A virtual life made real
At 15, I am a typical teenager, so I like to keep in touch with my friends. I have broadband at home and usually go on it everyday for about an hour after school. I also send about 50 texts a day, although this number varies.
I never go online on my mobile as it is very expensive, but I do use Bluetooth to send picture messages and music files to friends, as it’s free. I also sometimes go online on my iPod Touch, using wireless broadband. If money was no object, I would like to get the iPhone, but since I have a Touch, I don’t really need it.
All of my friends have mobile phones. I have an LG mobile, which I’m happy with. It’s a slide phone and has a small keyboard which I find easy to use.
Online, I keep in touch using websites, including Bebo and Facebook, and services such as Windows Live Messaging.
Between Bebo and Facebook, I prefer Bebo. It’s easier to use and more of my friends use Bebo than Facebook, so it is easier to keep in touch with them there.
It’s also fun to decorate a Bebo page with quizzes and different colours. I’ve been on it since the start of the year.
I joined Facebook about a month ago, but you can’t really make your page your own. Yes, you are able to add information about yourself, but it’s very plain.
On Bebo, you add a ‘skin’ to your page and it makes it colourful. You can upload a song from YouTube which plays when someone visits your Bebo page. My skin on Bebo is of two people dancing. My song is All I Wanted by Paramore.
On Bebo, you get requests to become a member of bands or groups. I’m a member of the Script’s group and Lady Gaga’s group on Bebo.
Some of the groups on Bebo are a little extreme. For example, when John and Edward first joined the X-Factor there were groups called ‘We hate John and Edward’. But now there are groups called ‘John and Edward For Life’.
On Facebook, there are some games I play. For example, Farmville is very popular among my friends. You plant trees and take care of animals.
There is also Yoville, which is kind of like The Sims. You can change clothes and make your character look like you, decorate your apartment and meet friends.
I sometimes play Soriority Life, which is a game for girls.
You organise ‘parties’ for friends and get-togethers with other sororities.
When online, I also use Windows Live Messenger, which is an instant messaging service. I am connected to about 45 people, all of whom I know. They are all in my year at school.
As for video games, I used to play the Nintendo DS, especially a game called Cooking Mama. But I don’t really play video games much any more.
