STEPHANIE GOLDING: “I find the internet is useful for loads of different things. My lifestyle would be completely different without it. I use it for communicating with people, for my school work and for buying things. I use it for MSN Messaging, as do millions of other teenagers around the world. It’s great because you can talk to your friends wherever they are and get an instant reply. I can talk to my friend in Italy through MSN. You can also hold as many different conversations as you like or talk to a few people in a big conversation. If you own a webcam then you can set it so that someone else can see you while you talk to them. It’s amazing when you see and talk to your friends from another part of the country.

I also use the internet for my homework. It’s easy to find the information you need and much more convenient than having to go to get books from the library, when there may only be a very limited choice anyway. There are many homework websites that will give you information and help you to revise. The website I find the best is Bitesize (www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/) because it has all the stuff on the school curriculum and can give you short tests; this has really helped me with my revision.

Another thing that I use the internet for is e-mail. Although similar to MSN it is better to use e-mail if you want to send a long message or file. For example, a few weeks ago I downloaded an audition form and sent it by e-mail. I then received e-mails on the casting and rehearsal times. This is so much easier than having to send letters or receive phone calls. I also sometimes send e-cards through the internet. These can be animated with music.

You can also order things on the internet. You can either bid for them on e-Bay or buy them off a website. Recently I ordered something for my iPod and it arrived within a few days. But the disadvantage when you buy things online is that some people can try to scam you. You also have to pay for post and packaging. Although it’s great if you can’t find the thing you want in a shop or the shop is really far away.

I also use the internet to download music. I use programmes like iTunes. It’s a cheap and easy way to get music — it takes less than a minute to download a song on to my computer and then transfer it to my iPod. You can find virtually any song you want through iTunes, it’s easy to access. The net is also useful when you need to find images, if you are producing a poster, for example. You can find lots of clip art and photos. The easiest way is to use Google images. With just a few clicks of the mouse you can be talking to someone in another country or purchasing an item. I benefit a lot from having the internet and it makes life a lot easier.”

Bookish blogger

JAMES McMILLEN: “I know when I’ve done a good essay. I wrote a really long one recently on Lady Macbeth. Afterwards, I talked to friends and I was surprised because they all said it was difficult. It’s hard to question yourself about something but, once you’ve decided what you think, explaining it is easier.

I used to read every day, stuff like Terry Pratchett but I don’t any more. Factual writing is probably my strongest area rather than creative writing.

Outside school, I do a lot of typing. I’ve tried writing a play script and the odd story but I’m not sure I’ve got enough material for a novel. I find the idea daunting.

I’ve had a blog for over a year. I don’t fill it in every day, just now and again, if something interesting happens. You try to get across your point of view and help the reader visualise stuff. You might parody something that has happened or write in a humorous way. My friend, who’s on holiday in Turkey, is updating his blog while he’s away so we can see what he’s been up to.

It’s a different style of writing, a very informal one. Everything’s written in the way that you talk to your friends. It’s another language, really. If you want to write people, you just write “ppl”. If you want to write know, you just put “no”. I’m careful that I don’t write like this when I’m doing course work. It’s important to know how to write well to do almost anything in life. Even if it’s just typing up letters in an office.”

TOP TEN WEBSITES