Jennifer, 20
Media Consumption: 3 hours per day, 2 and ½ on weekends
Favorite Media/ Technology: TikTok, medium, and Reddit
How do you and your family interact with media and technology?
We occasionally show each other more entertainment-based media by sharing it in the family group chat, or through social media apps. When we are far from one another we text each other with minor updates about our day.
How do you and your friends interact with media and technology?
I mostly text message friends though it's hard for me to keep up with people, I prefer to send funny videos through apps such as TikTok.
What is your favorite and least favorite thing about media and technology?
Favorite: How much it amplifies communication with others, we can easily send them a text or funny video to have something to laugh about and share while strengthening our communication.
Least Favorite: The chokehold that media has on users making their life significantly only about someone online (chronically online users) not directly about media, but occurs due to media.
What do you use media for?
For a variety of reasons, some of these include laughing, gaining more knowledge, and communicating with friends and family.
How did you use media during the COVID-19 pandemic?
During the pandemic, I was online learning so I would watch class recordings live via Zoom, and read articles and YouTube.
What is one thing you want the people that create the media you like to watch, play and interact with to know?
This is something that is already happening, but I would like for media to become more personalized to each individual person. Thanks to stored data a lot of videos we see and articles that we read they are becoming more personalized. I think that is a good thing, I believe that influencers and other professionals should make media more human, individuals should not be afraid to say what they think but rather say the truth instead of trying to appease everyone. The more human type of media. Influencers try to portray a life that “everyone” wants, showing that it's not just a straight path forward.
Would you want to live in a world with or without media?
With media, although the overconsumption of media can lead to several harmful mental and health factors, the only one who can control how much media you consume is yourself. If you are disciplined enough to moderate how much media you consume and that it's valuable to you, it should not affect you as much. I was able to gain so much knowledge based on the internet as a limited and extracted valuable information that would help me in the long run.
Where do you get most of your information about what’s happening in the world (e.g., news, internet, parents, etc.)?
I usually get my information from the Internet and my parents.
What media helps you stay busy/stay calm during challenging times?
During challenging times I enjoy taking a day for myself while watching humorous media on TikTok or YouTube.
What lessons have you learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
I have learned that we should enjoy every moment, though it may be going outside and getting a breath of fresh air, that is a moment in time that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
Have you learned anything about how you use media and technology because of the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
I have learned that I consume too much media and technology, so I have learned to set limits for myself.
Interviewed by: Ashley Flores Gracias, UCLA student