Lisa - 14
Lisa, Age 14
Media Consumption: Daily
Favorite Media/Technology: Instagram
How do you and your family interact with media/technology?
My parents, especially my mom, sometimes go through my Instagram accounts, but I don’t let them follow me online. Although most of the members of my immediate family have social media accounts, we don’t really interact with one another online. As a family, we sometimes come together to watch TV and movies which is kind of the only time that we have a shared experience with media. During this “family time” my parents don’t let us use our phones too much because it takes away from the shared experience.
How do you and your peers interact with media/technology?
My friends and I are always online. Pretty much everyone that I know has an Instagram account and logs on daily even if they don’t post much. Some of my friends and I have multiple accounts, a spam account where we can post whatever we want, and a main account where every post is carefully chosen. I usually interact with my peers online by liking and commenting on their posts or responding to their stories. I also like to send my friends funny memes or interesting things that I see online.
What do you use media for?
I use media for a variety things from communication to entertainment. I often use it to connect with my friends after school and during the weekend when we don’t see each other. I also like to follow makeup and fitness accounts because they always give good tips for self-care. A lot of the fitness and fashion accounts are helpful for me because I get to see other plus-sized girls wearing cute outfits that I could see myself wearing. I feel like seeing other girls my size looking confident in their outfits gives me motivation to add more variety to my wardrobe.
What is your favorite/least favorite thing about media/technology?
My favorite thing about technology is how it facilitates life. Practically everything can be done on my iPhone, from checking the news to ordering groceries, and it seems like nowadays there is an app for everything. My least favorite thing about media is definitely the fact that there is no privacy and everything you post online can be misinterpreted. You have to be careful about what you post because it can be used against you later or it can also lead to unnecessary drama.