Ariana, 18
Media Consumption: about 5 hours a day
Favorite Media/Technology: TikTok, Netflix
How do you and your family interact with media/technology?
My parents and I watch TV together as a form of bonding. My mom is very involved with social media and is constantly “sharenting” about my life without my permission. I don’t care that she does it, it’s just that she chooses the most awful pictures of me and I honestly feel embarrassed.
How do you and your peers interact with media/technology?
On Sundays I host Milf Manor where we watch this TV show called MILF Manor. It’s the one time a week where my friends and I set a time to ensure we all see each other to catch up and hang out. BeReal is my favorite day-to-day app because I can see what my friends are currently doing at that moment.
What do you use media for?
I use it to distract myself from the concept of aging and facing reality as an “almost adult”. I like it as an outlet from the real world to entertain myself.
What is your favorite/least favorite thing about media/technology?
I think that certain forms of social media can bring people together. On TikTok, there’s always running jokes in the comments that make me laugh and it brightens up my day. It helps me feel more normal as a teenager because I’m not out of the loop with pop culture. My least favorite thing is how draining it can be. I feel like I shouldn’t use it as much as I do and I can be more productive with my time.
What is one thing you want the people who create the media you like to watch/play/interact with to know?
Something I want them to know is to reflect on their morality and what their social media has turned into versus what it was when they started. I can tell their content becomes different the more popular they get and strays away from their authenticity.
What media do you interact with the most?
Short form videos like TikToks.
Where do you get most of your information about what’s happening in the world (e.g., news, internet, parents, etc.)?
TikTok. I think it depends on what the subject is for me to trust the source. If it’s a natural disaster there’s not a lot of ways to distort that but when it’s pertaining more to celebrity news and pop culture, I wouldn't say it’s more reliable than the news.
What media helps you stay busy/stay calm during challenging times?
TikTok. If it’s to stay calm, I wouldn’t read the news or something because it will stress me out, TikTok is very mindless and helps distract me because there’s no thought behind it.
What lessons have you learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
As bad as the situation was, I learned that once you hit rock bottom, things will get better. Even if the economy drops, it will always come back up, and the world supply of toilet paper will not disappear forever. I spent more time doing activities I never really focused on beforehand like painting, baking, and decorating my room. I started to pick photos for my wall, and decorations for my room and I started to tap more into my own specific interests and what I truly liked for myself. I learned more about myself during the pandemic and I definitely developed more of my personality.
Have you learned anything about how you use media and technology because of the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
The time I spent on social media expanded on my personality rather than influencing it. I realized the content and people I watched online helped me to understand that my interests and humor are niche but that there are people that understand me as well. I would say that’s a positive factor of the pandemic that I experienced and that my time spent on media during COVID helped me shape myself and personality to the person I am today. I should’ve focused on posting content because now these platforms are being used as an opportunity to make money and get famous. In terms of education, it taught me that education in person isn’t something I necessarily need. I can learn just as well on a computer and it really shows that all classes have the accessibility to be online. Technology allowed me to stay in touch with my friends and family during the pandemic.
Interviewed by: Lillie Yazdi, UCLA student