Thursday, March 23, 2017

Week 10 Interview: Adolescent and Social Media


This interview was with a fourteen-year-old young lady named Stephanie. Stephanie did not personally spend too much time using social media but did know enough about it too have an insightful and extensive opinion. 

Q1. What does social media mean to you?
Stephanie: Social media is a place where you share photos and experiences with people you mainly do not know. I mean your real friends are there as well but many of the people in the site are strangers.
Q2. If you were going to use social media which site do you think you would use and what would you put on the site?
Stephanie: I would use Facebook because it is easy to use and I would post mainly pictures.
Q3. What kind of pictures? Would that be pictures of yourself?
Stephanie: Well, I know that you can keep the page private where only certain people can see you such as close friends and I would post pictures of myself. Otherwise I would post mostly pictures that I like but have no direct reference to me.
Q4. Do you have friends that use social media?
Stephanie: Yes, I have friends that use social media, my older brother uses social media and even my mother uses social media. My mother actually uses it daily and spends a good deal of time staring at her iPhone viewing Facebook. She likes to see the political comments.
Q5. Do you think social media makes people more connected to each other?
Stephanie: Not really. I mean it could seem that way but it seems to me that your not really connecting with another person on a personal or intimate level. Your mostly just posting stuff that’ often not that important.
Q6. Do you think social media could have a negative effect?
Stephanie: Yes. It can be used to hurt people if it is used for bullying and thing like that.
Q7. Is social media used in your school and if so how is it used?
Stephanie: In my school, it isn’t used too much. There is one English teacher that tries to encourage it though. She would like us to share homework assignments and perhaps support each other if we need help but it is optional and I do not participate. 

In a sense, I guess Stephanie is a bit of an anomaly because she is certainly growing up in a digital world and does know about it but at the same she is not enveloped by it. I asked her one last question. 

Q8. Do you think you’ll ever use more social media?
Stephanie: Yes, if there is a more a specific reason for it such as planning an event, especially one that’s inviting many people or perhaps to announce the opening of a new business. I think social media is great for things like that but as for communicating I would rather communicate with my friends face to face on the phone. I especially like Facetime!


1 comment:

  1. Joseph,
    Your interviewee does seem to have a very mature approach to social media, that hopefully will stay with her as she grows and develops! Thanks for sharing your interview!

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