“Social media & its use in the modern-day”— An interview

Social media has become a part of our day-to-day lives. From Facebook to LinkedIn, there are many social media platforms for different communities. Thanks to access to mobile apps, social networks have become larger and easier to access.

On the 12th of July 2021, I conducted two informational interviews to learn views, opinions, attitudes, experiences, and perceptions about Social media and its use in the modern-day.

Interview participants were identified based on their known interests, experiences, and community perspectives. Participants were told the interviews would take approximately 15 minutes. A list of 10 questions was prepared as a questionnaire for the participants, which included open-ended questions.

In general, the two participants had very different views on social media. There were wide-ranging opinions on all topics discussed. However, both interviewees agreed in some fashion that social media is essential in this age and time. Participating individuals had varying degrees of involvement in social media.

First Interview

Panchala Fernando

1. Tell me about yourself. My name is Panchala. I’m 29 years old. I’m currently working as a business analyst.
2. What do you think of social media? I think platforms like TikTok can be destructive towards the younger generation. Because it’s designed to give you a quick boost of dopamine, which is the ‘feel good’ chemical when you’re using it. Which makes it addictive. When we get used to that kind of a quick boost, it makes us rely on that platform to get a happy feeling.
3. What was your first social media platform and how did you get into it? Facebook. I was interested in new technologies. I heard stories about Facebook from my friends and thought of giving it a try.
4. What is your favorite social media platform? Why? YouTube. There is a variety of content where I can choose what I want to watch. And I’ve gained so much professional knowledge using YouTube. I learned many professions.
5. How do you keep up with social media trends? I don’t. Because I only use YouTube. And I’m not interested in trends.
6. What social media influencers or brands do you follow? Matt Stonie and J. Krishnamurti.
7. How much influence do you think social media has on society? Very high.
8. If you could change anything about social media, what would it be? Remove platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Because people tend to create virtual egos of themselves and they lose touch with reality. I think that leads most young people not to be mindful. They become unnecessarily self-conscious about the things they see online.
9. Do you think Social media is an essential tool in this age and time? Not essential. But it’s influential.
10. How do you think social media would change in the future? It will become more and more addictive in the future with cleverer ways. So it will be more competitive in the future, and we will be more addicted to social media.

Second Interview

Lakshika Dolage

1. Tell me about yourself. I’m Lakshika Dolage. I’m 26 years old. I’m the only child in my family. I have completed my Bachelor’s in civil engineering. And I’m currently working at a construction company.
2. What do you think of social media? I think it’s good. But we have to use it wisely. It’s an ocean of information. We have to be selective about what we look for.
3. What was your first social media platform and how did you get into it? It was Facebook. Because of the trends and my friends had created accounts. So I thought of joining as well.
4. What is your favorite social media platform? Why? Instagram. Because there are not that many gossips. The algorithm suits me, unlike Facebook. There are too many ads and comedy content which I’m not interested in.
5. How do you keep up with social media trends? I’m not that into trends.
6. What social media influencers or brands do you follow? Kylie Jenner, Priyanka Chopra, Tequila 818, and Kylie cosmetics.
7. How much influence do you think social media has on society? 99% influence.
8. If you could change anything about social media, what would it be? I would remove ads because I see them as a nuisance.
9. Do you think Social media is an essential tool in this age and time? Of course. We cannot go back so we have to adapt to this. And I think it differs from person to person.
10. How do you think social media would change in the future? I think social media will be much more essential in day-to-day lives with the advancement in technology.