Zoe, 14
Media Consumption: Frequent; daily for both school and personal usage
Favorite Media/Technology: TikTok (2-3 hours per day), YouTube (20-40 minutes per day), and Messages (10-30 minutes per day)
How do you and your family interact with media/technology?
When I was younger, my parents would let me use a family iPad for an hour a day, however, I had to ask for their permission in order to use it and they would monitor my activity. I would use the iPad to play games such as Angry Birds or watch videos on YouTube. My parents used to have flip phones but now we all own iPhones. Even though I have my own phone and get to choose my interactions with media/technology, my parents still have rules. For example, I am supposed to leave my phone in the living room at night and have to put my phone away while doing homework. We also have a family rule: no phones at the dining table.
How do you and your peers interact with media/technology?
A lot of my friends and I use iMessage to communicate. Through iMessage, we have a lot of group chats and also play games such as 8-ball through [an integrated app called] Game Pigeon. I also use Spotify a lot so I have collaborative playlists with my friends which allow us to share the music that we are currently listening to with one another.
What do you use media for?
I use it to communicate with my friends and to keep up with social media. Additionally, I use it for school. Canvas or Google Classroom. I was curious if COVID-19 played an important role in how schools decided to use media. In asking her about that, Zoe shared how since elementary school, media has been a large part of her learning. In elementary school, her class would go to Computer Lab once a week in which they would learn skills such as typing, using Word, and how to create citations. This helped me understand her grasp on media literacy and its prevalence in schools. My teachers assign homework through Canvas, and I also turn it in online through Canvas. I even have a Chromebook from my school students, which I use in class such as to read articles in my English and History classes. I like using a computer as it makes completing assignments faster—I type faster than I write. I can also easily look things up when I am having trouble understanding a topic.
What is your favorite/least favorite thing about media/technology?
Social media can be positive for spreading awareness about social issues because I can keep up with current events through peoples’ Instagram stories. It can also be helpful for getting things done quickly. However, social media also creates a false reality since people only post the good things about their life, which is harmful because others will believe their lives have to be perfect to fit in. I feel like a lot of people compare themselves to social media standards in order to determine how they should act.
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 like people I watch to know is that a lot of people look up to them. Many of these creators have huge platforms with many followers. Therefore, they should be aware of what they post. For example, a lot of my friends used to watch Brent Rivera when we were younger and now they realize how messed up and weird some of his videos are.
What media do you interact with the most?
I interact with media through my phone the most. The app that I use the most is TikTok. Last week, I spent 19 hours and 22 minutes on TikTok. Other apps on my phone that I spend a lot of time on are YouTube, Spotify, and Messages. For school, I also use Canvas and Google Classroom.
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 information from posts on Instagram and TikTok. I also get a lot of information through my friends (especially about things happening at school or related to my peers), as well as through parents and teachers. My history teacher provides us with a lot of information about current events by showing us news articles and videos.
What media helps you stay busy/stay calm during challenging times?
Going on TikTok helps me stay busy and calm because it is full of things that interest me. I also love to listen to music so I utilize Spotify to listen to music to calm my nerves during challenging times. Some of my favorite artists are Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift.
What lessons have you learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
From the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times, I have learned more about how to adapt to different circumstances and situations. I have also found new hobbies during these times to take my mind off of the stress of the challenging times.
Have you learned anything about how you use media and technology because of the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
During the pandemic, I used media to learn new things that could keep me busy. I learned how to play the guitar and ukulele. Additionally, I learned how to make different types of friendship bracelets. I learned how to do all of this through media by watching videos on YouTube.
Interviewed by: Ally Chan, UCLA student