Interview

I had the opportunity to interview my 12-year-old cousin, we will call her Z. Although she gave me brief responses to some of my questions, I was still surprised by some of her responses.


I began by asking her what technology she uses on a regular basis. She said she uses her phone, school Chromebook, Nintendo switch, and watches tv. Z enjoys using technology in school to help her learn and helps her get better grades on tests. She mentioned that technology helps her learn by using Kahoot. Since I have never heard of this website before, I needed to do a little research on it. This is a website that uses games to help enhance learning. The user can create their own game or quiz and share it with others (Kahoot!, 2023).

Z had a lot to say about social media. Her favorite social media app to use is Instagram so she can watch videos of guinea pigs and find recipe videos. Z likes social medica because she can find videos to help her with whatever she needs help with and can contact others to help her as well. This makes me think of how the internet is helping to form her identity. Her social media reflects her likes and interests, and she only shares what is comfortable to her. As she gets older and her interests change, she will be sharing different aspects of her life and herself. She will be representing herself in different ways (Black, 2013). When asked if social media affects her self-esteem, Z said she doesn't think that it doesn't think that it does because she doesn't listen to others online. 

I was surprised when she said she only spends 1-2 hours a day on social media, I thought that this number would be higher. But when reflecting on her day-to-day life, I know she is very busy with school activities and sports. When I asked Z if she thought if kids in her generation used technology/social media too much she said some classmates do because they use their phones during lunch time instead of talking to friends. 

The next several responses I received from Z about social media use really shocked me, in a good way. I was shocked because of the maturity in her responses. When asked what she doesn't like about social media, Z said she doesn't like that there are people that misuse it and make social media more dangerous for the people using it. She believes schools should incorporate social media into activities or homework so students know the risks of being online and how people can misuse it. The final question I asked was if there was any other information she wanted to add about technology or social media, and I thought she gave a great response. Z said to be careful about who you are messaging online because it's not always who you think it is. 

It was great being able to interview my cousin and get an inside peak of what social media and technology use looks like in the younger generation. They have all grown up with technology and kids are being able to use it at a younger age. I think everyone should listen to what Z said about being careful who you message online. 


Black, R. (2013). Language, culture and identity in fan fiction. In Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M., A new literacies reader: Educational perspectives (vol. 66, pp. 229-246). Peter Lang.

Kahoot!. (2023). What is Kahoot!? Kahoot!. https://kahoot.com/what-is-kahoot/ 

Comments

  1. MandaMarch 27, 2023 at 12:38 PM

    What a great response Z had about social media, and how the schools should be incorporating it more so that students learn to use it wisely and safely! Wise beyond her years! And good for her for "not listening to people online" -that is a difficult thing to do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sara SchomakerMarch 29, 2023 at 6:45 AM

      Hi Manda! Yes I was very surprised with many of her mature responses! It was great to learn that she is aware of the dangers that could come from technology and social media use.

      Delete
  2. G SalernoMarch 30, 2023 at 4:15 PM

    Hi Sara!
    It sounds like your cousin is used to the many facets of technology and appreciates that it can be a great educational resource. I wonder how old she was when she began using it.
    Thanks for sharing about Z!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dalila HasanagicMarch 30, 2023 at 4:51 PM

    Wow! You have a very wise cousin. What surprises me is 12-year-olds are allowed to use their phone at lunchtime. I feel like most schools are pretty strict on phone use until the high school years. I wonder if your cousin is into true-crime stories because many new documentaries about the dangers of social media and catfishing have come out recently. Regardless, I am glad she uses her time for fun and learning!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Timothy ColonMarch 31, 2023 at 9:45 PM

    Thank you for sharing, Sara! I enjoyed reading your interview with "Z". One part specifically that caught my attention was the way your cousin used social media. It reflects the attitudes of many students in that Social Media platforms are often used as a way to learn information. A handy thing about these apps is that they adjust to your interests over time, sharing content that is relevant to the user. I find it great that information is so easy to access online. However, the downsides are that people may not be exposed to different ideas because platforms cater specifically to the user's interests and beliefs. This has caused what many refer to as an "echo-chamber" of ideas, where you only hear from people who already agree with you. Also there is lots of misinformation out there online. I make educational Youtube videos about Paleontology so I can assure you that there is a TON of misinformation out there. So much nonsense needs to be debunked that it can drive you crazy.

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