Anna, 14

How do you and your family interact with media and technology?

Lately, the biggest use of technology is using Zoom on the laptop, and my sister and I mostly use Netflix and other social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. My parents mostly use technology to watch TV and Korean dramas. We use technology much more than our parents.

How do your parents feel about you using media?

When we were little, they limited our use of technology in terms of time, but now they are open to me using any kind of social media. When I tell my parents that my friends aren’t allowed to use certain platforms, they find it weird because they believe we should be able to use them if we want to. They trust that I’m not doing anything bad, but sometimes they worry that it’ll be a distraction from school.

How do you and your friends interact with media/technology?

My friends and I use TikTok the most. We send each other TikToks, and the screen time is really bad because of it. When I start watching it, it’s hard to stop watching.

Do you have different views towards media use than your parents?

Even though my parents use social media, they don’t view it as something that is necessary. I find it an easy way to interact with my friends. TikTok allows me to see what influencers and other celebrities are doing, and most people I know around me feel that way too.

What is your favorite and least favorite thing about media and technology?

When I’m bored, it’s something that I can do, and I can spend a lot of time on it for entertainment. It’s really fun to see a variety of things. A bad thing I guess is that people get bullied through social media, and it’s kind of hard to prevent it.

Is there anything else you don’t like about social media?

Not really.

Do you think you use the media too much?

Definitely too much, but when I try to limit it, I end up failing. It’s kind of hard to control it.

Have you ever felt the need or want to get away from technology?

Yeah, I thought about it, but I never did it. I think it would be nice, but I never actually tried it.

How did you feel about this interview?

It was interesting to talk about my media use because I never really think about the things you asked me. It made me think a lot about how the media is really affecting me.

Interviewed by: Yejin Ban, UCLA Student