I found this interview to be very interesting. Although the teen I interviewed is very tech
savvy and relies heavily on technology and the internet, he wasn’t very
involved in social media (yet). He said
he is too busy with school and sports to keep up with it as a means for
communication. He texts quite a bit and
interacts with friends online while playing games, but is not interested in
applications like Facebook or Instagram at this point. Because of the sports he is involved in, he
interacts with friends in person frequently. He also works a few hours a week
where he interacts with others as well.
I was interested in his reply to the question regarding the Internet
being a distraction. He replies heavily
on technology and constantly multitasks but recognizes this to be a distraction
when he is trying to concentrate, especially on his homework.
This interview motivated me to research further the concern
of distraction levels in teens related to Internet and social media use. There
were many articles online, and I referenced one in particular in my Growing Up
Digital discussion post. We further discussed his feelings of Internet use in
the classroom and he felt that it was necessary. He could not imagine the classroom without
it. When asked, he said he did not think
the Internet could ever replace a teacher – but that it helps the teacher to
better explain or demonstrate a topic.
This reflects what we all discussed in prior modules related to Internet
in the classroom. I thought it was interesting coming directly from a
teen.
It seems that his definition of a traditional classroom is
much different than what we typically consider a traditional classroom. I guess
that is the difference between a digital immigrant and a digital native. We can incorporate technology into our lives
and appreciate all that it offers us, whereas for young students today, they
cannot imagine a world (or a classroom) without it.
Below are the questions and responses from my interview:
• How old
are you? 16
• Are you
male or female? Male
• What
devices do you currently have in your possession? I have an iPad, a smartphone,
and a laptop
• Do you
prefer hardcover books or eBooks? eBooks
• Does your
homework require use of the internet for research regularly? Yes – almost every
day. In addition to research, I need to
access the teacher’s websites for homework information and other reference
materials.
• Do you
ever visit the school library or other library for research, or is all research
done online? Rarely – I do most of my research online.
• What
technology do you use in the classroom?
For many classes, I am able to use my laptop for note taking. I often
use a thumb drive so that I have all my files with me. In addition, many classes require the
internet while in class. I am taking a web design class this year and use a
school pc in class. My classrooms also
have smart boards.
• How many
of your classes use the Internet in the classroom? Most of my classes use the
internet.
• Do you
use blogs for any of your classes? Yes, I have one class that has an ongoing
blog. The teacher posts a questions and
we have to login to her page and respond to it and to other students.
• What do
you primarily do when online? Play games, interact with friends, shop, conduct
research, watch videos? While online, I
play games, socialize, go on eBay, look at sports stats, watch sports,
research/do school work, and watch YouTube.
I text with friends often and use email but I am not too involved in
social media.
• How often
are you on your phone texting or on the Internet? Constantly.
• How long
do you spend each day on social media? 1 hour
• Do you
communicate with peers more via social media than in person? No, but I do text
and play games online with them.
• Do you
prefer to socialize with friends online or in person? Both – but I prefer in
person.
• Do you
connect with and interact with your parents via social media? Texting, yes.
• What do
you typically use social media for other than socializing? I use Twitter to
follow school Tweets mostly.
• Which
device do you use most often for accessing social media sites/apps? My cell
phone – it is always with me.
• Do you
post photos or other personal information on social media sites? No
• Do you
accept friend requests from people you don’t know? No – but I have played
online games with random players when friends were not online.
• Are there
any rules set in place by your parents to ensure that you are using social
media responsibly? Yes. We discuss this
often.
• Are you
familiar with the term Cyberbullying? Have you ever experienced cyberbullying
while online? I know the term – we had an assembly about it in school. I have not experienced it myself.
• Do you
share your passwords with anyone? No
• How often
do you use the following social media applications: (Daily, Often,
Occasionally, Never)
1. Facebook - Never
2. YouTube - Often
3. Instagram - Never
4. Twitter - Occasionally
5. Snapchat - Never
• When
preparing for a test, like the SAT, do you prefer to study and practice using a
practice text or by completing online practice tests? I use both, but I prefer
online practice tests.
• When
conducting research on the Internet, do you find yourself facing other
distractions on the web? YES! It is hard not to be distracted. While looking something up, you see a link to
something else. Also, you still get texts, email, news alerts – I try not to,
but it is impossible not to get distracted.
