Sarah, 17

Media consumption: 8 hours a day

Favorite Media/Technology: Instagram and TikTok

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

We watch TV together. TikTok I use on my own, but like TV shows or reality shows, we’ll watch together. We’re also friends with each other on social media.

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

My friends and I use Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter for memes. We send each other TikToks.

What do you use media for?

I use media to talk to my friends and for entertainment. I follow celebrities, my friends, mental health, and food accounts because they are fun to watch, and I learn too.

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

My favorite thing about media is that it is very entertaining, and I can find out a lot of celebrity drama through it. My least favorite thing is media can get really toxic, and it makes me compare myself to others. Especially when I look at all the other girls online, and it makes me compare my body to theirs. I don’t really like to post anymore because people can judge and think I’m not cool or fun. They can be really mean to other people online.

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

Know that your audience can be very young, so it is important to be careful with what you say and do because that can influence me and other people a lot.

What media do you interact with the most?

I spend the most time on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

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

Sometimes my parents tell me about important things, but I find out a lot from social media because people always post about important news.

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

I like to watch TikToks because there is so much content, and it’s really easy to keep scrolling. I also like that I can find people with similar interests or people I can relate to.

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

I learned how to be more considerate of other people and also how important socializing is because school was really hard when it was online. Social media helped me stay in touch with my friends.

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

I learned that I spend a lot of time on my phone and watching videos, but I think I spent more time on it because there wasn’t a lot to do.

Interviewed by: Michelle Shin, UCLA student