Emily, 18
Media Consumption: Social Media, about 3-5 hours a day
Favorite Media/Technology: TikTok
How do you and your family interact with media/technology?
We have our own phones and laptops along with a television in the living room. I am usually on my phone or laptop for school purposes or to entertain myself with social media. My parents usually only use the television to watch shows and listen to music. My phone is an extension of me and I couldn’t live without it.
How do you and your peers interact with media/technology?
My friends and I are always texting, snapping or FaceTiming so it’s a large part of our lives. Other than just that, we take our laptops to school for assignments and we use them to watch shows together in our free time.
What do you use media for?
I use media to stay in contact with my friends, watch shows, listen to music and do homework.
What is your favorite/least favorite thing about media/technology?
My favorite thing about media is being able to stay in contact with my friends so easily. It makes me happy knowing what my friends are doing and that they care to see what I’m doing too. I also watch cooking channels on Youtube and TikTok because it’s nice to have found a community of people who cook, share recipes and encourage each other. Without social media I wouldn’t have access to all the different kinds of recipes and people that have made me better at it. My least favorite thing is that sometimes it becomes a very judgmental place. It’s hard to see pictures of people with plastic surgery and photoshopped pictures and still feel good about myself. But I try my best to remember that people don’t show their worst moments on social media, just the curated versions of themselves and their lives.
What is one thing you want the people who create the media you like to watch/play/interact with to know?
I would want them to know that they should do a better job at making sure people don't spread hate so easily. I know it’s hard to censor the media, but being able to block certain words and cruel things people write would be helpful.
What media do you interact with the most?
I use TikTok the most because it’s so funny and useful at the same time. I like watching Alix Earle because her content is super exciting and luxurious, yet she's really relatable and comes off down to earth. I spend 3-5 hours on average a day on social media, most of it coming from TikTok.
Where do you get most of your information about what’s happening in the world (e.g., news, internet, parents, etc.)?
I get all my information online, particularly social media apps like TikTok and Twitter. My sister also tells me things that are going on as well that I haven’t heard of.
What media helps you stay busy/stay calm during challenging times?
Social media has been the best way for me to stay busy during hard times. Like when I am anxious about a test score coming out, I try to relax by scrolling on TikTok and watching funny videos.
What lessons have you learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
I’ve learned that technology can be very useful for learning. The way we integrated technology into the education system so quickly during the pandemic was amazing to see. 20 years ago I’m not sure what the option would have been for learning during a pandemic.
Have you learned anything about how you use media and technology because of the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
I’ve learned to be more tech savvy with zoom but the pandemic has come with downsides as well. I know it’s bad, but sometimes I’ll be on two screens at once, half paying attention to the TV and the other half on my phone. Growing up in the technology era, it’s hard to not go on your phone when a class gets boring. This is especially true for me during and after the pandemic when there was no one watching my every move in person.
Interviewed by: Melanie Ajoonian, UCLA student