What+We+Noticed+about+Interviewing+Kids

Place your reflections on what you noticed about interviewing children here.

In reflecting on the process of interviewing children about media and technology, I noticed how important it is to let them talk out their ideas. Sometimes it takes a few minutes for them to really understand what you’re asking of them. I also noticed how difficult it was to remain completely neutral while conducting the interview. When a child responds with an answer that you’re looking for it is natural to want to say “good job” or “yeah that’s a funny part,” however, this ultimately can lead to influencing their answers in the future (especially when more than one child is being interview at a time.) I found that the children we’re most familiar with television, movies, and video games. Although they had a vague understanding of the internet and its uses, they tended to confuse the difference between a computer program and an internet website. In talking about television and videogames, the children often described specific scenes or funny things that happened in a show, instead of the overall way it made them feel. This just forced us to rethink our questions and overall approach in talking with the kids.  -August Navarro