BRIEF RESUME
Julieta and Bárbara are close friends; they go to the same school and live in semi-detached houses next to each other. The salamander was lit when we got there and Julieta’s parents were all the time around. This was the only interview where we had parents participating. They tried to explain to us how important it is for them to give the girls the opportunity to be informed, and at the same time “connected”.
They have satelite TV connection, which is the most expensive method around (due to the lack of an antenna the TV signals are deficient). Both girls have new cellular phones, that their parents gave to them as birthday gifts. They also have mp3, mp4, music equipment, dvd…Julieta´s parents just bought the computer but they don’t have the internet connection yet.
Barbara has had internet for a month and she already has “…270 friends on Facebook, but I am going to have more…”. And Julieta is going all the time to her friend´s house to surf the net. Before, both friends used to go to a cyber café after school time was over. They worried all the time about losing the only bus that took them back home. They don’t want to use internet for school or for any other serious purpose. That’s why they are not keen on internet library because they cannot chat.
Julieta talks about Facebook and the things she says are very enlighting: “You quarrel a lot on Facebook or MSN. But, that´s life! Nobody is that good…Today everybody quarrels and they say things to you, for ex. fool, you´re a fool…But it´s ok not to be that good…”. It seems that the contradictions of human nature appear clearly in Julieta´s words and confirms what Joan Ferrés says about how image appeals directly to emotions, especially the primary ones. Cell phones are very important to Julieta “…I do everything with my mobile…I look at the time…I check if my friends send messages…you´re out of everything if you don´t have one...”
The cell phones replace not only the regular phones but also the wristwatches and this is a common issue when talking to kids.
Both adolescents are aware that they use new technology just for fun; to be connected with friends but they also have a clear idea about which could be the best use of the net: “If you come from a rural area you can study; I want to know all; I want a good job in the future; a good lifestyle; good quality…I know I´m very young, and nowadays I only use them for nonsense, just to fool around…but I´m not stupid and I know that I can use them to get other things I want out of life…” And Barbara adds: “ I want to have money…and to get money you must have a good job. Internet can help you there…”
The rural context played an important role in the way these kids talked about internet but parents do know the value of this new technology for their children as a way to ensure equal opportunities and success in life.
Interview performed in a rural area, 700 km from the Capital City.
Julieta 14 and Barbara 13 years old.
The interview took place at Julieta’s home. Julieta´s mother and her husband were
present. Both participated and added commentaries. Julieta´s mother requested us not
to tape the interviews. When she signed the permission I asked her to write down
the above request to have it registered.
Later, the eldest daughter Leila arrived together with her boyfriend Julian. Leila
is 16, Julian 17. Both of them were interviewed separatedly after the girls.
T: …your mother asked us not to tape the interviews so my colleague is going to take
notes. Is it ok with you?
J: Do you take notes on everything?
T: Well…of everything I can…it depends on how fast you speak.
T: Tell me about your family.
J: We are two, Leila and I. My Mum and her husband. My parents are separated.
B: I have a brother and live with my Mum and Dad.
T: What type of technology do you usually use?
J: TV; the mobile phone; MP3
B: I have Internet at home. They have installed it about a month ago, but I also
have a TV set and a mobile phone.
J: I go to Barbara´s house to surf the net.
T: And, did you use it before that?
J: Yes, after school I went to this public cyber but the problem was time…I couldn´t
miss the bus…
B. I went with her…we couldn´t stop going…
T: Tell me…what is it you use…how do you do it?
J: We have at home Direct TV (note: a provider of cable channel TV; the most
expensive one in Argentina) and can watch it all we want…We have the telly always
on…(At this point the mother said: “We know it is expensive, but around here there´s
no other way and we wanted to give the girls the chance to be connected, to be
informed…)
B. We also have it but last month we added Internet.
(Again the mother: “We have already bought the computer, but we still aren´t
connected. It takes time but we know how important it is for them. I uploaded an
encyclopedia on the computer so they could search for things at school”)
J: Yeah…but it´s boring to have it only for school…
(Again the Mother: “Ok!...but you can also go to the Public Library that has
Internet”)
J: Uh…the library is no good…I want Internet here at home!
T: What would be the difference?
J: You can have friends through Internet.
B: I have 270 friends on Facebook, but I´m going to have more…
T: And you have had the computer for only a month?
B Yes, but if someone is there that I don´t like I wipe them off…
T: How do you do that?
B: I tell them I ´m going to get them out of the system and I block them.
J: You can see friends that you don´t always see…
T: For instance?
J: Summer friends; you upload photos. Sometimes I go to Buenos Aires and meet
friends and I can see them and we talk…
T: And you, Julieta…how many friends do you have?
J: I have between 16 and 31 friends…no more than that because I´m not connected. t
I use the mobile phone instead of MSM; those are the friends I have on my mobile.
T: And that´s the number of friends you have at your cellphone?
J: No, there I have about 90. The others are on Facebook but ´cause I´m not
connected…well I don´t do it much….
T: Do you know them all?
J: Yes, I do. They are almost all schoolmates.
T: And the mobile phone…what does it mean to you?
J: I can´t live without it.
T: Why do you say so?
I do everything with my mobile…I look at the time…I see if my friends send me
messages…you´re out of everything if you don´t have one.
J:
T: And who pays for all these mobiles?
J: Our parents pay for everything. We have a fixed amount…if you spend more it´s
tough! Then you can receive messages but you can´t use your mobile till it´s again
loaded.
T: And fotologs?
J I don´t have it.
B: Neither do I…It´s just to upload photos…
T: And the games?
B: I play to some on Facebook.
J: So do I. But what I like best is to be in touch.
T: Tell me how you use it…
J: What your friends say it´s important. You quarrel a lot on Facebook or MSN.
But, that´s life! Nobody is that good…Today everybody quarrels and they say things
to you, for ex. fool, yor´re a fool…But it´s ok not to be that good…
T: Have you ever used the means of communication for something you think is
important?
J: If you come from a rural area you can study; I want to know all; I want a
good job in the future; a good lifestyle; good quality…I know I´m very young, and
nowadays I only use them for nonsense, just to fool around…but I´m not stupid and I
know that I can use them to get other things I want out of life…
B: I want to have money…and to get money you must have a good job. Internet can
help you there…
T: What things you can tell me that you´ve done through Internet where more kids
have participated?
B: For example, your friends´ fifteenth birthdays. You upload the photos, the rest
look at them or you can see yourself. It´s great!
J: You are singled out, labelled…they see you and want to be your friend.
T: What do you mean by that?
J: You upload a photo,, you label it with a name…it´s like giving it identity.
They know who it is…They also can make comments and then you know what they think.
You try to upload photos where you think you look ok. They know you and you know
them. It´s great to have a lot of friends, watch yourself on the screen and listen
to what they say about you.
T: Anything else?
J: Well..for the moment the most important thing for us is to be in touch, to have
friends, and it´s very important too because we are kind of isolated here in the
country. If you don´t have friends you don´t exist; you´re left alone.
B: Maybe when we grow up, all of it can help us to study, to learn, to get a good
job, but for the moment we´re still at school.
T: Ok. Let´s leave it here. Your sister and her boyfriend have arrived and we are
going to talk to them for a while, if you don´t mind.
I would like to talk to them separatedly and without you being present. It´s that
all right?
I want to thank you all for inviting me to your home and allowing me to make you all
these questions.Your answers have been very important and they have helped me
understand many things. Thank you.
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