Hungry Hungry Hippo

-Ben Cronk-

Always be in the know. That is one lesson I have learned through my time spent at Ball State University. In my communication and journalism courses, there has existed one most notable common thread among faculty, being that the instructor expects the class to answer, "What is going on in the world?" This question can always, and must always be asked and answered by generation Y.

Otherwise known as Millennials, our generation was the first generation exposed to an array of digital media. We were the originals. Guniea pigs of digitalization, if you will, and it has not taken long for us to develop a second nature to the usage of an assortment of forms of digital media. We use this vast array for both our personal pleasure and to always be in the know.

Examples of the digitized array of media in which our generation has grown up on; Email, blogs, online chat rooms, online shopping, social media, cellular phones, smart phones, texting, Netflix, Google, video games, YouTube, iPods, and the ability to say "There's and App for that." Oh yeah, we also digest internet radio and on-demand TV. The pace at which we access ourselves in the know is accelerating at rate close to the speed of light.

Whether we are aware of it or not, we are to constantly in the know.  The digitized envelope is continually being pushed. With that, I compare our generation's gross gluttony of news with an analogy of a famous board game. That's right, we as generation Y have become hungry hungry hippos of news.

Concept of the board game analogy
The white marbles = Sources of Media
The Hippos of different color = Diversity of our nation 

My Dad always told me that it is best to take things in moderation. Yet I feel it is inevitably undoable for me to live up to dear old dad's adage. It is ingrained in me not to. I'm in college, studying integrated communications and I am fortunate to have an extensive social circle as well as amazing digital resources. With more tools to my disposal than Inspector Gadget,  I feel out-of-control while having all the control of digital media. The convenience of the current media has forced me into not taking things into moderation, not in the least bit. I simply cannot. Work, schoolwork, entertainment, maintaining family and friend relationships, creating new relationships and feeding myself news is part of the daily routine. It has transformed me into a hungry, hungry hippo. But instead of gobbling up white marbles, I'm gobbling up a buffet of media. I use myself as a standard example for our generation and its intimacy with media.

Here in America, we can be satisfied with whatever food we want, when we want it. The system is pretty amazing, really. Same can be said with news. We are more physically and mentally obese than ever before. We, as consumers of the 21st century, are eating knowledge at a never-ending pace. The Internet acts as a boundless, intangible universe for any and all possible data. The cyberspace is simplistic in nature, making it easy for one of us hippos to navigate through and chow down information. Additionally, with "the cloud,"our mobile smart phones can access the digital universe just about anywhere. Thus, allowing our appetites for entertainment, information and socializing to continue at a never-ending pace.

I will always be in the know. I cannot consume in moderation. The first step is admission, I guess.

God bless us,

#TeamHungryHungryHippo