Miles, 19

Media consumption: iPhone/iPad/Macbook everyday

Favorite media/technology: Instagram

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

I usually watch TV in the living room to catch up on college football games. My family and I are big college football fans.

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

I communicate over social media like Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat. I use group chats with my guy friends. Groupme conversations for my fraternity.

Were you exposed to media/techonology during your childhood? If not, how early on were you exposed to them?

My parents were relatively relaxed about media use as long as the devices were off by 10pm. I used to watch Nickelodeon shows with brothers on TV. My parents are also big college football fans so I was exposed to TV culture early on during my childhood.

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

Favorite thing is that I can communicate freely and easily with my friends and family. Least favorite thing is how distracting social media and TV is from doing my class work.

What do you use media for?

I mostly use social media to keep in touch with my friends and family. I mostly use technology, like my phone and iPad, to do homework or to do Zoom meetings.

How did you use media during the COVID-19 pandemic?

I have noticed that I used social media to communicate with my friends more during the pandemic because there was limited in-person interactions. I participated in Zoom classes and Zoom meetings during the pandemic and still use Zoom to do my internship over my computer.

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

Media plays a huge role in day-to-day life even in ways that people don’t realize. Therefore, one thing people who create the media should be more aware of is the rapid spreading of information over the internet and create a more safe and welcoming environment for adolescents.

Interviewed by: Julia M. Park, UCLA student