Yuling, 18
Media Consumption (i.e., how often): 6 hours a day
Favorite Media/Technology: Overwatch
How do you and your family interact with media/technology?
I interact with my parents on WeChat. We send messages and pictures with each other. My parents often leave notifications for me on WeChat when they want to remind me of something.
How do you and your peers interact with media/technology?
I interact with my peers on Facebook and WeChat. I also like to make friends and have conversations with my peers while playing video games such as Overwatch and PUBG.
What do you use media for?
I use media to connect with my friends and parents when I need emotional and social support. For example, it is the most convenient way to receive help when I have a bad mood and need someone to talk to. In addition, it is very fun for me to play video games online. It helps me relax and escape.
What is your favorite/least favorite thing about media/technology?
My favorite thing about technology is that it gives me access to all potential information and all potential friends who I cannot meet in real life. My least favorite thing about technology is that I spend so much time on it. I can’t control the time I spent on social media, and it draws so much attention from me.
What is one thing you want the people who create the media you like to watch/play/interact with to know?
The price for purchasing some video games is not affordable, lol.
What media are you using more now because of the coronavirus (COVID-19)?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I am using WeChat more by sending messages with my friends. We share some interesting memes and news with each other in order to release anxiety and stress due to social isolation.
Where do you get most of your information to learn more about the coronavirus (e.g., news, internet, parents, etc.)?
I get the majority of information about the coronavirus from my mother. She is worried about my physical health so that she keeps reminding me of the news about COVID-19.
What media has been helping you stay busy/stay calm during this difficult time?
I don’t think media makes me stay busy and calm at all. I feel more isolated and stressed when spending so much time on it.
What lessons have you learned from COVID-19?
Social connection and interactions with others are super important for me. It is necessary for me to build social relationships and to increase social activities after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Have you learned anything about how you use media and technology because of COVID- 19?
Now, my phone has become a more important tool than ever before to connect with people I cannot meet because of COVID-19. I wake up accompanying my phone, and I fall asleep accompanying my phone.
Interviewed by: Tingting Jin, UCLA 4 th Year Student