Parents, News, and Technology

Dirty diapers, making bottles, entertaining kids, cleaning and clothing babies.

Such is the every day life of a single mother.

Some adults cannot seem to make time in their busy lives to catch up on the latest news, but 23-year-old mother of one, Kerry Schrank of Pierre, makes sure to read the local newspaper every few days.

Schrank said, “The newspaper is more convenient in my life and I like to read more localized stories.”

Being a single mother, she sometimes feels “out of the loop” when it comes to the most up to date news stories.

“If I feel like I haven’t gotten enough information or want more information about a story I read, I will go online and try to find it on KELO Land or something like that,” Schrank said.

She will also hear the usual around town gossip about the latest news and will turn to online news in order to confirm or deny what she had heard.

She often finds it difficult to keep a two-year-old entertained while trying to read a newspaper.

Schrank said, “It seems like every time I try to sit down and read the newspaper my son suddenly becomes very interested in what I’m doing. I generally end up letting him color all over it rather than fighting with him.”

As far as social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, Schrank said she cannot figure out how to create an account on Twitter and doesn’t really know anyone who uses it. She uses Facebook for more social interactions than finding news.

“I feel that because Facebook is more for social things, such as sharing pictures of my baby, connecting with friends, and playing those silly games, that is what I should be using it for,” Schrank said with a laugh.

She said the only time she gets to listen to the radio is at work.

“I work 40 plus hours a week, so it’s hard to catch the radio news every time it’s on, but I hear some updates every so often when the radio is on at work,” Schrank said.

In a time when it seems like every person walking around has a smart phone or an iPad, Schrank is still using her desktop computer.

“I do not have the money for all of those fancy smart phones and tablet computers. Do you know how many packs of diapers and baby food an iPad costs,” Schrank said.

If she can get her son to sleep in time, she likes to watch a little bit of news in the evening.

“I like to watch Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert every night. I like them because they give you news and it’s entertaining. It’s like in school, when you’re having fun and accidentally learning something,” Schrank said.

Even though she might not watch the local news broadcasts or get her news like most people her age, Schrank still makes an effort to stay up to date with the world around her.