This week I interviewed a sixteen year old, Black American junior in high school. She is a solid B student and participates in several extracurricular activities including track and field, model U.N, student government and mock trial. Of course I was thrilled to learn that my affinity for a physical book over an e-reader was shared by someone more than ten years my junior. I was also surprised that this teen was not as connected as I thought she would be, but then again I suppose it speaks more to her parents than to her actual desire to stay connected. I did think she used way too many social network sites. I personally don't see a need for all the different types but apparently they all serve a purpose. It was refreshing to find that she understood when technology could be a distraction and that she took steps to remove it when need be. I found that my technology usage was actually pretty similar to hers. I may actually be a little more connected because of the internet on my phone, however I do not belong to the number of social sites that she does. The interviewee was a pretty responsible and reasonable technology user and did not share information that was too personal or photos that were objectionable. The reason for her online inhibitions may be the fact that she uses her sites to stay connected to family and friends and is wary of what is posted. I am still not convinced that technology enhances all learning experiences and this teen agreed that it may not be necessary for all her classes but that it did enhance the experience of certain classes. Below are the questions asked:
What social media platforms do you use?
- Facebook, twitter, Instagram, tumblr
How often are you on these sites?
-Consistently, all the time or as often as I can be. I have a
family computer and internet at home. I do not have internet on my phone.
Do most of your friends have
internet access on their phones?
-Yes.
Do you think that social media is a distraction?
-Yes, sometimes I will deactivate my accounts if I have
something really important due.
Is technology used mostly for leisure or education?
-Leisure
How often do you use the internet
for work rather than leisure?
-About a third of the time.
What sites do you use for
education?
-
Google, Wikipedia
Do you use any scholarly
websites?
- Google scholar…
Do you do most of your research online
or in a physical library?
- Definitely online
Do you use internet for dating?
- No.
Are all the people you are
connected to on these social media sites actually friends?
- No.
How much personal information do
you share on these social media sites?
- Not too much… My birthday not the
year, I don’t put my hometown or current town but I do put my school
information.
What attracts you to all these
social media sites? Why isn’t one enough?
- I don’t know, why not. On Twitter
I can update a status more frequently, I can update photos quickly on Instagram.
I can blog about anything on tumblr and Facebook is what I use to stay
connected to family and friends.
Do you use technology at school?
- Yes. I use computers for
architecture, English and physics… programs like CAD for architecture, google
and Words for English.
Do you feel like technology enhances
the learning experience?
- Yes, especially with architecture.
It changes the experience. It’s cooler than reading a book in a classroom.
Do you think all your classes should incorporate technology? Why or why not?
- No, because I don't think you need it in all your classes.
Book or E-Reader?
Book... There's something about a book, it feels right. Doesn't hurt my eyes.
