Brooke - 17
Brooke, Age 17
Media Consumption: 4 hrs 41 mins per day according to my tracker
Favorite Media/Technology: Instagram/ iPhone
How do you and your family interact with media/technology?
We don’t use social media when we are together because it is rude, but we do watch TV together. We really like watching The Voice because we talk about whether the acts were good or not during the commercials. I also use media like Skype, to stay in touch with family members who live in other states.
How do you and your peers interact with media/technology?
When me and my friends are not together we don’t really text that much. Instead, we just use Snapchat most of the time to talk to each other because you can do other things on it besides just texting. I feel like the setup of the app makes it feel more interactive and makes texting more fun.
When we are together we try not to be on our phones a lot, but there are times when we are all on our phones showing each other funny memes or videos. We try to have a ‘no-phone’ rule when we are out because we want to have conversations with each other and know what’s going on in everyone’s lives.
What do you use media for?
I use media for a lot of different things. I try to stay in touch with family and friends that live far away and I try and post pictures so they can see what I’m up to. I also like to use social media to keep up with celebrity news and things that are trending on the internet. Youtube is also really fun to use and it helps me to learn about new things. For example, I have watched videos on some conspiracy theories or different educational videos about a variety of topics. However, my media use is mainly for entertainment purposes rather than learning.
What is your favorite/least favorite thing about media/technology?
My least favorite thing: I tend to compare myself to other people mostly other girls. They'll post something and their stomachs all flat or like someone will be on vacation or something, and I just find myself like feeling bad about myself. It especially makes me really self conscious with my body. Even though there's a lot of body positive stuff I still find myself making comparisons. Also, I find that it’s a lot easier for people who don’t like me to be mean to me on social media but don’t say anything to me in person which is really annoying.
My favorite thing: I enjoy seeing pictures of my friends and family and I like knowing what they're up to, and if they are having a good time. I also like posting things. I don't even know why I like posting things. But I always feel so satisfied after I post something.
“ I really like technology and media but I feel like I am always being judged by adults. They make it seem like I have not experienced anything else in my life except being on my phone which is not true! I have a life outside of media and technology, but adults don’t seem to think so. They just say that my generation is just on our phones and that we don’t experience anything else. It bothers me because even if I didn’t have my phone I would still be finding something to do as a replacement, like something else relaxing and solitary. I know that there are certain experiences that you can't get on the phone, it's not like I've had a phone my whole life. I spend my time doing other things that I like to do. I play sports. I hang out with friends. I feel like I experienced enough to not feel like everything revolves around my phone.”
-Brooke