cooking dinner either me or my roommates will usually have some show playing on the TV even if it is only for some background noise. While we eat, we try and put either our phones down and spend time talking to each other and not focusing on our phones or the TV. 

    Whenever, I am ready to unwind for the night I will get comfy either on the couch or in my bed and I will scroll on Tik Tok or watch a movie or tv show on one of the streaming services I am subscribed to. One show that I have really gotten into here lately is The Traitors  on Peacock. There is lots of twists and turns to keep me interested.  An hour or so before I am ready to go to sleep, I will switch over to reading a book. I have found that putting my phone down at least thirty minutes before I am ready to go to bed has really helped me sleep better- it also keeps me from becoming entranced in Tik Tok scrolling and staying up well past the time the time I had planned.