Riley, 12

Media Consumption: 3 hours per day

Favorite Media/Technology: TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube

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

Riley shares some of the larger pieces of technology at home but has been given the responsibility of her own personal smartphone. Her mother allows her to use most apps. There are a few apps Riley isn’t yet allowed her own account with, like Facebook.

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

Riley describes the media usage at home as very similar to her friends. Some have their own phones, some do not, and they all use laptops or iPads for school.

What do you use media for?

Riley understands how to use the technology and the apps but doesn’t yet produce much of her own content. She does not feel pressured to post frequently on her social media feeds; she just posts what she wants, when she wants.

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

“My favorite thing is that I get to interact with people, you get to see the daily lives of other people. My favorite thing is also other people motivating others to, you know, live life in a good way. The thing I don’t like about technology and media is that people use it for the wrong things such as cyberbullying.” A few years ago she had been playing a game with her brother on an app that was popular with kids. Kids Riley considered friends “got on the app and began calling me names.” When asked if this turned her off from playing the game, she answered that, “It didn’t turn me off from the game, but it motivated me a lot. They called me some names I didn’t like so I started working out with my dad to get into better shape. It really changed me, and it made me realize, this isn’t going to stop unless I do something about it. So, I went outside, started working out, got myself in shape, made a lot more friends, friends that I knew were better for me.”

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

“All I can say is that it is very addictive.”

What media are you using more now because of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Riley has begun using her laptop more frequently because of COVID, not only for homework, but also to keep up to date on the virus.

Where do you get most of your information to learn more about changes during the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., news, internet, parents, etc.)?

While her parents mostly educate her about what is happening, she likes to know what is happening for herself. When her mother suggested they make the decision to get vaccinated as a family, she and her brothers already knew they wanted to do it.

What media has been helping you stay busy/stay calm during the COVID-19 pandemic?

TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

What lessons have you learned from the COVID-19 pandemic?

Riley tries to stay cognizant of how long she is using a screen versus her time on other off-screen activities. “There are things on the phone that you can see, but there is so much more around us that is not on the phone.” She hopes that the virus doesn’t stop her school play from happening again. Last year she got Alice in Alice in Wonderland, but it didn’t happen because of the virus. Now she got the part of Charlie Bucket, and she is really excited to be one of the leads.

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

Online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic “did not” disturb Riley’s learning. She had no challenges adapting to the technology, although she prefers in person learning because online classes “can lag.” Riley is a very energetic kid who is always eager to learn so it is not surprising that she says that all the online learning during covid taught her to value her offscreen activities that much more.

Interviewed by: Tiffany Schwanz, UCLA Student