Evan, 18

Media Consumption: Very often/Every day

Favorite Media: Movies/TV, Music

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

I interact with media/technology every day. I use my phone for social media, games, and technologies like videos and photos. I use my computer for schoolwork, internet searches, and access to media sites and shopping. I use these materials every day to entertain and support myself in my daily life.

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

My peers and I mostly use it for entertainment purposes. Apps like TikTok, Clash of Clans, and Snapchat are what my peers mostly use; apps that help them connect with their friends and family and pure entertainment apps that help my peers pass the time. We also use media and technology for school. Online class sites as well as Zoom and Microsoft Office are all sorts of mediums that we use.

What do you use media for?

I personally use media mostly for social, school, and entertainment purposes. This includes social media, like Instagram and Snap, Netflix and Amazon Prime, and Canvas and Microsoft word. These are all technologies that I use in my daily life.

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

My favorite thing about it is how much access it gives us. The ability to look up literally anything, the ability to see or learn about anything in the world, and the ability to connect with people far away in an instant is my favorite part of technology. My least favorite thing is how addictive it is. It’s so easy to get lost in its features and videos and binge-watch that it becomes an extremely easy addiction. The highlights and colors and algorithms are meant to keep users entertained and that sort of dedication to obtaining viewership is my least favorite part about technology.

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

Stay creative. There are so many inputs and opinions in today’s world of media that everything is starting to blend together into the same thing. Uniqueness is hard to find these days so when artists come along with new creative ideas it really keeps the media that I interact with fresh and entertaining.

What media do you interact with the most?

I probably interact with social media the most. I’m always on my phone and constantly checking the apps I have and I tend to get lost in them. Apps like Instagram, Tiktok, and Snapchat use up most of my screen time and media use.

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

I get it the most from social media. Influential accounts are also posting newsworthy things so I tend to get a lot of it through social media. News accounts on my phone also help keep me updated.

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

Mostly entertainment media, like games and movies/tv shows. They are a source of pure entertainment and transport me to a world that is calm or busy instead of our challenging times. They offer an escape and a source of fun and joy in the troubles of real life and even a sense of control. The fantasies and thrills of TV and video games are definitely the go-tos in challenging times.

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

That sitting still in the same place doing the same over and over doesn’t work for me. New experiences are needed to help grow the mind and there was a huge lack of that throughout COVID and other challenging times. This repetitive cycle of negative behavior draws one down and keeps them from doing other things in life that are beneficial. Pursue the things that interest you and you will be able to break the cycle of isolation and difficulty that challenges like COVID put on people.

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

Not to get too invested in the glamor of social media. After all that time spent on my phone during the pandemic, I saw so many highlights of people's lives. And yet I knew the reality that most people were living in and considered that the filtered world I see on my phone isn’t as positive as the posts make it seem. I also learned that social media can be addictive and depressing and that too much time spent consuming likes, comments, and videos can be detrimental to human health and mindset.

Interviewed by: Melanie Khashadourian, UCLA student