I chose to read “Like. Flirt. Ghost: A Journey into the Social Media Lives of Teens” by Mary H.K. Choi on Wired. In this piece, Choi spent time with 5 teens (two of whom were twins) in different parts of the country to learn about how teens use social media. She admits that this is hardly a “representative sample,” but I felt that the piece still provides an illuminating window into how teens interact online and through apps. When I was a teenager Facebook was the big name of the game (the only big name, to be honest), and I have not adopted many of the newer applications that have come along (such as Snapchat and Yik Yak), which I am sure makes me incredibly un-hip. It is interesting to learn through voices who have adopted these programs what has changed about social media since I was a teenager, and what implicit and explicit rules govern its use.
Voices include:
Author Mary H.K. Choi, who provides background information and links together the voices of the five teenagers she interviewed.
Lara and Sofia, twin 16-year-old girls living in Silicon Valley who discuss Instagram use and what teenagers mean by “awkward.” (Subjects)
Eighteen-year-old Ahmad from New Haven, Connecticut, who explains flirting through social media. The smiley face emoji, I learned, may not be as good as it seems… (Subject) Note: Choi uses Ahmad’s thoughts on Snapchat to segue into an explanation of what Snapchat is and does, which is helpful to non-hip individuals such as myself.
Mira from San Francisco, who discusses how social media use (and the “likes” you receive therein) influence friendships. (Subject)
Fifteen-year-old Ubakum from Houston, who discusses being in the minority as an Android user and how she uses her phone to find new diversions through sites like Reddit. (Subject)