Gregory, 16
Media Consumption: I spend like 5 to 6 hours a day on media which counts listening to music, watching TikToks, and playing games.
Favorite Media/Technology: Social media wise I like TikTok, but I think music and social media are equally important to me for different reasons.
How do you and your family interact with media/technology?
My family has a group chat and we watch TV together, but we’re mostly pretty separate other than that.
How do you and your peers interact with media/technology?
I play video games with my friends and I’m in group chats with my friends. When we play video games we play Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. My main character is Captain Falcon.
What do you use media for?
Entertainment. I also use media for education. I‘ve had classes where I’ve had to co-op (cooperate) with other people and we’ll use discord to collaborate.
What is your favorite/least favorite thing about media/technology?
My least favorite thing about social media is specifically with Twitter and other platforms. It's how hard it is to get a point across. It can be super divisive. For example on Twitter there’s a character limit so you have to shorten statements and the emotions you want to convey in your messages are often lost. My favorite thing is it's a super easy way to get entertainment whenever you want it.
What is one thing you want the people who create the media you like to watch/play/interact with to know?
I wish subscription services on social media were not a thing because that’s super weird. On Twitter you can have a blue checkmark subscription where you can buy a verification badge and Snapchat has a premium subscription as well.
What media do you interact with the most?
I use music the most or messaging apps like Discord. On Discord I have 2 accounts, one for school and one for gaming and chatting with friends.
Where do you get most of your information about what’s happening in the world (e.g., news, internet, parents, etc.)?
It’s a combination of the news, TV, Twitter, and TikTok. I watch the news on TV. I don’t really follow news accounts on Twitter or TikTok from my account, but it’s more about the trending tab and what my algorithm brings up.
What media helps you stay busy/stay calm during challenging times?
Usually music and TikTok.
What lessons have you learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
I’ve learned to never take moments for granted when I’m outside and with friends. During the pandemic I never got to do any of that but now I can.
10. Have you learned anything about how you use media and technology because of the COVID-19 pandemic with other challenging times?
Before the pandemic I was never super into media, I only got TikTok and other platforms during the pandemic.
Interviewed by: Elizabeth Verzi, UCLA student