Erin, 17

Media Consumption: Average of 8 hours per day (between iPhone and laptop)

Favorite Media/Technology: iPhone

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

My parents use their phones most often for work and family communication. My sister and I use our laptops, often for school, and our phones for social media and communication with family and friends.

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

The only technology we are allowed to use at school is the laptops we are provided with. We get in trouble for using our phones. When away from school, we all have phones we use to connect via iMessage and FaceTime or social media apps like Snapchat, BeReal, and Instagram.

What do you use media for?

I use media primarily for communication and entertainment purposes.

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

My favorite thing about media/technology is that it allows me to stay in touch with family and friends that are out of state and country. My dad travels a lot for work, I have family that lives on the East Coast, and many of my longtime friends go to different schools than me; technology makes it easy to get in touch/stay in touch with everyone.

What is one thing you want the people who create the media you like to watch/play/interact with to know?

People who create entertainment media should recognize the importance of inclusivity. It would be nice to see more Southeast Asian American representation.

What media do you interact with the most?

I use Instagram and TikTok the most. On Instagram I post stories almost daily. My guilty pleasure media is TikTok. I'll pick up my phone for what feels like five minutes when in reality, I find myself scrolling on my for you page for hours. My sister and I always have fun sending each other videos and making our own.

Where do you get most of your information about what's happening in the world (e.g., news, internet, parents, etc.)?

My information mostly comes from my parents, friends, and sometimes teachers. Every once in a while, I will find political information on my Instagram or TikTok feeds.

What media helps you stay busy/stay calm during challenging times?

TikTok and Spotify help me stay busy and calm during challenging times. For example, I watch a lot of comedy videos on TikTok when I get overwhelmed with school because they are entertaining and provide a good distraction when needed. I also really enjoy listening to music and find it helpful at times. I have different playlists for my different moods and activities.

What lessons have you learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?

I have learned not to take being in the classroom for granted. Doing school on Zoom and being unable to see my friends during the pandemic was difficult.

Have you learned anything about how you use media and technology because of the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?

I have learned to use social media in a more casual manner because of the pandemic. I used technology a lot during my downtime, and as I began having more fun with it, I became more comfortable with posting more authentically.

Interviewed by: Renee Rubanowitz, UCLA student