How we cite our quotes: Chapter, Paragraph
Quote #1
They just had their first baby, so I got this desktop computer with Windows 95 and a color monitor.
I'm scrolling through various screensavers when someone rings the doorbell. I let my mom answer it because I still haven't decided between a shifting brick wall maze and a web of plumber's pipes. (1.2-3)
To set the scene here in 1996, Emma is describing her new computer. It's a desktop with a color monitor, which is totally high tech stuff at this time. And the most exciting accessory is the screen saver. Emma is unable to decide which one she wants to use—the possibilities are just too exciting.
Quote #2
"Doesn't your family want it?" I ask.
Josh shakes his head. "My parents don't want to get the Internet. They say it's a waste of time, and my mom thinks the chatrooms are full of perverts." (1.18-19)
When the Internet came out, people were skeptical, and here we see that Josh's mom is especially wary of online chatrooms, where people can hide their identities. While she's right—there's totally major sketchiness potential online—we know now that pretty much everyone uses the Internet, not just perverts.
Quote #3
EmmaNelson4Ever@aol.com, I type. "Millicent."
For about twenty seconds, my monitor freezes. Then the white box snaps into a tiny blue dot and a new webpage fades in. It has a blue banner running across the top that says "Facebook." A column down the center of the screen is labeled "News Feed" and under that are tiny photos of people I don't recognize. Each photo is followed by a brief statement. (1.49-50)
If you were asked to describe what Facebook looks like, what would you say? Emma's describing it from the perspective of someone who's never seen—or even dreamed of—it before. Have you ever thought of statuses as "statements"? It's what they are, right?