Sebastian, 16
Media Consumption: I listen to a lot of music throughout the day but I also will sometimes leave my phone going on in the background if I’m making food or doing homework. But, on social media or watching YouTube, I probably spend 3 hours, sometimes more. I don’t not spend as much time on my phone as I used to. My favorite form of media now is video games, which I spend 1-2 hours on on weekdays and maybe 5 hours on weekends.
Favorite Media/Technology: My favorite form of technology nowadays is video games that I play on my console. I used to spend more time on my phone watching movies and when I was younger I did not play games at all but since getting the console I really enjoy playing them.
How do you and your family interact with media/technology?
The way my mom interacts with the media is mostly through Facebook but I don’t know what other social media she has. I mostly contact her through her phone but she also has a computer.
How do you and your peers interact with media/technology?
Most of my friends have social media, like Instagram and Snapchat and a decent amount are actively on it.
What do you use media for?
I mostly use social media to reach out to specific friends or I’ll look at Instagram just to see
what someones been up to lately. You can just look at someone's Instagram and see how their
life’s been going.
What is your favorite/least favorite thing about media/technology?
Technology is a really easy way to lose everything, like money because you can get scammed really easily through emails or credit cards. On the internet all your information is just easier to get. My favorite thing is that it is easy entertainment, you can just sit down and watch a movie or game, or FaceTime people that are far away that you can’t see. It is good for entertainment and communication.
What is one thing you want the people who create the media you like to watch/play/interact with to know?
I don’t know one thing I’d want people who create media to know, I’ve never really thought about that. I can’t change it; it will always be changing.
What media do you interact with the most?
I think I probably use media like Spotify the most.
Where do you get most of your information about what’s happening in the world (e.g., news, internet, parents, etc.)?
I probably get most information about what’s happening in the world from school. In one of my classes I have a teacher that believes it’s important for us to know what’s going on, which it is.
What media helps you stay busy/stay calm during challenging times?
I don’t really use my phone as a way to comfort me, I just use it to contact people, listen to music and watch videos, movies and shows. I don’t think those really help me stay calm but video games don’t really make me stay calm; they help me stay busy and plugged in.
What lessons have you learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
I don't really know, that not a lot of people care about getting better. Like with COVID, it’s been years and i can’t believe, like my school, doesn’t even care about masks, like masks are nonexistent these days.
Have you learned anything about how you use media and technology because of the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
Yes I have learned that using technology in moderation is important and balancing that by doing things outside of technology is important. I used to use technology a lot before bed and late at night but I learned to limit the time on them because being tired isn't fun and I have to wake up cause I have to walk my dog.
Interviewed by: Daniela Noricumbo, UCLA student
Max, 19
Media Consumption: everyday in a variety of contexts (work, school, to relax, etc.)
Favorite Media/Technology: YouTube
How do you and your family interact with media/technology?
To keep in touch with my family, we typically text or call each other. My dad's a big YouTube buff while my mum is all about Facebook. And yeah, they keep tabs on me through Life360, which lets them see my location.
How do you and your peers interact with media/technology?
Usually with my friends I will call or text them. I rarely go on social media anymore. But when I used to I would send funny videos or photos to them and they would send some back to me.
What do you use media for?
I'm really into using different types of media to promote my music and get my name out there. On top of that, I'm the social media manager for my internship, which eats up a good chunk of my day. Of course, I also use media to relax and stay connected with loved ones, not to mention tackling all the schoolwork.
What is your least favorite thing about media/technology?
My least favorite thing about media is how these platforms are wired to foster confirmation bias, creating a self-reinforcing echo chamber. They do not encourage critical thinking or challenge existing beliefs. The algorithm pushes an unending stream of like-minded individuals who validate and reiterate those beliefs.
What is one thing you want the people who create the media you like to watch/play/interact with to know?
One thing I would want them to know is that I am in love with the stories and worldbuildung that they make. It’s truly incredible.
What media do you interact with the most?
I interact with YouTube the most mainly because it is a the platform allows for the kind of in-depth commentary and analysis that is not possible in shorter TikTok videos.
Where do you get most of your information about what’s happening in the world (e.g., news, internet, parents, etc.)?
I mainly keep up with current events by reading articles or tuning in to news podcasts on Spotify.
What media helps you stay busy/stay calm during challenging times?
If I find myself in a public space or prefer a quieter morning routine, I usually end up scroll through Instagram. When I have a bit more free time to unwind, I turn to YouTube. For the few night I have off I watch a movie on my TV or laptop. I’m fully relaxed and get to escape from the stresses of the day.
What lessons have you learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
You know, COVID-19 really opened my eyes to the sheer volume of online content that's out there. It's kind of daunting to think about just how much media is available to consume, and yet someone is always consuming it.
Have you learned anything about how you use media and technology because of the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
Well, I was actually quite lucky during the COVID-19 outbreak, as I didn't need to rely too much on the media. You see, in Florida, the restrictions were pretty chilled out, which meant that I could head down to the beach a lot, just like so many others did too. So, yeah, I pretty much spent most of my time at the beach, soaking up the sun and splashing around in the waves.
Interviewed by: Caleb Kalu, UCLA student
Kayla, 11
Media Consumption: 3-4 hours per day
Favorite Media/Technology: Discord & Nintendo Switch
How do you and your family interact with media/technology?
I spend a lot of time with my family watching movies or playing video games. We usually watch animated movies because of my younger sister, or play games like Super Smash and Animal Crossing.
How do you and your peers interact with media/technology?
I communicate with my friends after school using Discord to chat, since I don’t have any other forms of social media. We also all use technology for homework assignments.
What do you use media for?
I mainly use media to watch random YouTube. I mainly watch content that is related to my interests, like percussion and skateboarding. I also play Minecraft when I’m bored.
What is your favorite/least favorite thing about media/technology?
I don’t like how media makes us have shorter attention spans and less present in our daily lives. We’ve also learned in school about how information online can be misleading and not-credible, which is scary. I do like how technology makes it easier to communicate and makes doing homework faster, because it allows me to type everything out.
What is one thing you want the people who create the media you like to watch/play/interact with to know?
I don’t like all the YouTube ads. I swear there used to only be one ad in the beginning of videos but now they pop up so often.
What media do you interact with the most?
I spend the majority of time on my laptop or iPad watching YouTube or listening to music.
Where do you get most of your information about what’s happening in the world (e.g., news, internet, parents, etc.)?
I get most of my information from peers or videos online. Whenever I tell my Dad about something I learned he immediately Googles it because he doesn’t trust my sources.
What media helps you stay busy/stay calm during challenging times?
Listening to music helps me to relax and unwind.
What lessons have you learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
The pandemic taught me how to entertain myself. There were times when I was bored at home, so me and my sister had to get creative in how we would preoccupy ourselves in ways that didn’t only rely on our devices.
Have you learned anything about how you use media and technology because of the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
I struggled to adapt to doing school online at first. I even missed a few assignments because I didn’t know how to check when things were due. Now, I’m more comfortable with using technology and COVID has forced me to learn quickly.
Interviewed by: Amelia Weintraub, UCLA student
Ella, 17
Media Consumption: around 5 hours a day
Favorite Media/Technology: iPhone 13 for TikTok and Snapchat
How do you and your family interact with media/technology?
We have a family group chat where we send pictures and updates about our lives . It's nice because it keeps my sister - who is in college - in the loop. We also love to watch tv together, so often after dinner we will sit down and watch something like Survivor or Amazing Race together.
How do you and your peers interact with media/technology?
We send each other lots of TikToks, especially when we see something that reminds us of each other. We also send each other selfies and talk on Snapchat.
What do you use media for?
I use media a lot, mainly keeping in touch with friends and family as well as for school. I also use it as an entertainment source - like watching Netflix or doing the daily New York Times crossword.
What is your favorite/least favorite thing about media/technology?
I don’t like the maps aspect of Snapchat because it sucks being able to see when my friends are hanging out without me. I also don’t like that people use it to show off.
What is one thing you want the people who create the media you like to watch/play/interact with to know?
I would love them to know they have a bigger impact on the people that follow them and view their content than they realize. They can say something and hundreds of people will take it to heart, so they have to be really careful.
What media do you interact with the most?
TikTok is my most used app, I use it for about 11 hours a week.
Where do you get most of your information about what’s happening in the world (e.g., news, internet, parents, etc.)?
I get a lot of news online on TikTok, but my parents also keep me informed so normally I already know the information before I see it on TikTok. In my history class we also do current event updates so that is helpful too.
What media helps you stay busy/stay calm during challenging times?
Music streaming services really help me stay calm. I love being able to listen to whatever I want whenever I want. Harry Styles is definitely my go to when I want to calm down.
What lessons have you learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
It is really important to cherish the moments we have because we never know what the next day holds. Also, you have to be present with the people you care about, put the phone down sometimes.
Have you learned anything about how you use media and technology because of the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
Media is a great way to connect with people. When I wasn’t able to see my friends during the pandemic we would schedule zoom calls and play games together, it would almost feel like we were actually hanging out.
Interviewed by: Kate Yerkes, UCLA student